Progress report for
Joint Roadmap to accelerate Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning worldwide
Achievement at a glance
The Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DGMARE) of the European Commission and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) continue the implementation of the actions of the Joint Roadmap to accelerate marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP) worldwide.<br>
<br>DGMARE officially sent an invitation to IOC-UNESCO to submit an application for a grant for the implementation of “Supporting internationally accepted maritime spatial planning guidance” in line with the Action 1 of the Joint Roadmap dedicated to transboundary and international MSP. This grant will also covered the actions 2 and 8 of the joint roadmap in relation to the implementation of pilot case studies of international MSP in the Western Mediterranean and in the Southeast Pacific regions.
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<br>IOC-UNESCO will use large marine ecosystems as pilot case studies with interest on transboundary MSP (Action 2b) as part of the toolkits that will be launched during the 19th Annual LME Meeting in Cape Town from 29 November to 1 December 2017.
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<br>DGMARE successfully organized the MSP for Blue Growth Conference #MSP4BG in Brussels on 11 and 12 October 2017 (Action 5), with the participation of key stakeholders and MSP practitioners from around the world to share good practices. The European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, Mr. Karmenu Vella and the Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin highlighted during the conference the importance of our institutional roadmap on MSP. DGMARE will publish by the end of 2017 the study on MSP and Blue Growth.
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<br>In line with the implementation of the Joint Roadmap, the Assembly of IOC-UNESCO decided (IOC-XXVI/Dec. 8.2 (2017)) to updated the objectives of the IOC’s Integrated Coastal Area Management Strategy and invited Member States to financially support actions in line with Action 4c.
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<br>THEME 1: COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
<br> NEW OBJECTIVE 1: Build collective capacities to respond to emerging ocean issues through ecosystem and area-based management tools such as Integrated Coastal Area Management, Marine Spatial Planning and Sustainable Blue Growth initiatives, including transboundary and large-marine ecosystem approaches for the sustainable use of marine resources and with a view to achieve a healthy and a productive ocean.
<br>THEME 2: COASTAL AND MARINE HAZARDS ADAPTATION AND PREPAREDNESS THROUGH EBM/AREA-BASED MANAGEMENT TOOLS
<br>NEW OBJECTIVE 2: Promote the integration of ocean-related hazards and climate change adaptation within coastal and marine management and planning tools in order to improve preparedness and resilience of coastal communities
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<br>THEME 3: COASTAL AND MARINE DATA, INFORMATION AND DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS
<br>NEW OBJECTIVE 3: Increase collective knowledge supporting management actions on the status and change of coastal and marine ecosystems and sustained services through use and dissemination of data, information and decision support tools.
<br>The three new components and objectives aim at supporting the implementation of SDG14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development) of the Agenda 2030 and the DGMARE / IOC-UNESCO Joint Roadmap to accelerate MSP worldwide.