As the planet faces unprecedented challenges, an ambitious initiative is emerging to bring youth voices into the decision-making process for the future of the oceans. The 2025 Ocean Leaders Fellowship (OLF), led by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), aims to transform the way ocean policies are shaped by placing 40 young people from every continent at the heart of international discussions.
Traditionally, young people have been relegated to the role of spectators at major international conferences. The 2025 Ocean Leaders Fellowship (OLF) flips this dynamic by introducing reverse mentoring—an approach in which young people advise decision-makers, bringing fresh perspectives to help overcome institutional inertia.
Before stepping into this global arena, the Fellows are tasked with organizing local citizens’ assemblies in their home countries. These assemblies are designed to gather concerns and solutions from local communities, ensuring that global forums reflect diverse voices and realities. d’assurer une représentation diversifiée dans les forums mondiaux.
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March – April 2025: Intensive training for the Fellows in leadership, storytelling, and public dialogue facilitation, led by Missions Publiques.
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April 26–30, 2025: Participation in the Youth Leadership Summit in Busan, South Korea, in collaboration with Korean students to co-create key messages and initiate reverse mentoring during the Our Ocean Conference (OOC).
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May 2025: Organization of 40 local citizens’ assemblies, gathering valuable insights on young people’s expectations for ocean governance.
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June 2025: Active participation in the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, where Fellows will present the outcomes of citizen deliberations and engage directly with policymakers.
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July – December 2025: Follow-up on commitments made, development of future scenarios for ocean governance, and preparation of a global youth synthesis report.
The program has a threefold mission:
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Influence: Ensure that policy decisions genuinely reflect the concerns and solutions championed by younger generations.
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Empower: Equip youth with the tools and skills needed to become effective agents of change.
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Collaborate: Build strong bridges between generations to create a more inclusive and effective system of ocean governance.
This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, the Korean Maritime and Ocean University, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Missions Publiques, among others.
It also aligns fully with the vision that Missions Publiques has been advancing for several years: integrating global citizens into ocean governance through the Global Citizens’ Assembly for the Ocean.
