Our Executive Director, Nicole Arbour, and Coordinator for Multilateral Affairs, Larisse Faroni, participated in the 5th Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue, held in Tokyo, Japan, from September 3 to 5, 2025. This event marked the midway point of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
Convened by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the Dialogue brought together philanthropic organizations to reflect on achievements and prioritize next steps for global ocean action. This edition focused on Asia and the Pacific, highlighting the region’s deep connection to the ocean and innovative governance approaches, and the pressing need to mobilize private foundations and increase cross-sector collaboration for scaling up investment in ocean science.
The Belmont Forum’s participation in the 5th Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue offers meaningful opportunities for our community, including:
- Partnerships and Collaboration: The Dialogue provided a valuable platform to strengthen existing connections and forge new collaborations with key philanthropic organizations and social actors committed to ocean sustainability.
- Visibility and Influence: Our presence at such a high-profile event, following the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, raised the Belmont Forum’s profile within the global ocean science and philanthropy communities. This visibility is key for advocating for our members’ research priorities and showcasing the impact of initiatives.
- Funding Landscapes and Priorities: We gained deeper insights into the philanthropic landscapes and priorities for resource mobilization in ocean science. This understanding is valuable for our community in developing proposals and identifying future funding opportunities.
- Future Research Agendas: The discussions around national leadership in ocean governance, sustainable ocean economy, and marine science provide context that can inform future calls and research agendas, ensuring they are aligned with global needs and priorities.
- Networking for Impact: The structured sessions, including daily plenaries and working group sessions, offered invaluable networking opportunities. These interactions can lead to the co-design and co-delivery of innovative ocean science initiatives, leveraging the collective expertise and resources of the Foundations Dialogue network.
Belmont Forum’s Role in the 5th Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue
During the Dialogue, the Belmont Forum representatives were well-positioned to contribute by:
- Highlighting the success stories and impact of collaborative research projects related to ocean science and sustainable development, such as the Ocean 2 CRA.
- Emphasizing the importance of transdisciplinary approaches and co-creation of knowledge as important for addressing complex ocean challenges.
- Advocating for increased investment in open science and data sharing initiatives to maximize the impact and accessibility of ocean science research.
- Offering expertise in facilitating international research partnerships and managing large-scale collaborative programs to support the goals of the Ocean Decade.
The perceptions gained and connections made at the 5th Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue will be beneficial as the Belmont Forum continues to support collaborative, actionable research for a sustainable ocean future.