Voice of the Ocean Foundation and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission convene the 6th UN Ocean Decade Foundations Dialogue, bringing international ocean leaders to Sweden to accelerate collaboration and action.
STOCKHOLM, 31 August 2026
Philanthropic foundations from around the world will gather in Stockholm on 7–9 September for the 6th Foundations Dialogue of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Hosted by Voice of the Ocean Foundation together with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO), the meeting brings the network to Sweden for the first time.
The Foundations Dialogue is a growing network of more than 30 philanthropic organisations working to advance ocean science and turn knowledge into action. Since its first meeting in Copenhagen in 2020, it has developed into a platform where foundations can align priorities, build partnerships and launch initiatives that support the ambitions of the UN Ocean Decade. Previous Dialogues have been held in Morocco, Monaco, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.
This year’s meeting comes at an important moment. With the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in Rio de Janeiro approaching, the Stockholm Dialogue will help shape philanthropic priorities for the second half of the Decade and explore where philanthropy can unlock collaboration between science, government, business and civil society.
The Dialogue opens on 7 September with From Depth to Action, bringing around 100 leaders from the international and Swedish ocean community together at Skeppsholmen. The forum will focus on two areas where stronger collaboration could have significant impact: ocean literacy and ocean observations.
Among those participating are Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO; Kęstutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s DG MARE; Robert Blasiak of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the UN Ocean Decade Advisory Board; and Leandro Pedron of Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, alongside leaders from science, philanthropy, business and civil society.
For Stockholm, the meeting also creates an opportunity to connect Sweden’s growing ocean community with an international network of foundations, scientists, policymakers and organisations working on the future of the ocean. The ambition is not only to bring an international dialogue to Sweden, but to use the gathering to build relationships and collaborations that continue beyond the three days.
“The ocean is one, yet too often we work in silos. The Foundations Dialogue gives philanthropy a global platform to share knowledge, find synergies and achieve greater impact together. With From Depth to Action, we are opening the conversation to science, government and business as well, bringing different perspectives into the same room and creating opportunities for collaboration and action.” Says Sanna Thimmig Johansen, CEO of Voice of the Ocean Foundation.
On 8–9 September, the foundations continue in closed working sessions, taking stock of progress since the 2025 Tokyo Dialogue and developing priorities and commitments towards Rio 2027. The programme includes work on shared initiatives such as Ocean Matcher, a funding-matchmaking platform born through the Dialogue and launched at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025, as well as work to better understand and measure the impact of philanthropic investment in ocean science.
“Philanthropy has a unique role in the Ocean Decade: it can move first, take risks and connect actors who would otherwise never meet. The Foundations Dialogue in Stockholm comes at exactly the right moment, as we set the priorities that will carry us to Rio in 2027 and beyond,” says Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO.
The opening forum concludes with a special screening of the IMAX documentary Ocean Dreams, produced by Deep Sea Productions in collaboration with Voice of the Ocean, followed by a reception.
About Voice of the Ocean Foundation
Voice of the Ocean envisions a world where the ocean is understood, respected and protected by all. Founded in Sweden and rooted in the Baltic Sea, the Foundation advances marine research and promotes ocean literacy, combining scientific integrity with storytelling to spark curiosity, deepen understanding and inspire engagement with the ocean. voiceoftheocean.org
About the Foundations Dialogue
Established within the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), the Foundations Dialogue is an informal and growing network of more than 30 philanthropic organisations working together to advance ocean science, collaboration and action. Facilitated by IOC-UNESCO, the Dialogue explores how philanthropy can build partnerships and create the conditions needed to achieve the ambitions of the Ocean Decade.
Press contact
Robert Kautsky, Head of Communications, Voice of the Ocean Foundation
[email protected] · +46 735 104 911
Notes to editors
• From Depth to Action takes place at the Moderna Museet Auditorium on Skeppsholmen in Stockholm on 7 September 2026.
• The Foundations Dialogue working sessions on 8–9 September are closed and held under the Chatham House Rule.
• Interviews with Sanna Thimmig-Johansen and selected speakers can be arranged in English and Swedish.
• High-resolution imagery and b-roll are available on request.
