The Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity Joins Partners in Shaping Ocean Action at UNOC3

Representatives from development banks join the Finance in Common event at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France.

NICE, FRANCE - 9 June 2025 

As the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) commenced in Nice, France, Dr. Gene Leon, Executive Director of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP), joined global development leaders for a high-level dialogue titled “Leading with Purpose: How Public Development Banks Are Shaping Ocean Action,” hosted by Finance in Common (FiCS) in UNOC3’s Green Zone.

Finance in Common (FiCS) is the global coalition of over 530 Public Development Banks, ranging from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to National and Local Development Banks. This engaging event included FiCS Ocean Coalition members like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the World Bank, COFIDE (Peru), the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP), and the West African Development Bank (BOAD). To mark this milestone moment at UNOC3, the discussion centered on the key role of public development banks for ocean financing. 

The global effort to protect and restore ocean ecosystems faces a significant global funding gap — but this shortfall also presents an opportunity for unified action. Public development banks are institutionally positioned to play a transformative role in shaping a sustainable blue economy. The panelists highlighted their innovative initiatives and programmes that are proven to create solutions for our oceans. 

In addition to protecting biodiversity and expanding conservation efforts, we must build resilience for coastal communities most affected by increasing crises. “We don’t need just more finance, but different finance: mission-oriented, interlinked, and anchored in a regenerative paradigm,” explained Executive Director of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity, Dr. Gene Leon. The international community cannot turn its back on the urgent investment needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), that also require redefined capacity building.

Dr. Leon underscored the benefits of taking an intersectional perspective to blended finance. “Our approach to solving the world’s problems must take a systems approach. Development cannot be treated as a slice,” he stated. “We need to stop treating blue, green, and climate finance as silos,” he explained. 

Above: Dr. Gene Leon, Executive Director of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP), during the high-level dialogue “Leading with Purpose: How Public Development Banks Are Shaping Ocean Action,” hosted by Finance in Common (FiCS) in UNOC3’s Green Zone.

Dr. Leon addressed the unique challenges facing many SIDS, including the constraints of local banks, while also highlighting exemplary innovations such as blended microfinance schemes and ecosystem-based investments that deliver. This systems approach to the sea can also shape resilient financing solutions for coastal communities, helping them overcome ongoing economic and environmental shocks.

Growing sustainable ocean finance will take a collective, diverse group of changemakers. With 20 members and over USD 7.5 billion invested annually in ocean-related initiatives, the FiCS Ocean Coalition’s growing influence signals a turning point in global development finance. A key outcome of the event was the launch of the Joint Statement, signaling a shared commitment to scale up blue finance and align institutional mandates with ocean action. The DBRP is proud to stand with fellow partners in this powerful call to action. 

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About the DBRP

The Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP) is a dynamic, global in-scope and outcomes-driven institution. Initially led by the Small Island SIDS, the DBRP aims to foster resilient prosperity and sustainable development by addressing the extensive impacts of climate change, economic inequalities, and environmental degradation through a systems approach to these systemic challenges.