A major step forward for ocean sustainability will be launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025: a global network of Ocean Centres designed to put safety at the heart of the blue economy transition in emerging ocean economies.
Established through a pioneering partnership between the United Nations Global Compact and Lloyd’s Register Foundation (The Foundation), the Ocean Centres will serve as locally led, multi-stakeholder platforms in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. Each Centre will address pressing safety and sustainability challenges specific to their national ocean economy, advancing resilient, people- and nature-positive development.
“Changing global workforce patterns, climate change, the energy transition, and technological innovation continue to bring new challenges and opportunities in growing ocean economies,” said Erik Giercksky, Ocean Lead at the UN Global Compact. “Collective, local action to drive safe and sustainable solutions is key to protecting those most affected as we work towards a people and nature positive future”.
A First-of-Its-Kind Model for Safer Blue Growth
Ocean industries are vital to food security, clean energy, global trade, and livelihoods — especially in the Global South, where maritime sectors underpin economic resilience. Yet they remain among the most hazardous sectors in the world. Ocean Centres are the only multi-stakeholder platforms of their kind focused on developing evidence-based, context-specific solutions to mitigate safety risks while supporting the expansion of sustainable ocean industries.
The Centres will catalyse national dialogues on safe practices across key sectors such as green shipping, ports, fishing, aquaculture, offshore renewables, and ocean finance. Working groups — comprised of engineers, safety professionals, investors, and local stakeholders — will translate these insights into actionable recommendations and policy input.
Dr. Ruth Boumphrey, Chief Executive of Lloyd’s Register Foundation, emphasized: “This initiative reflects the Foundation’s commitment to being led by local voices. Whilst keeping people safe is a universal ambition, every country has its own unique ambitions to grow their maritime economies, bringing with it safety challenges and opportunities which can only be properly understood by local stakeholders. By sharing local perspectives across the centres, we can all learn from each other.”
Tackling Local Challenges, Shaping Global Solutions
Each Ocean Centre is led by a UN Global Compact Country Network and guided by a Country Lead who coordinates national engagement and fosters knowledge-sharing across the network. Their work builds on national Blue Economy reports that map industry gaps, workforce readiness, and infrastructure vulnerabilities, offering a blueprint for more resilient and investable ocean economies.
The Centres are not physical offices but living networks — community-driven, inclusive, and locally grounded. From tackling heat stress among maritime workers to addressing infrastructure risk and gaps in safety governance, they will surface practical solutions and elevate them through policy dialogues and regulatory pathways.
In countries like Indonesia, where the ocean economy makes up 20% of GDP and employs 10% of the workforce, the need for safe and sustainable maritime practices is urgent and global in its implications.
Next Steps and How to Get Involved
The 18-month implementation phase will culminate in a global Ocean Centres Manifesto, synthesizing the collective insights, solutions, and policy proposals from all seven countries. This manifesto will serve as a tool for governments, companies, and investors seeking to integrate safety more deeply into ocean sustainability efforts.
Stakeholders — across business, government, academia, and civil society — are invited to contribute to this unique initiative. Opportunities exist for partnership, technical collaboration, and participation in country-level working groups.
The Ocean Centres will be officially launched at a high-level side event of the United Nations Ocean Conference on 10 June at 15:45 in Room 5 (Blue Zone), Nice. Titled United by Ocean Centres – Global and Local Ocean Collaboration in Practice, the event will bring together international experts, government leaders, and the Country Leads from each Ocean Centre to explore how local action can inform global progress.
