Pacific Leaders Draw Line in the Sand on Ocean Action Ahead of COP31

The first-ever UN Ocean Solutions Dialogue brought Pacific heads of government, ministers from four continents, and leading ocean scientists to UN headquarters to deliver a unified message: COP31 in Antalya must be a true "Blue COP" with binding governance, science-backed targets, and a credible finance pipeline — or risk another decade of ocean rhetoric. Across four panels, speakers mapped a diplomatic timeline from New York through a pre-COP in the Pacific to Antalya and ultimately UNOC4 in Busan in 2028, with concrete demands that will test whether the international community can match its ocean ambitions with institutional action.

• Tuvalu's prime minister sets three benchmarks for a "true Blue COP" — a negotiated text embedding ocean in the Paris Agreement, an ambitious action agenda, and sustained political leadership
• Tonga's prime minister calls for a UN Department of Ocean and raises marine protection target from 30% to 50% by 2030
• Canada announces 12th Our Ocean Conference for May 10–11 in Halifax and joins Blue NDC Challenge across five areas
• $550 billion per year in potential blue economy investment identified but private capital stalled by architectural gaps in risk-sharing and deal structure
• Scientists argue ocean observing must become permanent international public good, with less than 1% of research budgets currently directed to ocean science
• Fiji proposes a new treaty to protect oceans within national jurisdictions, complementing the BBNJ agreement for areas beyond national jurisdiction