Our Ocean 2018 conference took place in Bali on 29-30 October. Our Ocean Conference is focused on generating commitments and taking actions to maintain the sustainability of our oceans. Since 2014, Our Ocean Conference has successfully generated commitments totaling around 18 billion dollars (USD) and 12.4 million square kilometers of marine protected areas.
During this conference, the European Union makes 23 new commitments. These commitments represent around EUR 300 million and cover all six themes of the Our Ocean conference (blue economy, climate change impacts, marine pollution, marine protection, sustainable fisheries). In addition, several EU Member States have their own commitments. They add up to the 35 commitments made by the EU in 2017.
Together, these commitments prove that healthy, safe and clean oceans are, and will remain, a priority for the European Union.
Maritime security was one of the areas of action discussed at the Our Ocean Conference in Nusa Dua, Bali. Maritime security was discussed because it can have big impacts on national economic growth, such as export and import activities, cross-border security, illegal fishing, which triggered the smuggling of flora and fauna, illegal drugs and human trafficking.