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.
2024
Awaken New Depths
2024 Event Date: 7 June
Join us on 7 June 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.