The Ocean is vital for life on Earth. In addition to supporting diverse species, providing food and sustaining coastal livelihoods, the Ocean also absorbs carbon dioxide thus mitigating climate change. The critical role of the Ocean is, however, greatly undermined by the impacts from biodiversity loss due to overfishing and habitat destruction, climate change causing acidification and warming, and pollution from plastics and chemicals, all of which disrupt Ocean health.

Costa Rica organized the High-Level Event on Ocean Action, themed “Immersed in Change,” to emphasize the need for the Ocean conservation community to dive deep into individual and collective actions to restore and safeguard the Ocean. The meeting facilitated exchange of best practices and successful experiences in ocean health and governance, in anticipation of the Third UN Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, France, in June 2025, to be co-hosted by Costa Rica and France.

The High-Level Event brought together experts in diverse fields to illustrate successful and replicable conservation actions. Discussions took place on topics of relevance for the global Ocean agenda, including: global ocean agreements including the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, the importance of sustainable use of the Ocean and coastal marine biodiversity, and the role of technology in accelerating action for the Ocean.

Eight panel sessions covered the following topics:

• Fishing Resources
• Fight against Ghost Fishing Gear
• Blue Economy
• Satellite Technology for Ocean Conservation and Sustainable Use
• Promoting Global Access to Ocean Cleanup Technologies
• Scientific Developments to Address Marine Plastic Pollution
• Effective Implementation of Global Agreements
• Resource Mobilization and Financial Mechanisms for Effective Ocean Health and Governance

The High-Level Event on Ocean Action took place from 7-8 June 2024 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting were Wanja Nyingi, Ph.D.; Christina Fernandez; and Emma Vovk. The Digital Editor was Diego Noguera. The Editor was Pam Chasek, Ph.D.