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‘Champion’ countries of the Commonwealth Blue Charter - a commitment made by the 53 Commonwealth member states to work together to solve ocean-related problems - are laying the groundwork for joint action and developing robust, innovative strategies to tackle the world’s most pressing ocean issues.

Countries leading action for ocean health and governance in the Commonwealth will meet in London next week to share strategies and firm up plans for action under the Commonwealth Blue Charter. Agreed unanimously by leaders in April 2018, the Commonwealth Blue Charter commits all 53 member countries to work together on solving crucial ocean-related challenges.

To mark World Oceans Day, Head of Oceans and Natural Resources Nicholas Hardman-Mountford shares how the Blue Charter can help spur lasting global change towards sustainable ocean governance.

Members of the Commonwealth action group on ocean observation gathered in Ottawa, Canada this week to launch a strategy to advance ocean observation opportunities. The meeting also tackled youth and gender issues in ocean science.

Emerging scholars have a key opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research on marine plastic pollution at top universities and firms across the Commonwealth.

The blue economy is about more than making money from the ocean, says the Commonwealth’s Head of Oceans and Natural Resources.

Blue Charter fellows have met in London to show how their research helps develop environment-friendly alternatives to disposable plastic, which will chart a better course for our planet

The inaugural Blue Charter action group meeting on ocean acidification has brought us a step closer to finding solutions to the detrimental impacts of rising pH levels on ocean life, Commonwealth Head of Oceans and Natural Resources stated

In March this year state-of-the-art submarines will descend to previously unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean on a pioneering research expedition.

Commonwealth governments are set to benefit from a ground-breaking scientific research expedition into the unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean.

With global climate talks freshly concluded last weekend in Katowice, Poland, some Commonwealth countries are already working towards a stronger ocean focus at next year’s negotiations in Chile.

“Real experiences” are what drove some Commonwealth countries to take up the banner for the ocean, stepping forward to champion action groups of like-minded members working together to tackle some of the world’s most pressing ocean problems.

Seventy-one per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and some forward-looking fashion designers think it could be a new frontier for their industry.

Efforts to protect the ocean have received a major boost with the announcement that Seychelles will lead a Commonwealth Blue Charter action group on marine protected areas.

Further support for the Commonwealth's vital initiative to protect the world's oceans, seas and lakes will be announced at a side event of the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on 27 November 2018

A new partnership between the Commonwealth and Nekton will support scientific exploration of the Indian Ocean in Commonwealth countries of the region, for enhanced ocean governance.

Momentum continues to build for the Commonwealth’s flagship initiative on ocean issues – the Commonwealth Blue Charter - as countries step up collective efforts to save the seas. 

A new fellowship programme will support emerging scholars from Commonwealth countries to conduct world-class research on marine plastics.

The Government of Seychelles in collaboration with the Commonwealth has launched the ‘Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap’ to build its ocean-based economy.

Protecting the ocean today is the best way of ensuring prosperity for future generations, says Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. Her remarks came at a session on the Commonwealth Blue Charter on sustainable ocean governance, held on the margins of the 49th Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, which ran from 3 to 6 September 2018

Cradled in the South Pacific, my home country Vanuatu is made mostly of ocean.  The Pacific covers 98% of the national jurisdiction. Here, some 280,000 Ni-Vanuatu like myself live simply off the land and sea.  We view the ocean as a living ‘bridge’ that connects islands and continents while sustaining life in all its forms.

It is hard to imagine that only 14 years ago Sri Lanka was severely devastated by the tsunami, triggered by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean.

The Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, says urgent action is needed to save the world's oceans, since the livelihoods of millions of people depend on their preservation and sustainable development.