UNCTAD first obtained a mandate on oceans and seas at the UNCTAD 14 Conference (Paragraph 100(t) of the Nairobi Maafikiano), which was expanded at UNCTAD 15 Conference (Paragraphs 76 and nn of the Bridgetown Covenant).

At its sixteenth session (UNCTAD 16), held in Geneva in October 2025, UNCTAD received a renewed mandate to support developing countries in harnessing the ocean economy for sustainable development. The Geneva Consensus explicitly states:

"UNCTAD should continue to support developing countries to sustainably harness the ocean economy and the effective implementation of relevant international commitments on maritime transport and ocean governance as well as in the design and implementation of economic development strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources."

(TD(XVI)/PC/1, para. 80.52)

This renewed mandate ensures UNCTAD will continue to promote inclusive and sustainable ocean-based economic strategies, aligned with trade-related targets of SDG 14 and other global frameworks.

UNCTAD's oceans economy pillars help to implement these mandates to pursue sustainable and inclusive development in line with SDG14 and its specific targets, and technological capacity, innovation, and policy and regulatory coherence in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction.

In order to expand the understanding of the value, sizes and sectors of ocean trade, UNCTAD has developed the groundbreaking oceans economy classification  and ocean trade dataset for ocean-based goods and services.

With its partners, it convenes knowledge and consensus building and generates policy recommendations under the UN Oceans Forum on trade-related aspects of SDG 14 to support the outcomes of the United Nations Ocean Conference convened biennially.

UNCTAD’s work on the ocean economy contributes to the research and analysis published by The United Nations Economist Network.

 

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