The first Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue was mandated by COP 25, Chile Madrid Time for Action 2019 (paras 30-31 and 33-34), and held in December 2020.

The Glasgow Climate Pact welcomed the summary report from the first ocean dialogue and invited the SBSTA Chair to hold an annual dialogue, starting SBSTA 56 in June 2022, to strengthen ocean-based action.

The COP Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan (Decision 1/CP.27) welcomed the outcomes of and key messages from the ocean and climate change dialogue 2022 and decided that future dialogues will, from 2023, be facilitated by two co-facilitators, selected by Parties biennially, who will be responsible for deciding the topics for and conducting the dialogue, in consultation with Parties and observers, and preparing an informal summary report to be presented in conjunction with the subsequent session of the Conference of the Parties.