Colombia has become the latest member of the 100% Alliance, and in doing so, has pledged to place all of its national waters under sustainable management over the next four years.
The 100% Alliance is a group of countries that aims to ensure all ocean areas under their national jurisdiction are sustainably managed by 2030. The initiative is led by Australia and Chile in partnership with the Ocean Panel and is coordinated by the World Resources Institute (WRI).
“Colombia’s participation is very significant for the 100% Alliance,” said Cynthia Barzuna, the deputy director of WRI’s Ocean Program. “It is a leading ocean country in Latin America, with coastlines in both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and a strong track record in marine conservation and ocean governance.”
Countries joining the alliance commit to developing sustainable ocean plans (SOPs), which are integrated, country-led frameworks that align policy, investment, and action across sectors and provide a practical pathway to deliver on the commitment. These plans aim to balance environmental conservation with the economic development of sectors such as fishing, tourism, and maritime transport.
Colombia has not yet finalized its plan to achieve 100 percent marine protection, but according to Barzuna, the country has made important progress through existing policies and instruments, including marine spatial planning efforts, biodiversity and conservation strategies, and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms.
Such progress includes Colombia’s 2022 milestone, when it became the first country to meet the global 30x30 target of protecting 30 percent of land and ocean by 2030.
As part of its strategy to safeguard its marine ecosystems, last year, the Colombian government also announced the creation of new marine protected areas totaling approximately 3,800 square kilometers. Encompassing the remote coral reefs of Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo in the Caribbean Sea, this initiative aimed to protect critical shark habitats, over 150 fish species, and key turtle nesting sites.
More recently, in late March, the country signed a memorandum of understanding with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), which promotes a global standard that mandates the online publication of data on fisheries including management, legal frameworks, registered vessels, and fishing agreements.
“Joining the 100% Alliance marks an important step in bringing these efforts together into a more integrated national framework and in advancing toward the development of a full SOP that connects conservation, economic development, and climate priorities,” Barzuna said.
