United Nations World Oceans Day Annual Event

The United Nations marks World Oceans Day each year on 8 June through an annual event coordinated by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (Office of Legal Affairs).

The inclusive event provides an opportunity to celebrate the importance of the ocean and to better understand how to interact with it in a sustainable manner. The 2024 United Nations event will take place on Friday 7 June 2024 and the winners of the Photo Competition will be announced during the event.

Annual UN WOD Events

2024

Awaken New Depths

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2023

Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing

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2022

Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean

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2021

The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods

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2020

Innovation For A Sustainable Ocean

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2024

Awaken New Depths

2024 Event Date: 7 June
Rewatch UN World Oceans Day, 7 June 2024, as we awaken new depths of understanding, compassion, collaboration and commitment to motivate urgent momentum for the ocean.  

2023

Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing

Join us UN DOALOS and Oceanic Global as we discover how earth is more than it may seem and generate a new wave of excitement that puts the ocean first.

2022

Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean

The first-ever hybrid UN World Oceans Day annual event, produced with the generous contribution of Oceanic Global, which was made possible by La Mer.

2021

The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods

The second virtual UN WOD event highlighted the biodiversity and economic opportunity that the ocean sustains and explored how to create sustainable and inclusive livelihoods, for the ocean and all who depend on it.

2020

Innovation For A Sustainable Ocean

The first virtual UN annual event engaged more than 3.2 million people to discover novel solutions to ocean challenges and the people driving them

2019

Gender and The Ocean

Held at United Nations Headquarters, the event highlighted the realities of gender roles in the ocean and the need to advocate for gender parity in all ocean-related industries.

2018

Clean Our Ocean

Held at United Nations Headquarters, the event addressed the impacts of marine pollution, including plastic pollution, and highlighted current thinking around solutions.

2017

Our Oceans, 
Our Future

Held as part of the 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference, the event celebrated the future of our oceans.

2016

Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet

The traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe from the Pacific, Hōkūle‘a arrived at the United Nations to share messages for a more sustainable world.

2015

Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet

The event celebrated the importance of the oceans for sustainable development and their role in landmark agreements on climate change and ending poverty that were adopted in 2015.

2014

Ocean Sustainability

The event celebrated ocean sustainability and the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

2013

Oceans & People

The event, in cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History, explored the changing relationship between the oceans and people.

2012

UNCLOS @ 30

The event celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, often considered the "Constitution for the Oceans".

2011

Our Oceans: Greening Our Future

The event explored interactions between the ocean and the environment, society, the economy and youth.

2010

Our Oceans: Opportunities and Challenges

The event reflected on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea fifteen years after its entry into force.

2009

Our Oceans, Our Responsibilities

The inaugural United Nations World Oceans Day event recognized that our oceans are our responsibility.

UN World Oceans Day 2024 is hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS) in partnership with Oceanic Global.

*While the official UN designation for World Oceans Day is June 8th, the 2024 event will be celebrated on Friday June 7th.