OUR SEA - OUR SOURCE - OUR FUTURE
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OCEAN COORDINATION MECHANISM - The Wider Caribbean: United in Action
About the Mechanism
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A Unified Vision for the Wider Caribbean
Our marine environment is the lifeblood of our region—a cornerstone of biodiversity, the engine of our economic future, and, if well nurtured, a great ally in our fight against the impacts of a changing climate. For too long, the management of this vital part of our region was fragmented, with overlapping mandates and siloed efforts limiting our collective potential.
A Paradigm Shift in Ocean Governance
The Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) is a groundbreaking regional governance platform: it represents a fundamental evolution in how we safeguard our maritime heritage. Moving beyond the traditional focus on isolated "problems," the OCM embraces a proactive approach. We are shifting the narrative toward identifying shared opportunities and addressing the multiple challenges affecting our ocean through integrated, solutions-oriented collaboration.
As a permanent, inclusive platform, the OCM unites countries, regional organizations and other ocean stakeholders to align actions and optimize resources. Our work focuses on high-impact areas that define a sustainable future:
Sustainable Fisheries: Ensuring food security and livelihoods.
Pollution Control: Protecting our ecosystems and marine and human life.
Biodiversity Conservation: Safeguarding the region’s unique natural capital.
Climate-Resilient Blue Economies: Building a prosperous, future-proof region.
Strength in Unity
The OCM is not just a concept—it is a formal commitment to become "united in action". As of late 2025, 20 States and Territories and 9 Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) have officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), creating a powerful, unified front for regional ocean governance.
Through the OCM, the Wider Caribbean can now speak with one voice and act with one purpose: to ensure a healthy, productive, and resilient ocean for generations to come.
Interactive Timeline
The operationalization - with the support of the UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project under its Project Component # 1 - of the regional “Ocean Coordination Mechanism” (OCM) constitutes a flagship project output and a major milestone on the Wider Caribbean region's path towards regional-level, integrated, interactive ocean governance. Key achievements and events, both from the past and those currently planned and leading to the OCM's operationalization and beyond, are visualized in the interactive timeline below:
What our stakeholders are saying
OCM Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
The Ocean Coordination Mechanism operates under a collaborative governance framework designed to enable inclusive, transparent, and effective decision-making across the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf region.
Find the English, Spanish, and French versions of the MoU here.
How the OCM Works (Roles & Responsibilities)
The Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) operates under a collaborative governance framework designed to facilitate inclusive, transparent, and effective decision-making throughout the Caribbean region and the Northern Brazil Shelf.
Decisions are made by consensus and are based on both technical input and policy guidance.
The Steering Group, composed of representatives from the member countries, approves the work programs and budgets, while | The Executive Group, composed of intergovernmental organizations, meets to provide coordinated technical and policy advice | The Secretariat facilitates communication and ensures and monitors the timely implementation of decisions | The implementation of the OCM Work Programme is supported by a select number of MCO Working Groups. |
The mission of the OCM Working Groups (WGs) is to assist and support the OCM in carrying out the OCM Functions listed in Articles VI–VIII of the MoU.
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This multi-tiered structure ensures that decisions are informed by diverse perspectives and grounded in shared regional priorities. Governance is supported by regularly convened ordinary and extraordinary meetings, work planning cycles, and progress tracking mechanisms- all aimed at reinforcing regional ownership and delivering long-term impact.
Organs of the OCM
The Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism ensures region-wide coordination for sustainable ocean governance by distributing responsibilities across three main entities:
STEERING GROUP(SG) Composed of representatives from participating countries, the SG provides strategic direction, approves work plans and budgets, and ensures that national priorities are reflected in regional ocean governance efforts. It also reviews and clears regional strategies such as the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). In the context of the SGM1.2 meeting, the SG formally adopted the Rules of Procedure (RoP). | EXCUTIVE GROUP(EG) Made up of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) with a marine-related mandate, the EG supports technical guidance, coordination across agencies, and the vetting of scientific and policy proposals. It plays a key role in ensuring that decisions are informed by expertise and aligned with institutional mandates. | SECRETARIAT The Secretariat manages day-to-day operations, facilitates communication across OCM bodies, organizes meetings, tracks implementation of the work programme, and supports the development of key knowledge products such as the SOMEE report and the marine data infrastructure. During the PROCARIBE+ project, the Project Management and Coordination Unit (PMCU) serves as the interim Secretariat. |
Together, these entities enable the OCM to deliver on its mission to protect marine ecosystems, foster collaboration, and drive blue economy development across the region.
OCM Work Programme
To support the fulfillment of its mission, a preliminary work program for the OCM for the 2025–2028 period was approved in 2025.
The key elements of the OCM’s work program are:
The development and adoption of a periodic, standardized, collaborative, and integrated reporting mechanism on the “State of the Marine Environment and Associated Socioeconomic Aspects” (SOMEE), which further supports and complements existing marine assessment processes in the region.
The publication of a first edition of this report.
A new Strategic Action Program (SAP) or regional, integrated tool for “Resilient Blue Economies.”
A master plan for a Regional Marine Data, Information, and Knowledge Infrastructure (MDII master plan), supporting integrated ocean governance at the regional level.
An online OCM Knowledge Center, as one of several “knowledge pillars” within the MDII framework.
OCM Working Groups
The Steering Group’s Decision establishes that, in carrying out their functions, the main bodies of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) —the Steering Group, the Executive Group, and the Secretariat— may be assisted by working groups.
These working groups support the OCM in fulfilling its mandate, more specifically by providing support for the execution of the GCO’s core and complementary functions related to the working group’s thematic area, and always in accordance with the limits established by the relevant OCM decisions. In addition, they contribute to the implementation of the OCM Work Program 2025–2028 through coordinated lines of work with defined timelines, led by experts, which produce agreed-upon outcomes of technical and policy support for consideration by the OCM’s bodies and, where relevant, for consideration by intergovernmental organizations in the region.
The mission of the OCM Working Groups (WGs) is to assist and support the OCM in carrying out the functions of the OCM listed in Articles VI through VIII of the Memorandum of Understanding.
In alignment with the main elements of the preliminary OCM Work Program, the following four Working Groups are established:
1. Marine Data and Information Working Group (MDI WG) | 2. State of the Marine Environment and associated socio-Economics Reporting Working Group (SOMEE WG) |
3. Strategic Action Programme Working Group (SAP WG) | 4. Gender and Youth Working Group (G&Y WG) |
Pursuing Interactive Ocean Governance
OCM MoU Signatories
OCM Photo Gallery
The Ocean Coordination Mechanism became operational in December, 2024 and celebrated its global launch at UNOC3, on June 9th, 2025, at a side event hosted by the government of Grenada, during the event United In Action: Actioning Blue 30x30 Vision and Launching the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism.
You can access the photo gallery of the side event here.
