ONE OCEAN installation at the United Nations General Assembly

As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, a striking blue installation at the United Nations Headquarters Visitors’ Plaza is bringing Ocean Literacy into the conversation.

Created by SEA BEYOND, the project by Prada Group conducted in partnership with UNESCO, the installation highlights the unifying power of the Ocean and invites world leaders and the global audience to reflect on the Ocean’s essential role in sustaining life, regulating the climate and connecting people and ecosystems across borders.

At a time when global challenges demand collective responses, the installation highlights the need for shared commitment and action to protect the Ocean.

Centred around the motto “Learn. Think. Act.”, the installation takes visitors on a journey through Ocean Literacy: inviting them to learn about the Ocean, to think about the future we want for it, and ultimately to act, turning knowledge into meaningful engagement and action. 

At the heart of the installation, youth voices are brought to the forefront through questions gathered as part of a call inviting young people to submit their questions for the ocean to world leaders, launched by UNESCO earlier this summer. Together, these voices powerfully invite us to imagine a future in which the Ocean is more central to political decision-making and more widely respected as a shared foundation of life on Earth.

The ONE OCEAN installation is located at the United Nations Headquarters Visitors’ Plaza in New York and will be open to visitors for two weeks, from 23 September to 9 October 2026.

Read more about ONE OCEAN installation on the UNESCO website: UNESCO unveils ONE OCEAN installation during UN General Assembly

Photo credit: UNESCO