The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Actor Jason Momoa, Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Actor Lucas Bravo, Oceanx Founder Ray Dalio, Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, Marine Biologist Diva Amon and more will speak at the event produced in partnership with Oceanic Global and supported by Panerai 

Today, the United Nations will host its annual World Oceans Day celebration with the 2023 theme Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing. Produced by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs in partnership with Oceanic Global, and supported by Panerai, United Nations World Oceans Day 2023 (UN WOD) will feature keynote speeches, panels, and presentations from names including the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Actor Jason Momoa, Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Actor Lucas Bravo, OceanX Founder Ray Dalio, Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, Marine Biologist Diva Amon, NASA Astronauts Woody Hoburg and Steve Bowen, Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué, and Oceanic Global Founder Lea d’Auriol, to name a few. The day’s dynamic programming will explore how Earth is more than it may seem and reshape how we view the planet to finally put the ocean first. United Nations World Oceans Day 2023 will once again bring together UN Delegates and global thought leaders for an in-person gathering at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event will also be virtually accessible to the public via live stream from 10 am – 1:30 pm EDT on the United Nations World Oceans Day website (www.unworldoceansday.org) with the content reshared on the social channels @unworldoceansday. 

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The ocean covers the majority of the earth, but we have only explored ~5 percent of its waters. The ocean sustains humanity and provides us with protection, nourishment, economic opportunities, tourism, transportation, climate regulation and more. Nonetheless, despite humanity’s utter reliance on it, compared to the breadth and depth of what it gives us, the ocean receives less than a fragment of our attention and resources in return. Recent studies show that the ocean remains a severe concern across most sectors including: scientific research and capacity, funding for sustainable development, philanthropic giving, intergovernmental processes, policy-making, and more. In short, we’re missing out on the ocean’s vast potential, because we’ve yet to look beyond the surface. But with human activity and the effects of climate change increasingly undermining the benefits we receive from the ocean, and devastating marine environments before we’ve had a chance to understand them, all stakeholders need to prioritize the ocean. There is no time to wait. That’s why this UN World Oceans Day, the tides are changing. In celebration of the United Nations World Oceans Day 2023 theme, Planet Ocean, UN delegates, indigenous leaders, scientists,  private sector executives, celebrities, youth activists, and more will generate a new wave of excitement towards prioritizing and protecting the ocean, and the entirety of our blue planet. Through a series of keynotes, fire-side chats, and solution-oriented spotlights the event will underscore humanity’s interconnectivity to the ocean and illustrate its cross-sector potential. The curation of global thought leaders and advocates will also shed light on missed opportunities, and work to bridge gaps across representation, knowledge, innovation, and capacity building to better understand the ocean for all that it has to offer – and for the wonder that it is. 

UN WOD 2023 also marks the 10th anniversary of the Photo Competition for World Oceans Day, with the winners of the milestone competition to be announced during the day’s program by curator Ellen Cuylaerts. In addition to the Photo Competition, other artistic elements integrated into the event include the debut original scores by composer Toni Castells and the premiere of short format films from event contributors OceanX and Discover Earth. The celebration will also feature a performance and water ceremony by Maori Sonic Weaver, Whaia.

The annual United Nations World Oceans Day event serves as the kick-off “World Ocean Week” during which subsequent events hosted by members of the Friends of UN World Oceans Day platform and other ocean enthusiasts from around the world will continue the conversation surrounding the official theme of UN World Oceans Day 2023 Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing and the theme’s call to action “Time to Put the Ocean First.”