May 19-22, 2025 Peace Boat US participated in the inaugural 2025 Nature Summit: World Leaders Driving the Future of the Nature-Based Economy, held in Panama and co-hosted by Panama’s Ministry of Environment, PVBLIC Foundation and Global Resilience Partners. This high-level event brought together government leaders, business leaders and philanthropists to create new partnerships and find collaborative ways to drive the future of the “blue and green economies.” At the summit, Emilie McGlone, Director of Peace Boat US participated in an interview with the SDGs News Team where Peace Boat’s work for ocean literacy and climate action were highlighted. Peace Boat US will be organizing the next “Youth for SDGs” program for the UN Ocean Decade from Jamaica to Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico in July of 2025.
Peace Boat US also participated in the UNFCC Climate Week in advance of COP 30, which was being held in Panama City the same week. The government of Panama, a country that has achieved carbon-negative status, presented its climate pledge that focused not just on solutions, but implementation of climate action. Climate Week saw strong international participation with over 1,000 participants, from 109 countries – with around two-thirds in person in Panama City, and one-third taking part virtually.
While in Panama, Peace Boat US held a reunion with onboard guest speaker Wago Mendez, a Kuna indigenous leader, alumni of the Youth for SDGs program Lincoln Flaco Peña from the Embera indigenous community, Patricia de la Rosa, who is now working with the Ministry of Environment Climate Office, Maria Fernanda, and Gloria Ordoñez of the UN Environment Programme. Peace Boat US is excited to visit Panama again this summer on July 7 with its Youth for the SDGs program participants onboard for a special program on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.