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Busan Metropolitan City Participates in the 11th Our Ocean Conference, Laying the Groundwork for Hosting the 2028 Fourth UN Ocean Conference

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it participated in the 2026 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC), held in Mombasa, Kenya, from June 16 to June 18 (local time), where it unveiled a new voluntary commitment and strengthened international cooperation networks in the field of marine environment policy.

The Our Ocean Conference is a leading international forum dedicated exclusively to ocean issues. Governments, international organizations, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and research institutions participate to discuss global maritime challenges and announce voluntary action commitments.

The 11th Our Ocean Conference marked the first time the event was held on the African continent. Under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future,” participants focused discussions on marine protected areas, marine pollution, climate change, sustainable fisheries, the ocean economy, and maritime security.

During the conference, Busan Metropolitan City engaged with government delegations, international organizations, local governments, research institutions, businesses, and NGOs from around the world, promoting Busan’s maritime policies and its capacity to host major international events.

In particular, the city emphasized its successful hosting of the 10th Our Ocean Conference last year, which attracted 3,328 participants from 113 countries, as well as its ongoing international maritime cooperation initiatives. Busan underscored that it possesses both the infrastructure and policy capabilities required to host world-class maritime conferences.

The city also highlighted that it is not merely seeking to host international events, but is a city that actively implements the ocean commitments it makes to the international community through concrete policies and projects.

On June 18 (local time), during the plenary session on Sustainable Fisheries, Busan officially announced the “Establishment of the Smart Aquaculture Big Data Center” as a new voluntary commitment.

This initiative aims to transform the traditional aquaculture industry into a data- and artificial intelligence-based smart industry, increasing production efficiency while minimizing resource consumption.

The Smart Aquaculture Big Data Center, scheduled to be established by 2027 at the Yongdang Campus of Pukyong National University, will analyze and standardize aquaculture data to support disease prediction and production optimization.

Busan Metropolitan City viewed its participation in the 11th Our Ocean Conference as part of a phased international cooperation strategy to support its bid to host the Fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028.

Beginning with the successful hosting of the 10th Our Ocean Conference in 2025, the city is pursuing a long-term strategy that includes hosting the 2026 East Asian Seas Partnership Council Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Annual Forum, attracting the 2027 AIVP World Conference Cities and Ports, and ultimately hosting the Fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, thereby positioning Busan as a global hub for ocean governance.

The city also participated in the Third UN Ocean Conference held in Nice, France, last year, where it introduced its strategy for building a global maritime cooperation network and promoted the need to host the Fourth UN Ocean Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea, to the international community.

This September, Busan will host the 2026 PNLG Annual Forum on Sustainable Coastal Development, expanding cooperation with coastal cities across the Asia-Pacific region and strengthening support among local governments for Busan’s bid to host the UN Ocean Conference.

In addition, the city is proactively preparing for the national selection process to determine the Korean host city for the Fourth UN Ocean Conference. It is consulting with related organizations, including the Busan Tourism Organization, on the direction of the bid proposal and actively communicating Busan’s strengths and suitability as the host city to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Busan serves as the central city for national maritime policy, particularly in connection with the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and is home to a concentration of maritime-related public institutions, universities, research organizations, and industries, making it Korea’s leading maritime city.

The city also notes that its extensive experience hosting large-scale international events, including the 10th Our Ocean Conference, makes Busan the ideal host city for the Fourth UN Ocean Conference and a practical model for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14).

Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “Our participation in the 11th Our Ocean Conference provided an important opportunity to showcase Busan’s maritime policies and implementation achievements to the international community while expanding cooperation for our bid to host the Fourth UN Ocean Conference.”

He added, “Busan is a city that not only has extensive experience hosting international conferences but also has a proven track record of translating maritime commitments into tangible projects. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with domestic and international maritime institutions, cities, and international organizations to successfully bring the Fourth UN Ocean Conference to Busan in 2028 and establish Busan as a global center of ocean governance.”