Peace Boat promotes youth engagement and education for ocean literacy at the UN Ocean Conference

Mobilizing Youth and ECOPs: Showcasing Initiatives for Ocean Action
UN Ocean Conference Side Event Report
10 June 2025 – Room 1, Blue Zone, Port Lympia, Nice, France

Peace Boat was proud to co-organize and moderate the official side event titled “Mobilizing Youth and ECOPs: Showcasing Initiatives for Ocean Action” during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The event took place on 10 June 2025 from 12:15 to 13:30 and brought together Member States, civil society organizations, and youth leaders from around the world to highlight the role of youth and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) in driving meaningful ocean action.

The session was co-hosted by the Government of Kiribati, with support from the Governments of Palau, Chile, Greece, and the Dominican Republic. Peace Boat extends special thanks to Kiribati for its leadership and for opening the event with powerful remarks from the Hon. Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Resources.

The session was co-moderated by Emilie McGlone, Director of Peace Boat US, and Electra Delavogia, representing the Coalition of Emerging Ocean Leaders (CEOL). In her opening remarks, McGlone emphasized Peace Boat’s 40-year track record of using ship-based education to build awareness and capacity on peace, human rights, climate, and ocean issues. Delavogia introduced CEOL as a growing coalition of youth and ECOPs supported by the governments of Greece and the Dominican Republic, working to foster inclusive and intergenerational ocean governance.

The high-level keynote segment featured powerful statements from government leaders and high-level representatives who champion inclusive and sustainable ocean policies:

• Hon. Ribanataake Tiwau, Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Government of Kiribati

• Minister Maisa Rojas, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Chile

• Electra Delavogia, speaking on behalf of Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, MP and Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Greece for the Ocean

• Mr. Pascal Lamy, Co-chair of the Africa-Europe Strategy Group for the Ocean, Africa-Europe Foundation

These leaders underscored the importance of engaging youth voices in ocean governance, with particular attention to the perspectives of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and vulnerable communities.

Following the keynote remarks, the event included two key announcements. Emilie McGlone presented a new Voluntary Commitment between Peace Boat and AOSIS to expand ship-based educational programs for youth from SIDS, deepening Peace Boat’s work as an endorsed UN Ocean Decade actor. This new initiative aims to bring more youth from SIDS onboard Peace Boat’s future voyages, providing experiential learning opportunities in marine science, climate action, and policy engagement.

The Coalition of Emerging Ocean Leaders (CEOL) was also officially launched during the session. Representatives Guillaume Lheureux (Youth4Ocean), Peter Teye Busumprah (Ocean Rock Base), and Jessica Newfield (Sustainable Ocean Alliance) presented CEOL’s manifesto, mission, and strategic goals—calling on governments, civil society, and the private sector to support youth leadership in shaping the future of ocean action.

The two panels showcased diverse and dynamic youth and ECOP voices. The presence of Peace Boat youth alumni on the panel was especially significant, demonstrating the long-term impact of ship-based education on building leadership for a sustainable and just ocean future.

Panel 1: Youth in Ocean Governance (moderated by Pedro Dantas – CEOL)

• Dr. Carla Lourenço, Marine Biologist & Communications Lead, CORDAP

• Kneyone Murray, Blue Planet Alliance (Peace Boat alumnus)

• Raj Mohabeer, Indian Ocean Commission

• Ximena Caminos, The ReefLine

• Shelby Thomas, Ocean Rescue Alliance International

• Marie Touchon, CEOL / Global Youth Biodiversity Network

Panel 2: Youth in Ocean Networks (moderated by Rebecca Daniel – CEOL / The Marine Diaries)

• Dawn Moore, Director of Partnership Marketing & Events, Oceanic Global

• Akira Biondo, PangeaSeed Foundation

• Dr. Celine Germond-Duret, Lancaster University

• Taylor Cargill, CEOL / EarthEcho International

• Khadija Stewart, EcoSeas Caribbean (Peace Boat alumna)

• Paulina Slawek, CEOL / Stop Ecocide International & World Ocean Day

• Sam Teicher, Co-Founder, Coral Vita

The closing reflections featured a special intervention from Mr. Yoshioka Tatsuya, Founder and Director of Peace Boat, who emphasized the importance of ocean literacy and ship-based education in empowering youth and connecting science, policy, and communities. He highlighted the upcoming launch of Peace Boat’s Ecoship, a low-emission vessel that will serve as a floating platform for marine research and sustainability innovation.

Mr. Jonathan Delance of the Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic offered final reflections, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and multilateral efforts to advance SDG14 through youth inclusion.

The session concluded with a beautiful cultural performance by Ms. Kiribati, Ms. Kimberly Tokanang, offering a powerful reminder of the connection between the ocean and island identity, and closing the event with a message of resilience, culture, and unity.

Peace Boat extends its heartfelt thanks to all speakers, co-organizers, and participants who contributed to making this session a vibrant and meaningful dialogue. Peace Boat participated in several other side events in the Blue Zone in collaboration with partners in the ocean community. In the civil society led Green Zone known as La Baleine (the Whale) Peace Boat US hosted a gallery space showcasing Peace Boat's work on the ocean as well as several side events with partners in the ocean community.