The Youth Ocean Leadership and Advocacy initiative made its presence felt during the 2026 edition of the European Ocean Days, held from 2–6 March in Brussels. As part of the week’s activities, YOLA submitted a digital e-poster that was displayed during the 4th Annual Mission Ocean and Waters Forum, offering high visibility to participants from across the Mission Ocean community.

The Forum took place on 5 March at the Charlemagne Building in Brussels and gathered projects, stakeholders and Charter signatories to exchange knowledge and discuss how to scale and replicate innovative solutions supporting the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. Alongside the Forum, a full week of Mission-related events created opportunities for networking and collaboration.

YOLA’s e-poster highlighted the initiative’s commitment to empowering young ocean leaders and amplifying youth voices in ocean governance and advocacy. By showcasing its activities in the networking areas of the Forum, YOLA contributed to the broader dialogue on inclusive participation and intergenerational engagement in the Mission Ocean and Waters.