Commitments made at the Our Ocean Conferences have made an outsized contribution to global ocean protection when promises translate to action.Yet even greater momentum and clear tracking of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other area-based tools is needed to meet global goals and deliver conservation outcomes for the ocean and all who depend on it.This side event discusses ongoing efforts to track progress on global ocean protection, including the contributions of the OOCs. We share a new science-based, global framework called The MPA Guide, which tracks and celebrates MPAs in the journey from announcement to active implementation. It describes what outcomes can be expected from different types of MPAs, including Fully and Highly Protected Areas. We will also share the results of an independent, scientific report on progress towards achieving MPA/ABM commitments made at all OOCs, showing much progress has been made but more is needed.
