Ocean Centres

Ocean Centres are multi-stakeholder collaboration platforms that support the transition toward safer and more sustainable ocean economies – growing primarily in the Global South. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, they foster collective dialogue to identify needs, challenges, and solutions that unlock safe blue growth. Building on this, they aim to promote responsible business practices in ocean-based economies and influence the creation of new standards and policies.

Ocean industries are vital to food security, clean energy, global trade, and livelihoods, especially in the Global South, where maritime sectors underpin economic resilience. Yet they remain among the most hazardous sectors in the world. Ocean Centres are the only multi-stakeholder platforms of their kind focused on developing evidence-based, context-specific solutions to mitigate safety risks while supporting the expansion of sustainable ocean industries.

The Centres will catalyse national dialogues on safe practices across key sectors such as green shipping, ports, fishing, aquaculture, offshore renewables, and ocean finance. Working groups - comprised of engineers, safety professionals, investors, and local stakeholders—will translate these insights into actionable recommendations and policy input.

Each Ocean Centre is led by a UN Global Compact Country Network and guided by a Country Lead who coordinates national engagement and fosters knowledge-sharing across the network. Their work builds on national Blue Economy reports that map industry gaps, workforce readiness, and infrastructure vulnerabilities, offering a blueprint for more resilient and investable ocean economies.

The Centres are not physical offices but living networks—community-driven, inclusive, and locally grounded. From tackling heat stress among maritime workers to addressing infrastructure risk and gaps in safety governance, they will surface practical solutions and elevate them through policy dialogues and regulatory pathways.