Progress report for
Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance: International Forum for Advancing Regional Ocean Governance
Achievement at a glance
The Marine Regions Forum 2019 took place for the first time from 30 September - 02 October 2019 in Berlin, Germany. The overarching theme of the conference was "Achieving a healthy ocean - Regional ocean governance beyond 2020." The conference provided a unique space for decision-makers, scientists and civil society actors from the world’s different marine regions to discuss and showcase impactful collaborative solutions for ocean health. The purpose was to develop clear recommendations, catalyse actionable outputs, and build partnerships for stronger regional ocean governance in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life Below Water".<br>More than 200 participants from 50 countries attended the Marine Regions Forum 2019, representing the world's diverse marine regions. They identified and discussed effective approaches and solutions, including e.g. networks of marine protected areas (MPAs), ocean-based solutions for climate action, regional ocean governance strategies for SDG 14 implementation and governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The Marine Regions Forum provides a new form of science-society-policy interface where actors meet outside formal governmental processes to engage in open exchanges and develop new solutions to sustainability challenges. The Marine Regions Forum encourages change, and supports these processes in bringing together the different kinds of knowledge needed to achieve overall ocean sustainability.
<br>Together with think-tanks IDDRI (Paris) and TMG (Berlin), the IASS organised the Marine Regions Forum 2019 in cooperation with the German government and the European Commission. The initiative goes back to commitments by Germany and the European Union made 2017 at the UN Ocean Conference in New York and the Our Ocean Conference in Malta respectively, announcing their support in establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for regional ocean governance. The Marine Regions Forum is a contribution to the Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG), a collaborative initiative between scientific institutions and UN Environment.
<br>Drawing on discussions held at the conference and the contributions of participants, the three institutes have put together a conference report integrated with the key messages from the Marine Regions Forum 2019. The key messages aim to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the planning of effective measures to protect the oceans. The recommendations build on the understanding that marine regions are crucial to the implementation of effective conservation measures and efforts to advance the adoption of global agreements.
<br>Further information about the event can be found at www.marineregionsforum.org.
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<br>Further Resources:
<br>Marine Regions Forum 2019 publications:
<br>Key Messages from the Marine Regions Forum 2019
<br>https://www.prog-ocean.org/marine-regions-forum/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/MRF2019_Key-Messages_fin_03.02.2020.pdf
<br>Conference Report 2019
<br>https://www.prog-ocean.org/marine-regions-forum/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/MRF2019_Conference-Report_fin_04.02.2020.pdf
<br>IISD opinion editorial - ‘No “Ocean Super-Year” without marine regions’ with guest author Peter Thomson (UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean)
<br>http://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/no-ocean-super-year-without-marine-regions/
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<br>Conference films and trailer:
<br>Marine Regions Forum 2019 – Conference impressions (short version)
<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzYqLrLRf04&t=11s
<br>Marine Regions Forum 2019 – Trailer
<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZnwqF3smIc
<br>Marine Regions Forum – High-level international workshop 2018 (short version)
<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjn5cteYF0
<br>UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy of the Ocean – video message from Peter Thompson for the Marine Regions Forum 2019
<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXr1sGUNGJg
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<br>For more information please visit:
<br>www.ourocean2017.org/our-ocean-commitments (Our Ocean Conference in Malta)
<br>www.prog-ocean.org/ (Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance)
<br>oceanconference.un.org/commitments/?id=18439 (UN Ocean Conference in New York)
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