Voluntary commitments for ocean sustainability: Comparing the UN Ocean Conference and Our Ocean Conference platforms

Abstract

Fragmented ocean governance has resulted in a crisis of ocean health as well as hampered efforts to improve ocean sustainability. Two systems for mobilising ‘voluntary commitments’ (VCs) to contribute to ocean sustainability have been developed: one organised under the auspices of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), and one under the annual Our Ocean Conference (OOC) series. The two systems function independently of the other, and there are also considerable thematic overlaps, raising questions about cross-registration in assessing progress towards improving ocean sustainability. This paper cross-references the 3923 cumulative commitments made under the two systems, finding 283 unique UNOC commitments (out of 2107 total, or 13.4%) that have been cross-registered in the OOC platform. These include marine protected area commitments that cover 1.45% of the global ocean. Cross-registration and duplication is therefore not a substantial problem that undermines the utility of these platforms. Nonetheless, issues of participation, thematic spread, and how to meaningfully assess implementation, need further investigation to more fully understand the impact of these VC platforms on ocean sustainability.