On September 13, the Stimson Center was proud to co-host a reception with the Indonesian Embassy to the United States and the Ocean Conservancy in celebration of International Coastal Cleanup Day and the Our Ocean Conference.
In October, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia will host the fifth Our Ocean Conference in Bali, which will showcase commitments from around the world to protect our ocean. Our Ocean, Our Legacy will continue the tradition of mobilizing leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to present innovative solutions to the challenges our ocean faces. Since the conference’s inception, it has garnered over 600 commitments, valued at 18 billion US dollars and have protected over 12.4 million square kilometers of ocean – or an area 7 times as large as Alaska.
“The Our Ocean conferences have been instrumental in encouraging these commitments – serving as a yearly impetus for governments, NGOs, and private companies to proudly announce and convey their efforts to protect and preserve our ocean,” Environmental Security program Director Sally Yozell noted during her remarks at the Indonesian Embassy, “Every host nation adds its local flare and priorities to the conference. With 42 percent of the population under the age of 25 and it being the largest archipelagic state in the world, Indonesia depends on a healthy ocean for its economic and environmental security. And the OOC could not be a more important forum to impress upon these goals.”
The Stimson Center’s Environmental Security program has served as an advisor for the Our Ocean Conference 2017 in Malta and this year for the Our Ocean Conference in Bali.