Media Advisory
United Nations to launch third World Ocean Assessment
Press briefing live on UN WebTV
The report is under embargo until 8 June 2026, 12:45 pm EDT and available upon request
The third World Ocean Assessment, to be released on 8 June 2026, offers the latest insights into the health of our ocean, and helps us to better understand the drivers, interactions, and long‑term consequences of these changes.
The ocean is under severe and accelerating anthropogenic pressure, from the surface to the deep sea, driven by climate change, pollution and increased human activities. These pressures are often cumulative, combining to cause widespread biodiversity loss, undermining the ecosystems that support fisheries, coastal protection and human health.
This report reflects the collective work of almost 600 experts from 86 countries, and it is the only global integrated assessment on the state of the marine environment, which explores the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the ocean.
WHAT
Press briefing to launch the third World Ocean Assessment
WHO
- Mr. Steven Hill, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs
- Ms. Bahia Tahzib, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York and Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole on the Regular Process
- Rafael González-Quirós, Director of the Oceanographic Centre of Gijón and Joint Coordinator of the Group of Experts of the third cycle of the UN Regular Process
- Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Oceanographic Explorer. Environmental Advocate and Founder of the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center
WHEN
Monday, 8 June 2026, 12:45 pm EDT
WHERE
UN Press Briefing Room, S-237 (Live on http://webtv.un.org)
The report will be available on 8 June 2026, 12:45 pm EDT at https://www.un.org/regularprocess/woa3 once the embargo has been lifted.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Martin Samaan, UN Department of Global Communications, samaanm@un.org
Laura Carew, Office of Legal Affairs, laura.carew@un.org
An embargoed copy of the third World Ocean Assessment can be provided upon request:
Ms. Laura Carew, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, laura.carew@un.org
EXPERT INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
