When the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) met in Hiroshima, Japan, in May 2023, they announced they were “more united than ever in our determination to meet the global challenges of this moment and set the course for a better future.”

The G7 is an intergovernmental forum that acts as a conduit to discuss and coordinate efforts undertaken by its member states – Canada, France, German, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America – to solve major global issues. The European Union is also involved in the G7 as a “non-enumerated member.”

Supporting the G7 are Working Groups, each focusing on a specific area the G7 want to tackle. Among these is the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative (G7 FSOI).

Interface between science and policy

Created in 2016, the G7 FSOI works on five main action areas – supporting the development of a global ocean observation system, supporting assessments and reporting, promoting data sharing infrastructure improvements, strengthening regional observing capacity, and promoting political cooperation. “The aim [of the G7 FSOI] is to enhance international coordination and collaboration and use the G7 members as an example of advancing the way we work with science diplomacy toward sustainable ocean observations,” says Dr Maria Grigoratou, Science Officer for the EU coordination action of the G7 FSOI, hosted by Mercator Ocean International.

One goal is to provide concrete advice and recommendations that the G7 members may act upon to move towards common goals.

Read the full story Advancing Global Collaboration: The G7 FSOI’s Role in Tackling Ocean Challenges at EU4OceanObs