During the 11th Our Ocean Conference held on June 16, a major new initiative to advance sustainable ocean development took center stage. The Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE) based at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus formally announced the launch of its Blue Finance and Ocean Innovation Side Event, which will run parallel to the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled for November 2026.
The launch announcement was delivered as part of a partner progress update during the Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Roundtable, a joint initiative hosted by the government of Kenya and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Dr. Branson Belle, COBE’s Executive Director, opened his address by introducing attendees to the core research and outreach missions of both the UWI Five Islands Campus and the specialized center, before walking stakeholders through the full planned agenda for the November side event.
Per official event plans, the gathering will kick off with a multi-stakeholder exhibition highlighting cutting-edge ocean conservation projects led by organizations across local, regional and international levels. After the exhibition, participants will gather for an informal, solutions-focused “beachside chat” moderated by Charles Goddard of Economist Impact, which will bring together C-suite executives and senior leaders from the blue finance and ocean innovation sectors to share insights and opportunities. The full program also includes keynote presentations from participating heads of government, before the event concludes with a networking reception.
Ocean restoration and sustainable ocean governance have long been top policy priorities for the Commonwealth, a bloc that brings together nations with extraordinary stakes in global ocean health. Collectively, Commonwealth member states manage roughly one-third of the world’s total ocean area under national jurisdiction, host 45 percent of the planet’s coral reef systems, and count 25 Small Island Developing States among their ranks — nations that are disproportionately reliant on healthy ocean ecosystems for economic and social stability.
In 2024, the bloc reinforced this commitment when member nations unanimously adopted the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, a landmark agreement that binds signatories to take urgent, coordinated action to protect and restore global marine environments. The upcoming side event builds directly on this commitment, organizers said, by creating a dedicated space to connect policymakers, researchers, and financial leaders.
Against this backdrop, the Blue Finance and Ocean Innovation Side Event aims to reframe global conversations about the ocean, emphasizing its irreplaceable role in supporting inclusive economic growth and livelihoods across all Commonwealth nations. Beyond discussion, the gathering is designed to catalyze new, increased investment in ocean conservation projects and scale up innovative, sustainable blue economy initiatives that balance human use with long-term marine protection. COBE is organizing the event in formal collaboration with two key institutional partners: the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.