Qingdao's 'Ocean Decade' Initiative Officially Launched

On June 28, 2023, the East Asian Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum officially kicked off, with the theme of "Harmonious Coexistence in the Ocean Decade". Held in Qingdao's West Coast New Area, the opening ceremony unveiled Qingdao's "Ocean Decade" Initiative.

Centered around topics such as establishing a new global marine platform, fostering marine technological innovation, promoting the "blue economy", and preserving marine ecological health, the Initiative is a call for humanity to shift from the idea of oceans being an owned commodity to being "oceans we aspire for". Its ultimate goal is to facilitate the sustainable development of our oceans, climate, and overall human society.

The launch of this initiative will contribute to the achievement of goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the seven visions outlined by the United Nations in their Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The Qingdao forum is part of fostering a global consensus on the Ocean Decade and promotes the creation of a maritime community with a shared future. Moreover, it sets the stage for Qingdao to establish itself as a renowned and leading modern marine city. (By Jiang Feng)