At United Nations Headquarters in New York this week, the UN Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum convened government delegations, scientists, and civil society leaders to address how emerging technologies can accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. Among the voices in the room was Emilie McGlone, International Director of Peace Boat, an international nonprofit that has spent four decades using a working ocean vessel as a platform for peace education, sustainability advocacy, and high-level diplomatic exchange.
Intelligence Report sat down with McGlone on the sidelines of the forum to discuss the convergence of ocean policy, multilateral cooperation, and the increasingly central role that non-state actors are playing in shaping the global sustainability agenda.
A Floating Platform for Diplomacy
Peace Boat is not a metaphor. It is an actual ship that circles the globe, carrying passengers, educators, scientists, and diplomats between port cities where the organization convenes dialogues on disarmament, climate, and sustainable development. Over the course of its history, the Peace Boat has worked closely with the United Nations system, served as a UN Sustainable Development Goals partner, and helped pioneer the concept of “ocean diplomacy” as a serious vehicle for international engagement.
McGlone described the Peace Boat’s work as occupying a rare space in the global policy landscape: a platform that can move between jurisdictions, host conversations that traditional venues cannot, and connect grassroots ocean communities with the highest levels of multilateral decision-making.
In a moment when traditional multilateral institutions are under strain, that flexibility matters. McGlone pointed to the growing role of the private sector, philanthropic capital, and civil society in advancing the work that governments alone can no longer carry, particularly on ocean health, climate adaptation, and the protection of small island and coastal communities.
The Ocean Gala, June 11
On June 11th, Peace Boat US will host its annual Ocean Gala aboard the Peace Boat in New York City. The event convenes leaders from finance, philanthropy, science, and policy in support of Peace Boat’s ocean conservation and education programs, and serves as one of the organization’s signature fundraising and convening moments of the year.
McGlone shared what attendees can expect, the strategic significance of holding the gala in New York during the broader UN policy calendar, and how the Peace Boat is using the evening to bring together communities that rarely sit in the same room.
The Global Leadership Forum for Sustainability, September 21-22
The conversation closed with a preview of the Global Leadership Forum for Sustainability, which Intelligence Report and Peace Boat US will co-host at the United Nations on September 21st and 22nd, during the opening days of the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC.
The Forum is designed as a private, invitation-only convening of business, finance, technology, and policy leaders addressing the most pressing challenges in global sustainability. Building on the Peace Boat’s decades of diplomatic and convening experience, and Intelligence Report’s editorial reach across capital markets and international institutions, the partnership aims to create a high-trust environment for the kinds of conversations that translate into action.
McGlone emphasized that the Forum is not designed as another speaker series. It is structured to produce relationships, partnerships, and policy commitments that outlast the event itself, with curated programming across the two days and limited sponsor participation.
Why It Matters
Some of the most important sustainability work happening today is happening on the water, at the United Nations, and in the spaces where those two worlds meet. McGlone’s career and the Peace Boat’s mission sit precisely at that intersection.
For institutional investors, family offices, sustainability-focused corporations, and policy organizations watching the September calendar, the Global Leadership Forum represents one of the few private convenings during UNGA week designed specifically to bridge capital and policy on sustainability.
The full conversation with Emilie McGlone is available on The Intelligence Report Podcast.
About Peace Boat: Peace Boat is an international nonprofit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, sustainability, and respect for the environment through educational programs organized on board a ship that travels around the world. Peace Boat US is the New York-based affiliate.
About the Global Leadership Forum for Sustainability: The Global Leadership Forum is a private, invitation-only convening of business, finance, technology, and policy leaders, held at United Nations Headquarters on September 21st and 22nd, 2026, during UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC. For sponsorship inquiries, contact Dylan@DylanWelch.com.
