The OceanEye International Alliance for ocean observation was launched on 23 September 2026 during the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, with more than 30 countries pledging at least €211 million in financial and in-kind support for the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney opened the high-level pledging event at UN Headquarters, held in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
FAKTA
- Launched: 23 September 2026, during the 81st UN General Assembly high-level week in New York.
- Opened by: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in partnership with IOC-UNESCO and the WMO.
- Pledges: At least €211 million in financial and in-kind support; more than 30 countries joined.
- EU pledge: An additional €92 million; Canada pledge: C$82 million over five years to expand ocean observation capacity.
- The system it funds: GOOS coordinates around 120,000 ocean observations a day from 8,000 platforms operated by 64 countries and 17 global networks.
- Next steps: Further pledging opportunities are planned at COP31, the 12th Our Ocean Conference in Halifax and the 4th UN Ocean Conference in Busan.
Why ocean observation needs funding
The Global Ocean Observing System underpins weather forecasts, climate projections, early warnings, safe navigation, coastal resilience and the blue economy. Yet the system relies heavily on a small number of contributors and faces a critical funding shortfall, with long-term investment gaps putting at-risk infrastructure at risk.
“We must listen to the ocean and we must protect it much more,” von der Leyen told the pledging event. “Ocean observation is under huge pressure. The global network that provides this data faces a critical funding shortfall.”
She gave a concrete example from Ireland: data captured by ocean sensors ahead of Storm Éowyn in January 2025 — which brought wind gusts of 180 km/h — gave the country almost a full week to prepare and warn its people.
What the pledges will fund
The commitments include cash funding, in-kind support and assets such as research vessels, sensors, drones and data-processing facilities. The money will support the maintenance of existing observation platforms, help close critical data gaps, strengthen the GOOS Secretariat and coordination hubs, and support OceanOPS, the system’s data-reporting centre.
The alliance aims to broaden the contributor base, strengthen coordination, and encourage national commitments such as designating national ocean observation focal points and connecting national ocean data with global data systems.
Who joined
Countries across Europe — including the United Kingdom — as well as Africa and the Americas signed on at launch. A total of 31 members, including the EU and 30 countries, have joined the alliance so far.
Why it matters
“Better information gives us something enormously powerful: the ability to see what is happening in the ocean, where recovery is possible, and what it will take to accelerate it,” said ocean advocate Alexandra Cousteau, who joined the launch. From tracking fishing activity to protecting marine habitats, the alliance bets that better ocean data will lead to better decisions.
