Overview
- The General Assembly approved the hosting resolution by 169–2 with no abstentions, with the United States and Argentina voting against.
- South Korea will stage the main conference in June 2028, while Chile will convene a high-level preparatory meeting in 2027.
- Seoul will open a public competition to choose the host city in the first half of next year, and Busan has already signaled strong interest.
- Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo called the 2028 meeting a crucial milestone for SDG14 and pledged preparations to position Korea as a leading maritime nation.
- The oceans ministry expects around 15,000 participants and has signed an MOU with the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs to support preparations; the 2025 Nice session drew a similar crowd, including 55 top-level officials.