About the FSOI

The Group of Seven (G7)

The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member, holding all the privileges and obligations of membership but without the right to host or chair a summit. The G7 often serves as a pathfinder group, piloting activities for broader G20 and UN initiatives that may be too complex to manage with a larger set of partners.

The G7 FSOI initiative

The G7 FSOI offers a mechanism for international cooperation on ocean observing and sharing of technology, data, and information required for the health of our seas and Ocean, for weather and climate forecasting, and for the development of a sustainable Blue Economy. G7 members collectively fund approximately 80% of the global observing system, and G7 agreements on priorities for coordinated investment can have significant impact to move the global system forward.

The G7 members have emphasized the importance of focusing on issues at the nexus of science and governance, exchanging information about national Ocean science and technology plans and priorities, and working collectively to pilot efforts in areas where the FSOI can add unique value:

Foster agreements on priorities for coordinated investment

Catalyse and facilitate authoritative scientific underpinning

Provide leadership for leading-edge science and technology efforts

Foster governance / policy agreements between G7 countries

In 2016, the G7 Ministers agreed to take an ambitious approach to tackling ocean issues, and developed the Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative with five main Action Areas. These Action Areas were revised in 2024 at the G7 Scientific and Technology Ministerial.

Action Areas 2016 - 2023

Action Areas 2024

In a Statement to the OceanObs’19 Conference that brought together 2400 scientists from 60 nations, the G7 members explained the position of the FSOI:

“As leaders in ocean observing, the G7 FSOI Working Group recognises that implementing a system of high quality, sustained ocean observations cannot be done in isolation, and that it needs to be a coordinated, collaborative and global effort. Therefore, through leading by example, we hope to promote and support partnerships, networks, and increase the availability of science through open data and scientific cooperation amongst the global community.”