On November 13, 2023, the first meeting of the working group for the establishment of the "Coastal City" platform, hosted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, was held online. Qingdao was invited to become one of the 11 founding cities of the platform and joined the informal working group.

At the meeting, Mr. Julien Barbiere, Head of the Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, stated that establishing a long-term dialogue platform among the stakeholders of global coastal cities is crucial, as it will help coastal cities respond to global climate change and discuss scientific solutions in collaboration.

Mr. Olivier Difalco, Coordinator of the "Coastal City" platform, introduced the platform as well as the basic information of the informal working group.

Representatives from various coastal cities, partners, and "Ocean Decade" initiatives spoke in turn, introducing their basic information and work measures, voicing their expectations for the "Coastal City" platform, and engaging in free exchanges.

The meeting decided that the informal working group would jointly write a white paper for the platform, initiate proposals, and plan the activities in relation to the launch. The platform invited all members of the informal working group to attend the 2024 "Ocean Decade" conference to engage in satellite activities for the launch of the platform.