2025 Global Ocean Development Forum in Qingdao: Fostering Blue Partnerships for Ocean Sustainability and City Resilience

chonchen6
Sep 9
2 min read

On September 8-9, the 2025 Global Ocean Development Forum was held on the Qingdao West Coast New Area, China. Nearly 700 guests from 68 countries and regions, including international organizations, government agencies, universities, research institutes, businesses, and experts, gathered to focus on various aspects of the ocean economy, technology, comprehensive governance, and culture. The event aimed to deepen exchanges and cooperation across multiple levels and wide-ranging fields, emphasizing sustainable development and prosperity in the ocean.

As a core component of the forum, the GEM Programme was invited to participate in the Mayors Dialogue of Coastal Cities, which discussed resilient cities, ocean carbon neutrality, coastal tourism innovations, and global ocean governance cooperation to foster a harmonious future for humanity and the oceans.

Under the theme "Better Ocean, Better City," the dialogue featured promotion and release, mayors’ sharing, and business dialogue, facilitating important consensus on advancing ecological protection, blue economy, and technological innovations in global ocean cities.

During the event, the "Global Blue Partnership Qingdao Initiative" was released. The initiative invited global partners to deepen cooperation, align with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), and collectively build a network of blue partnerships centered around cities for ocean prosperity and sustainable development.

Dr. Chong Chen, the manager of the GEM Programme, participated in the event, engaging in extensive discussions with fellow attendees. Additionally, the forum hosted key events such as the Matchmaking Conference for the Ocean Decade Marine Eco-Restoration Achievements and the 2025 East Asia Marine Expo.

For more details on the activities, please visit the following link (in Chinese):

2025 Global Ocean Development Forum: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_93Tdr9dX2ZRWuTIpScuVA

Mayors Dialogue of Coastal Cities: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EoSRWzaYSPQCocZHHmv_zA

Figure 1 Mayors Dialogue of Coastal Cities — **Figure 1** Mayors Dialogue of Coastal Cities

Figure 2 2025 East Asia Marine Expo — **Figure 2** 2025 East Asia Marine Expo

Figure 3 Dr. Chong Chen (Left) and Dr. Zhanhai Zhang (Right), Director of the International Advisory Committee of the Ocean Decade International Cooperation Center — **Figure 3** Dr. Chong Chen (Left) and Dr. Zhanhai Zhang (Right), Director of the International Advisory Committee of the Ocean Decade International Cooperation Center