From February 26 to 27, 2025, in the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, stakeholders from coastal cities and regions gathered in Qingdao, China, for the first Ocean Decade International Coastal Cities Conference, hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government in partnership with the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), and organized by the Qingdao West Coast New Area Management Committee and the Ocean Decade International Cooperation Center.
Under the theme “Better Ocean, Better City,” the conference brought together representatives from global coastal cities, research institutions, experts, scholars, and various stakeholders to jointly explore scientific pathways for the sustainable development of coastal cities.
The Qingdao Declaration is a key outcome of the Conference, and calls on on coastal cities globally to generate and use science and knowledge to inform decision making and collaborate in building sustainable and equitable blue partnerships as a means of enhancing ocean literacy, addressing global climate change, protecting marine biodiversity, advancing marine science and technology innovation, and developing a sustainable ocean-based economy, thereby contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).