ANTALYA, November 6, 2026 — As delegates gather in Antalya for COP31, the persistent absence of ocean health from core climate diplomacy highlights deep flaws in multilateral governance. The ocean is missing from climate diplomacy, again, with the proposed leaders’ agenda for COP31 making no mention of it, despite its crucial role in the health of the planet and the well-being of communities across the region.
Historical Background
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, with the aim of establishing global cooperation in combating climate change. The convention entered into force in 1994, and the Conference of the Parties (COP) began international climate negotiations. However, despite the importance of ocean health to climate change, the ocean has been consistently overlooked in these negotiations. According to the Lowy Institute, for Pacific nations, climate change is inseparable from ocean health, sovereignty, cultural continuity, food security, and intergenerational justice.
Ocean Health and Climate Change
The omission of ocean health from climate diplomacy is particularly significant for communities that depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. For these communities, the health of the ocean is not just an environmental issue, but also a matter of food security, cultural continuity, and sovereignty. The Pacific pre-COP, held in Fiji and Tuvalu, aimed to bring the region’s priorities to the center of international climate diplomacy, but the ocean remains conspicuously absent from the proposed leaders’ agenda for COP31.
Implications of Overlooking Ocean Health
The consequences of breaching the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold set under the Paris Agreement are severe, with some 2 billion people expected to be pushed beyond the temperatures in which humans have historically lived, and tens of millions exposed to coastal flooding. The UNFCCC, which underpins global climate diplomacy, is set to lose its first member, the United States, in February 2027, which will further undermine the effectiveness of global climate governance. The absence of ocean health from climate diplomacy not only undermines the health of the planet but also has significant implications for the well-being of communities across the region.
Shifting Diplomacy
As the United States prepares to leave the UNFCCC, smaller and less formal groupings, such as climate clubs, will take on greater significance in global climate governance. However, the effectiveness of these groupings in addressing the urgent need for climate action remains to be seen. However, the challenge of translating climate commitments into concrete action remains, and the omission of ocean health from climate diplomacy underscores the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing climate change.
What It Means for Communities
For communities across the region, the omission of ocean health from climate diplomacy has significant implications. It means that their concerns and priorities are not being taken into account in international climate negotiations, and that their livelihoods and well-being are being put at risk. The Pacific Resilience Facility, which aims to provide financial assistance for climate resilience, is a welcome initiative, but it is not enough to address the scale and complexity of the challenge. As the world prepares for COP31, it is essential that the ocean is brought to the center of international climate diplomacy, and that the concerns and priorities of communities across the region are taken into account. The next COP31 meeting is scheduled to start on November 9, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye.
Sources
- The ocean is missing from climate diplomacy. Again.
- From observer to host, Türkiye rises in climate diplomacy
- COP31 and the Future of Climate Clubs
- TRT World – UN hails Türkiye's action-oriented climate diplomacy, COP31 hosting
- Strengthening Bangladesh’s climate diplomacy: From COP31 preparedness to national priorities
- COP31: Ghana’s Climate voices must not be left behind in the accreditation queue – MyJoyOnline
Photo: Emiel Maters / Unsplash (Unsplash License)
