Achievement at a glance
All actions of the Joint Roadmap have been implemented. Above all, in a three-year period, the MSPglobal Initiative contributed to improving cross-border and transboundary cooperation where it already existed and promoting MSP processes in areas where it was yet to be put in place, with the objective to triple the marine area benefiting from MSP effectively implemented by 2030. The MSPglobal final Conference took place online on 5 October 2021 and shared the key outcomes of the MSPglobal project (2018-2021). It also provided an overall approach of Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning at the regional and global scale.The MSPglobal project was supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund with an allocation of EUR 1.4 million for three years. It was implemented by IOC-UNESCO and ended on 31 October 2021.
MSPglobal was composed of three work packages:
- the development of guidance on international cross-border MSP, based on the work of regional experts. Officially launched during the final Conference, the “MSPglobal International Guide on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning” (1), the major deliverable of the project, presents a diversity of topics, case studies and actions to assist governments, partners and practitioners in their MSP processes.
- two pilot projects, building on regional collaboration the Western Mediterranean and the Southeast Pacific. In the final Conference, the MSPglobal Team presented the outputs of the project and shared lessons learned.
- communication and dissemination of all these results, with a website repository at its core https://www.mspglobal2030.org/ The website provides information about the various editions of the International MSP Forum that have been organised by the European Commission (DG MARE) and IOC UNESCO since 2018. It is a treasure trove for MSP practitioners and will remain online after the project comes to a close.
(1) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379196
Challenges faced in implementation
Two workshops of the International MSP Forum, planned for 2020, could not be held due to the Pandemic. The third international MSP conference has been postponed to autumn 2022.Next Steps
To organise the 5th edition of the International MSP Forum and the third International MSP conference in autumn 2022.Beneficiaries
They are primarily public authorities and bodies involved in maritime spatial planning, in particular in developing countries.
In addition, actions under the “Roadmap” benefit individuals and interested groups having a stake in maritime spatial planning (e.g. coastal communities, maritime economic sectors, etc.).
Actions
The MSPglobal project proposed trainings and planners have been offered opportunities to discuss planning at sea at global level during the MSP Forums. All information on specific actions can be found in 4 languages at www.mspglobal2030.org/fr/.The European MSP Platform, funded by the European Commission, disseminates through its website (https://maritime-spatial-planning.ec.europa.eu/) extensive information on MSP. It can be readily used, at no cost, by the beneficiaries of the action.