Vol. 11 | July 2025
A note from GOAP's Co-Chairs
Dear GOAP colleagues and friends,
The message from events this quarter couldn't be clearer— a healthy ocean is central to addressing the planetary crises we now face. And in response we witnessed unprecedented support for ocean accounts as the foundation of sustainable ocean development. From global forums to regional policy circles, ocean accounts have been recognised as essential in tackling the compounding issues of climate impacts, biodiversity loss, poverty and pollution.
It was particularly encouraging to see ocean accounting officially recognised in the UNOC 3 Political Declaration adopted in the closing plenary of UNOC3 on Friday 13 June. All 193 UN Member States agreed on "the critical need for national ocean accounting" as essential infrastructure to accelerate ocean conservation and sustainable ocean management.
It is the first time that ocean accounting has been referenced in a UN Declaration and sends the strongest of signals that ocean accounts are essential for building a sustainable ocean economy.
This recognition was cemented through the ambition of the 19 countries and 7 organisations that signed The Pledge to Advance Ocean Accounts by 2030 before and during UNOC3. Read more below about how the Pledge, led by Costa Rica, was delivered at UNOC3 and continues to strengthen the role of ocean accounting globally.
The importance of GOAP's work was further recognised in July with the official endorsement of ocean accounts in the UN Ocean Decade Programme on Sustainable Ocean Planning. This recognises projects that will help empower nations with the necessary tools and knowledge to develop and implement tailored, evidence-driven strategies for sustainable ocean use. It is a significant endorsement of how essential ocean accounts are to realising a sustainable ocean future that supports communities, nature and a liveable climate.
All the while GOAP Members and partners continue to drive impact and elevate ocean accounts through national and regional projects and workshops. See updates from Costa Rica and Belize.
At the halfway point of the Ocean Decade, we reflect on GOAP’s progress on the last six years since the Partnership began in 2019. To celebrate this progress, the GOAP Progress Report was launched on World Oceans Day.
We extend our thanks to you, the ocean accounting community of practice, for being part of this transformative movement. Your work developing, implementing, or advocating for ocean accounts is now part of a formal international commitment, a globally endorsed action and enshrined in a UN Declaration. Congratulations.
Happy reading,
- Firdaus Agung, Directorate General for Marine Spatial Management, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Government of Indonesia
- César Viteri Mejia, Senior Economist, Charles Darwin Foundation
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