OUR SEA - OUR SOURCE - OUR FUTURE
The Wider Caribbean: United in Action
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The Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) Overview
Hurricane Melissa Message of Solidarity
The Secretariat of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) expresses its solidarity and deepest sympathy to the peoples of the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Melissa, with particular concern for Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The Secretariat is deeply saddened by the reports of loss of life, extensive destruction, and disruption of livelihoods that have affected communities and families across the region.
Hurricane Melissa has once again underscored the Caribbean’s profound vulnerability to the impacts of the global climate crisis. At the same time, it reaffirms the urgent need to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness, and foster unity and cooperation among nations.
the Secretariat wishes to encourage the entire ocean community and all partners in the Wider Caribbean and beyond to demonstrate their solidarity—for example through financial support, volunteer engagement, or awareness-raising efforts—to assist those most affected. Together, let us explore ways to work towards a swift and comprehensive recovery and the long-term resilience of our shared Caribbean home.
The Secretariat encourages all individuals and organisations wishing to assist in relief and recovery efforts to consider doing so through the official channels and mechanisms established by the respective national authorities and accredited humanitarian agencies. These platforms provide accurate information on the most pressing needs and ensure that assistance is delivered in a coordinated, effective, and transparent manner to those who need it most.
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For quick navigation, use the shortcut buttons below: by clicking on each one, you will automatically be taken to the corresponding section within this same page.
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Find out more about the OCM by clicking on the buttons below.
About the Mechanism
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The Wider Caribbean's marine resources are vital to the regions biodiversity, climate resilience, and economic development. However, fragmented efforts and overlapping mandates have historically hindered progress.
The Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) is a groundbreaking regional governance platform for the Wider Caribbean that provides a permanent, inclusive structure for aligning action, sharing knowledge, and optimizing the use of limited resources by enhancing coordination and collaboration across the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ region).
Building on the legacy of the CLME+ Interim Coordination Mechanism (ICM), the OCM formalizes a long-term structure that unites countries, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and regional stakeholders to address shared marine opportunities & challenges-shifting the focus from problem-centric approaches to proactive, solutions-oriented collaboration in areas such as sustainable fisheries, pollution control, biodiversity conservation, marine spatial planning, and climate-resilient blue economies.
As of August 12, 2025, 20 States/Territories and 9 IGO's have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that creates the OCM, affirming their commitment to more integrated ocean governance.
OCM Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
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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.
How the OCM Works (Roles & Responsibilities)
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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.
Decisions are shaped by consensus and informed by both technical input and political direction.
The Steering Group, composed of country representatives, approves work programmes and budgets, while
the Executive Group, composed of intergovernmental organizations, convenes to provide coordinated technical and policy advice.
The Secretariat facilitates communication and ensures and tracks timely implementation of decisions.
Implementation of the OCM Work Programme is supported by a select number of OCM Working Groups.
The mission of the OCM Working Groups (WGs) is to assist and support the OCM in the execution of the OCM Functions listed under MoU Articles VI-VIII.
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
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The Ocean Coordination Mechanism ensures region-wide coordination for sustainable ocean governance by distributing responsibilities across three main entities:
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 Working Groups
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The Steering Group Decision indicates that in the performance of their functions, the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism’s (OCM) principal organs: Steering Group, Executive Group and the Secretariat may be assisted by Working Groups.
This Working Groups support the OCM in the advancement of its mandate, more specifically by providing support for the execution of the OCM Core and Complementary Functions that pertain to the WG's thematic scope - and always in line with/within the boundaries set by relevant OCM decisions. Additionally, contribute to the implementation of the 2025–2028 OCM Work Programme into coordinated, time-bound expert workstreams that produce agreed-upon technical and policy-support outputs for consideration by the OCM Organs, and, where relevant, for the consideration of the region’s intergovernmental bodies.
The mission of the OCM Working Groups (WGs) is to assist and support the OCM in the execution of the OCM Functions listed under MoU Articles VI-VIII.
In alignment with the main elements of the preliminary OCM Work Programme, establishes the following 4 OCM Working Groups:
Pursuing Interactive Ocean Governance
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OCM MoU Signatories
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OCM Photo Gallery
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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.
PROCARIBE+ vs. OCM: Confused? Let us explain
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Click here to access to find relevant information about the PROCARIBE+ Project and the Ocean Coordination Mechanism and how these two initiatives are connected.
Interactive Timeline
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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: