April 19, 2024

Welcome to the April 2024 edition of Ocean & Climate News! This issue provides an overview of recent and upcoming international ocean events, including the Ocean Decade Conference, Our Ocean Conference, 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States, Ocean Literacy World Conference and the Bonn Climate Conference, among others. This issue then continues with highlights of additional relevant ocean and climate news. In closing, we provide an update on various Global Ocean Forum activities, including the ongoing Cross-sectoral Project, the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute and Global Ocean Forum joint webinar series, and the new GOF strategic plan for 2024-2030.

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International Events

Ocean Decade Conference

Three years after the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), this global conference, hosted by the Government of Spain and co-organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), brought together the Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate achievements and set joint priorities for the future of the Decade. Centered around ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want’, the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, held 10 – 12 April 2024, celebrated and took stock of progress while also setting joint priorities for the future. A key outcome of the conference was the launch of the Barcelona Statement containing recommendations on priority areas of action for the Ocean Decade in coming years.

Mr. Tony MacDonald, Director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, GOF Board Director, and member of the U.S. National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, delivered a presentation titled The Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) Initiative: Linking ocean science to policy and solutions for climate change in a session focused on Challenge 5: Unlock ocean-based solutions to climate change held on 10 April 2024 . Please click here for access to Ocean Decade Conference oral presentations.

“It was a privilege to represent GOF and the US National Committee at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona. GOF has long partnered with IOC-UNESCO and other collaborators in championing the importance of ocean science and sustained ocean observations as the foundation for integrated coastal and ocean management. Since the release of the initial ROCA report in 2017, GOF has worked with partners to call attention to the importance of the ocean-climate nexus and to set out a roadmap for action linking science with policy. Continued development and dissemination of ROCA reports will help ensure that there is concerted commitment to ocean science as promoted at the Ocean Decade Conference, which supports integrated ocean governance that addresses both the climate crisis and the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of the ocean now and in the future.” -Tony MacDonald

Our Ocean Conference

A key objective of all Our Ocean Conferences is to foster collaborative efforts and encourage the submission of clear and measurable voluntary commitments anchored in the six Areas of Action: Marine Protected Areas; Sustainable Blue Economies; Climate Change; Maritime Security; Sustainable Fisheries; and Marine Pollution. The overall aim is the protection and sustainable management of our seas and oceans and their resources. The focus areas identified by Greece for the 9th Our Ocean Conference (held 15-17 April 2024) include Sustainable Tourism in coastal areas and islands; Green Shipping; Plastic and Microplastic Pollution; and the Green transition in the Mediterranean Sea. The Our Ocean Conference 2024 came to close with 469 commitments worth over an estimated $11 billion. The next Our Ocean Conference will take place in 2025 in Korea.

4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States

The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States: Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity (SIDS4) will be held 27-30 May 2024, organized by Antigua and Barbuda. The Conference aims to assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. In the face of escalating global crises, SIDS find themselves on the frontline, constantly navigating through a cycle of environmental disasters and recovery efforts, which tests their resilience and ability to sustain their communities and economies. SIDS4 will focus on generating a forward-looking and action-oriented political outcome document to be agreed upon by governments.

Through the Cross-sectoral Project, GOF will be organizing a virtual SIDS4 side event in collaboration with the University of the South Pacific, Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, and the Solomon Islands National University. The side event will be virtual and is scheduled for Tuesday, 28 May 2024 from 17:00-18:30 Antigua and Barbuda Standard Time (GMT-4). Access to event registration will be shared on the GOF website once event details are finalized.

Focused on integrated and collaborative approaches used to progress the ocean in the climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development agendas, this event will underscore the opportunity provided by the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement to explore the mitigation and adaptation potential of the vast high seas, along with its ecosystems and resources. This potential will need to be explored within the context of a wide array of international bodies with respective governance arrangements that need to be harmonized and the special circumstances of SIDS. Find more details about the side event, including speaker information and event registration, on the GOF website .

Bonn Climate Conference

The 60th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) in Bonn, Germany from 3-13 June 2024. The conference continues discussions on issues of critical importance, such as the global stocktake, global goal on adaptation, just transition, loss and damage and the mitigation work program. The conference is expected to make progress on these and other important issues and prepare draft decisions for adoption at COP 29 / CMP 19 / CMA 6 in Azerbaijan to be held from 11-22 November 2024. In conjunction with the 60th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 60), the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue 2024 will be held from 11-12 June 2024. The dialogue will focus on the topics of: 1) marine biodiversity conservation and coastal resilience; and 2) technology needs for the ocean-climate action, including finance links. For more information on past dialogues, see here.

Preparation for 3rd UN Ocean Conference

In advance of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference that will be held  in June 2025, a stakeholder meeting entitled High Level Event on Ocean Action: Immersed in Change will be convened in San Jose, Costa Rica from 7-8 June 2024 in an attempt to generate national, regional, and global solutions in an inclusive manner, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. This stakeholder meeting is organized by the government of Costa Rica and will serve as a platform for the exchange of best practices and successful experiences related to ocean governance and health. The meeting aims to highlight topics of global significance on the ocean agenda and drive specific implementation actions to address the severe environmental crisis it faces.

In July 2024, a preparatory meeting will be convened by the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. The two host countries of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference, France and Costa Rica, will co-chair the meeting.

World Ocean Day

Celebrate World Ocean Day on 8 June 2024! Proposed in 1992 by the government of Canada and officially launched by The Ocean Project in 2002, World Ocean Day catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate in collaboration with global partners. The 2024 action theme for World Ocean Day is Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean and Climate.

Ocean Literacy World Conference

Just in time for World Ocean Day (8 June), the Ocean Literacy World Conference will take place in Venice, Italy from 7-8 June 2024. Organized by IOC-UNESCO in collaboration with the Prada Group, the Government of Italy and the Municipality of Venice, the conference will bring together the ocean literacy and education community to promote a more harmonious and better informed relationship between humans and the ocean. The Venice Declaration–an ocean literacy declaration which will provide concrete recommendations for integrating ocean literacy into policy-making efforts–will be developed and signed during the conference. To contribute to the effort, consider taking this short survey to help guide the creation of the Venice Declaration.

Capitol Hill Ocean Week

Organized by the US National Marine Sanctuary Foundation every June in Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) brings together scientists, policymakers, scholars, businesses and conservation leaders to address pressing conservation, science, and management issues facing the ocean and Great Lakes. With a thematic focus on leadership, CHOW 2024 (4-6 June 2024) calls upon leaders from all walks of life to come together to drive attention and innovation to protect our ocean and center people at the core of ocean solutions.  To register for CHOW 2024, click here.

Additional Upcoming Ocean Events in 2024

In addition to those events detailed above, there will be several major ocean events to look forward to in 2024 and 2025, including the following:

• 12^th Annual World Congress of Ocean, 12-14 November 2024, Singapore
• UNFCCC COP29, 11-22 November 2024, Azerbaijan
• UN Ocean Conference, 9-13 June 2025, France

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Ocean & Climate News

BBNJ Informal Dialogues

The latest BBNJ Informal Dialogues were held on 1 February, 5 March and 16 April 2024. The February Dialogue built on ongoing efforts to develop a draft resolution in early 2024 to be submitted to the General Assembly – including the resumed session of the 5th Committee (February – March 2024). Delegates had the opportunity to hear from experts about lessons learned from other treaties in regard to preparatory processes established prior to entry into force as well as an opportunity to share BBNJ-related updates, events and/or publications.

The March Dialogue focused on the draft General Assembly resolution on the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) (document A/78/L.41, dated 6 February 2024). Invited experts also provided an overview of the functions of the Clearing-House Mechanism and delegates were invited to share reflections, including whether there are functions of the Clearing-House Mechanism that would need to be carried out prior to entry into force of the Agreement.

The April Dialogue continued the discussions of the March Dialogue, including the draft General Assembly resolution on the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) (document A/78/L.41, dated 6 February 2024) and the Clearing-House Mechanism.

Citizen of the Ocean Youth-led World Forum

Calling ocean enthusiasts and champions 18-30 years old worldwide! Throughout 2024 and 2025, Nausicaa is organizing Citizen of the Ocean, a global youth-led forum, which aims at:

• Drawing up youth priorities for sustainable and equitable ocean;
• Making an inventory of effective and innovative ocean-based solutions to Ocean Decade challenges;
• Designing the content of the Ocean Citizen networking tool for mobilising a community of practice.

To achieve this, there will be five rounds of online regional workshops in 2024, an Ocean Citizen Summit in France in spring 2025, and a youth advocacy during international events (in particular the UN Ocean Conference 2025).

Applicants will be evaluated in terms of their age eligibility, motivation, commitment, availability. 100 participants from all continents will be chosen for the Citizen of the Ocean Youth-led Forum. The selection process will ensure inclusion and diversity of participants in terms of occupation, residence, nationality, field and levels of education, interests, and gender.

Apply by 28 April 2024: Registration Form
For more information, please contact: youth4Ocean@nausicaa.fr

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Global Ocean Forum News

Strategic Planning Process

Following the expiration of the Global Ocean Forum’s previous plan (available here) and noting the need to adapt to a changing world, GOF has developed a new strategic plan for 2024-2030. The plan was shaped with the leadership of the GOF Board of Directors and guided by substantive input from the GOF Policy Advisory Board, which is composed of eminent experts and leaders in ocean policy and research from all over the world. 

The new Strategic Plan will cover six years, from 2024 to 2030, aligning with the timelines of major global environmental frameworks including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

To solicit feedback from a wider net of GOF’s stakeholders, a pre-final version of the strategic plan has been made available for public review via the GOF website. Access the pre-final version of the GOF Strategic Plan for 2024-2030 here and access the Google Form for feedback submission here. Feedback will be accepted until Friday, May 3, 2024.

Please also note that the GOF has organized three regional stakeholder meetings (for the Americas, Asia / Pacific, and Africa / Europe, see dates and times below) to review and discuss the strategic plan and next steps for implementation and welcome suggestions for participants relevant to the GOF mission and vision. If you are interested in participating in one of these regional meetings, you may express your interest via the Google Form linked above. We expect the strategic planning process to conclude by May 15 after the stakeholder meetings are finished.

• Africa-Europe Regional Webinar for Strategic Plan Stakeholder Review
  • 7 May 2024, 4 pm Central European Time (GMT+1)
• North, Central and South America Regional Webinar for Strategic Plan Review
  • 8 May 2024, 2 pm Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4)
• Asia-Pacific Regional Webinar for Strategic Plan Review
  • 10 May 2024, 11 am China Standard Time (GMT+8) / 3 pm Fiji Standard Time (GMT+12)

Cross-Sectoral Project

Cross-sectoral Project partners have initiated the capacity needs assessment process across our two pilot regions: the Southeast Pacific and the Pacific Islands. Comprised of a problem analysis, job analysis, population analysis, and validation workshop, the capacity needs assessment will draw from experiences in the pilot and other regions, where those regions have undertaken capacity-building in support of sectoral and cross-sectoral activities towards the governance and management of areas both within and beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Stakeholder engagement is a critical component of the capacity needs assessment process, and the Cross-sectoral Project is organizing virtual stakeholder meetings in each pilot region during April and May 2024. These meetings will be an opportunity to introduce the CSP and invite the collaboration of relevant stakeholders in the pilot regions, including representatives of member countries, relevant regional bodies, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and other civil society groups.

To assist the GOF in the substantive planning of Year 1 project activities, two international ABNJ specialists have come onboard to guide the development of a capacity needs assessment in each pilot region: Dr. Transform Aqorau of Solomon Islands National University for the Pacific Islands region and Ms. Sara Zelaya of the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine of Honduras Marine Environment Protection Department for the Southeast Pacific region.

UCI-GOF Ocean & Climate Action Joint Webinar Series

This spring, Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute and the GOF are jointly organizing a 3-part webinar series on ocean and climate action in alignment with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Vision 2030. The webinars aim to mobilize civil society around critical ocean and climate action identified in the report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action 2022-2023 (“ROCA” report). The ROCA report reviews progress made on climate and ocean initiatives making it a useful tool for discussion of strategies for achieving climate goals moving forward. 

This webinar series will provide a platform for advocating relevant UN Ocean Decade programs and activities aimed at safeguarding our oceans and combating climate change for a sustainable future. Held on 18 April 2024, the first webinar in the series titled Catalyzing Party and Community Action on Ocean, Climate and BBNJ highlighted the significance of the opportunity provided by the BBNJ Agreement for ocean-climate action, encouraged incorporation of ocean-climate actions in NDCs and advocated for the fostering of collaboration and collective engagement on the road to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025. One panelist, Cyrielle Lam of the Ocean & Climate Platform, discussed preparations for civil society engagement on the road to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and beyond, noting that “We need to step into 2030 with renewed ambition to become architects of the future.”

The following two webinars, set to be held in May and June, will address topics such as the Global Plastics Treaty and its implications for the management of land-based marine pollution and alignment of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, Global Biodiversity Framework, and BBNJ Agreement targets on area-based management. These webinars will emphasize that achieving ocean-climate action goals is imperative for global sustainability.

Were you unable to join us at this virtual event? Visit the Global Ocean Forum’s YouTube channel and watch the event recording here.

Prepared by Catie Mitchell, Sarah Davidson, and Miriam Balgos

December 22, 2023

Welcome to the December 2023 edition of Ocean & Climate News. This issue focuses on the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai (30 November – 12 December 2023), its significant outcomes, perspectives on ocean outcomes from ocean leaders, highlights from the Global Ocean Forum’s participation at COP28, leveraging the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023 for greater ocean and climate action on the road to Azerbaijan, and the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion. This issue will also provide a status update on the Cross-sectoral Project, BBNJ Informal discussions, and will close with other relevant ocean and climate news.

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COP28 Key Outcomes

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates operationalized the Loss and Damage Fund and concluded the first global stocktake of climate action under the Paris Agreement. Parties adopted a decision calling for accelerated short-term action and an orderly transition away from fossil fuels – the first-ever UNFCCC COP decision to address fossil fuels. The Parties also adopted a framework for the global goal on adaptation (GGA) with 2030 targets for all parties to conduct assessments, adopt and implement adaptation plans and policy instruments, and set up monitoring and systems for their national adaptation efforts. Breakthroughs relating to nature-based climate action, including forests, mangroves, and oceans, were endorsed by Parties and stakeholders during COP28. Importantly, the ocean gained increased recognition with explicit mention in these decisions, though there is still much work to be done within the ocean-climate nexus.

Perspectives on the Ocean Outcomes of COP28

Turning the Tide for Ocean-Climate Action at COP28

By Whitney Berry and Luis Estévez-Salmeron, Ocean Conservancy

With both successes and shortcomings, COP28’s adoption of the UAE Consensus was an overall step in the right direction for reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. However, without concrete action plans or commitments to phase out their use, the agreement falls short and creates a false sense of achievement. Therefore, countries must work hard to deliver on their promise to phase-out fossil fuels, keep the 1.5°C degree goal of the Paris Agreement within reach, and minimize the worst consequences of climate change. Without the ocean, these ambitions are unattainable.

COP28 marked a turning point for the ocean-climate nexus agenda.

For decades we have been working to address the negative impacts of human activity on the health of the ocean and the communities that depend on it. However, the ocean is not solely a victim of climate change but is a necessary source of solutions. COP28 represented an excellent opportunity to further advance our global ambition for ocean-climate action and push for the inclusion of ocean-based climate solutions in national climate strategies, such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs), because it marked the conclusion of the first ever Global Stocktake (GST). The GST is an assessment of the global progress made towards the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate change and provide the means of implementation and support. Furthermore, the conference in Dubai helped advance the implementation of the Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), which aims to create a framework and clear targets to help enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

Working together as the Friends of the Ocean and Climate Group, Parties coordinated text submissions for the GST and supported language championed by the ocean community (Parties and non-Party stakeholders) for the Global Goal on Adaptation. The ocean language included in the GST and GGA highlights the importance of the ocean as part of our collective efforts towards climate mitigation and in adapting to the impacts of climate change. The GST also acknowledges the ocean-climate progress achieved through the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue. Altogether, the inclusion of the ocean in both outcomes at COP28 highlights that the international community understands the ocean and climate are “two sides of the same coin” and that we cannot deliver on our climate goals without including the ocean as an important element of the global climate response.  These outcomes, especially the GST, will help inform and drive the inclusion of ocean-based climate actions in the next round of NDCs.

COP28 also marked a critical turning point, with Parties, scientists, and civil society pushing for the global conversation to focus on action and implementation. At the forefront of this push was the ocean-climate community. Political declarations including the Rise Up Blue Call to Action and the Ocean Panel Call to Action showcase the intention and ambition of the ocean-climate community in advancing concrete ocean-climate actions globally. These declarations were further complemented by the announcement of the Ocean Breakthroughs under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which build on the Ocean for Climate Declaration and identify five key ocean-climate opportunities for action (marine conservation, maritime shipping, ocean renewable energy, aquatic food, and coastal tourism). These commitments will help close the emissions reductions gap to achieve our global climate goals while protecting the ocean.

While we celebrate the progress made at COP28, we must acknowledge that there is a long way to go. And if we are to succeed, the ocean must be front and center in the transition to a sustainable future.

COP28: A Breakthrough for the Ocean in the Outcome of the Global Stocktake

By Loreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean & Climate Platform

On 13 December, after two weeks of intense negotiations bringing together almost 200 countries and more than 80 000 registered participants, the COP28 concluded with the landmark adoption of the first Global Stocktake outcome (GST). Despite being an unprecedented step on the road to fossil fuel phase out, many stakeholders have expressed their disappointment over an equally historic but weak outcome.

Navigating in these complex waters, the ocean made it across the finish line with unprecedented recognition of its contribution in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Indeed, expectations of the ocean community were high and adequately anticipated with the publication of recommendations for Integrating the Ocean into the CMA 5 decision. These options were well reflected in the GST outcome with several references to the ocean from the Preamble, which notes “the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including (…) the ocean”;  to the guidance and ways forward.

The ocean’s potential for mitigation was amply recognized in the GST outcome to deliver on emissions reductions targets. Building on the COP26 final decision, Parties emphasized “the importance of conserving, protecting and restoring nature and ecosystems towards achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal including […] marine ecosystems acting as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases” (Article 33). In addition, they invited “Parties to […] scale up, as appropriate, ocean-based mitigation action” (Article 35), thereby recognizing the broader portfolio of ocean-based mitigation solutions, i.e., decarbonizing the shipping industry or scaling offshore renewable energy.

The final text also underscored the role of the ocean and marine and coastal ecosystems in supporting adaptation to climate change and its impacts, and enhancing resilience. Encouraging “the implementation of integrated, multi-sectoral solutions, such as (…) nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, and protecting, conserving and restoring nature and ecosystems, including (..) marine and coastal ecosystems” (Article 55), it further noted that “ocean-based adaptation and resilience measures (…) can reduce a range of climate change risks and provide multiple co-benefits” (Article 56). Complementary to the GST, COP28 marked the finalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), including a specific target on “reducing climate impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, and accelerating the use of ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions including through their management, enhancement, restoration and conservation and the protection of […] marine and coastal ecosystems”.

Parties took a step further and included the ocean in the Guidance and ways forward. In line with the COP27 final decision, they called for the “strengthening of ocean-based action, as appropriate” (Article 180). In doing so, Parties emphasized the crucial role of the ocean in the global response to the GST, designed to correct course and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This provides them with an opportunity to further leverage these solutions in the context of their national strategies. Hereby, Parties welcomed the outcomes of the 2023 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, stressing both its role to help Parties enhance their ocean-based measures, and potential to inform their NDCs. 

Moreover, the text stresses on several occasions the necessity to build synergies between the Paris Agreement and other global frameworks, especially the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Goals (Articles 33, 63 and 163). It also emphasizes the important role and active engagement of non-Party stakeholders in supporting Parties and contributing to the significant progress towards the Paris Agreement and enhancing ambition (Article 158).

The ocean community was strongly mobilized, particularly with the launch of the Ocean Breakthroughs ahead of COP28, and rallied its forces at the Ocean Pavilion and through the organization of hundreds of ocean-related events, including two flagship events on Saturday 9 December, dedicated to Nature as our best ally for climate action, and to Power the Ocean Breakthroughs. Non-Party stakeholders made a splash with several announcements to scale up ocean-based climate action, including:

• the launch of the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA) by leading climate and ocean institutions, along with an initial pledge of more than $USD 250 millions to advance ocean-based solutions to fight climate change.
• thirty shipping sector leaders – including Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines  – committed to accelerate the decarbonization of the sector by scaling up zero-emissions fuel derived from renewables-based hydrogen to nearly 11 million tons by 2030.
• the launch of the Financial Roadmap for the Mangrove Breakthrough.
• the announcement, by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), of the mobilization of more than US$200 million of new direct investment to support coral conservation and protection.

The expectations were high for this COP, and while many stakeholders have mixed feelings about its outcomes, notable advancements have been achieved, providing States with a clear roadmap to adjust their climate trajectories. The outcome of the GST clearly emphasizes the crucial role of the ocean in the global response needed to correct course to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. The adoption of the first Global Stocktake is not the end game but the foundation for greater ambition to be deployed at the national level, including in the upcoming revision of Parties’ climate strategies.

Now, as emphasized by Simon Stiel during the closing plenary, “All governments and businesses need to translate these pledges into tangible actions in the real economy.” With the Ocean Breakthroughs, the ocean community now has a lighthouse to guide accelerated action and investments in ocean-based sectors to deliver on Nature and Climate goals, as we embark towards the upcoming COPs to be held in Azerbaijan in 2024 and Brazil in 2025.

View more analysis on COP28 and its ocean outcomes from the Ocean & Climate Platform here.

Reflections on COP28

By Dr. Peter Ricketts, Acadia University Professor and Global Ocean Forum Board Director

Once again, the oceans community continued to build momentum and presence at the annual COP meetings, with COP28 having the most oceans related events, activities, and input into negotiations than any previous COP. For the second time, an Ocean Pavilion was organized, which was bigger and better than the year before, and attracted large crowds despite being located at the very edge of the Blue Zone in what was a large and spread out venue site. Also, the Ocean Decade and Ocean-X Pavilion was well attended and very active. On top of this, the Virtual Oceans Pavilion for COP28 provided a platform for some engaged events, discussions, and activities, and once again provided a landing page for the many oceans related events at COP and a portal for those unable to attend in person to take part in the exciting ocean momentum in the climate change process.

For the first time, the Oceans Action Day formally included the land-coast-ocean interface, and the Oceans Breakthroughs was launched successfully. Oceans are finally becoming substantively incorporated into the negotiations, with the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogues and the Global Stocktake Report giving strong presence of oceans within the important COP28 outcomes statements. Good progress on financing is also important for oceans, given the incredible need of many coastal and ocean developing states for critical capacity building in addressing mitigation and adaptation, as well as coping with the loss and damage resulting from the increasing impacts of climate change.

The GOF side event highlighted the need to continue to focus on nature-based solutions as we cope with the devastating impacts of climate change, and while harder engineered solutions have their place, using and enhancing nature’s capacity to adapt to changing natural conditions is the most sustainable way to approach climate change.

Finally, the High Seas Treaty was very present at COP28, with the preparations for ratification being the focus of numerous discussions. The intent is to have the treaty ratified by the 3rd UN Oceans Conference being held in Greece in April 2025, but before that it is important to develop the capacity to implement the regulations and sustainably manage the high seas and areas beyond national jurisdiction.

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Global Ocean Forum at UNFCCC COP28

Virtual Ocean Pavilion

The COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion came to a close with the end of the UNFCCC COP28, on 12 December 2023. After opening on 22 November 2023, the Pavilion was host to eight live events, twelve exhibit booths, a 40+ page Treasure Trove, a COP28 Ocean Events calendar with over 300 events, a Pavilion quiz which came with an accompanying certificate and much more! The Pavilion garnered 1,265 registrants, 50% of whom were active users of the Pavilion. Exhibit booths and live events, as in years past, proved to be the most popular aspect of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion. While the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion Preview Event: Showcasing the Ocean at COP28 had the most viewers, all live events were well-attended. For more information about the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion, look for the Pavilion summary report which will be available in mid-January here.

Select materials, such as documents and videos at exhibit booths and recordings of the live events, will still be available on-demand through 12 January 2024. After that date, all materials will be transferred to the ROCA Initiative website and event videos will be posted on the Global Ocean Forum’s YouTube channel. If you did not get the chance to watch the events live or haven’t yet visited all exhibit booths, now is your chance!

As this was the Global Ocean Forum’s third year in organizing the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at the COP together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and other partners, we are keen to get your feedback and learn what we have done well and what can be improved. Please consider taking this short (3-5 min) survey – we would really appreciate it. See you at COP29!

Investing in Ocean Nature-based Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change

Jointly organized by the Global Ocean Forum (International Coastal and Ocean Organization), the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University, the Government of Chile, the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the COP28 side event Investing in Ocean Nature-based Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change was held on 10 December 2023. The event, which featured Mr. Richard Delaney, Dr. Richard Spinrad, Dr. Nathalie Hilmi, Dr. Peter Ricketts, Mr. Tony MacDonald, Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam and Dr. Larry Hildebrand, showcased how national/international partnerships: 1) promote mitigation and adaptation through MPAs and other ocean nature-based solutions; and 2) foster investments on ocean nature-based solutions. View the event recording here.

Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023

The Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023 was officially launched on 22 November 2023 at the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion’s Preview Event. While a number of its key recommendations made it to the ocean outcomes of COP28, several critical ocean and climate action items identified in the report will continue to need mobilization and support by Parties and non-Party stakeholders going forward. Let us leverage the contributions of 67 co-authors from 46 organizations to this report by using its robust recommendations in promoting the ocean and climate agenda on the road to COP29 in Azerbaijan. The report is accessible here.

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain’s Legacy Remembered at COP28

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain made significant contributions to the field of marine policy from the global, national, regional and state levels. Some of the greatest impacts she made extended to the lives and careers of around 100 students and professionals whom she influenced and exposed to the various levels and aspects of ocean governance by providing them opportunities to work with her on various international and domestic initiatives. Reflections on Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain’s ocean and climate legacy shared by some of her peers at COP28 are included below. Please consider donating to the 2023-2024 campaign for the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund to enable the Global Ocean Forum to support Fellows, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at the UNFCCC COPs and the “ROCA” report for years to come.

Loreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean and Climate Platform; Focal Point, MP-GCA on Ocean and Coastal Zones, during the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion Preview Event: Showcasing the Ocean at COP28:

I became a focal point of the MP-GCA in 2020 because I was honored to be contacted by Biliana Cicin-Sain to take over from the fantastic leadership that she showed all of us with how she raised the status of the ocean in the climate discussions. This has been one of my biggest honors in my short-lived career so far as an ocean advocate, so I wanted to start by acknowledging it.

Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO, during the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion High-Level Closing Event: Climate and the BBNJ Agreement:

So first of all, I think this event (on climate and the BBNJ Agreement) is a wonderful occasion to remember Biliana Cicin-Sain. Let’s just pay some tribute to her wonderful memory.

Kristina Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reflecting on the close of the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion:

It makes me happy to think of Biliana smiling on us from above!  She was a key motivator and convenor from at least 2002 when she invited Elisabeth Mann Borgese to speak on the need for a “protocol” to UNCLOS on MGR at my first Global Ocean Forum meeting in Paris. 

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ABNJ News

Cross-sectoral Project

On November 29, 2023, the Global Ocean Forum (GOF) organized a Capacity Needs Assessment Workshop for co-executing partners of the Cross-sectoral Project: Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Partners agreed on a capacity needs assessment strategy which will guide the capacity needs assessment process across our two pilot regions: the Southeast Pacific and the Pacific Islands. The capacity needs assessment in the Southeast Pacific will be led by Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and supported by the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS); the capacity needs assessment in the Pacific Islands will be led by the University of the South Pacific (USP) and supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC).

The capacity needs assessment process will be guided by the Train-Sea-Coast protocol, among other global guidance, and includes four components:

Under the Problem Analysis, national profiles for marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) will be developed for CPPS and Pacific Islands Forum member countries in the pilot regions classified as developing under UN designation. Two international ABNJ expert consultants will provide guidance for the capacity needs assessment process, including Dr. Transform Aqorau of Solomon Islands National University who will serve as the consultant for the Pacific Islands.

BBNJ Informal Dialogues

The latest BBNJ Informal Dialogue was held on 18 December 2023. The BBNJ Informal Dialogues have been looking at the road ahead from the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) to the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).

COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion High-Level Closing Event: Climate Change and the BBNJ Agreement

The final COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion event held on 12 December 2023 explored the mitigation and adaptation potential of the vast high seas, along with its ecosystems and resources, presented by the recently adopted BBNJ Agreement. In response to the question “What’s next after the ship reaches the shore?” HE Mrs. Rena Lee (Singapore), President of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on BBNJ, set the stage for the discussion by stating, “We need to reprovision the ship so that it can set sail again in order for us to be able do what we say we want to do.” Additional speakers included Rt Hon Lord Benyon (UK), Mr. Kestutis Sadauskas (EU), Ms. Darcy DeMarsico (Canada), Mr. Fuad Bateh (IGC delegate), Mr. Vladimir Ryabinin (IOC-UNESCO), Mr. Vladimir Jares (UN DOALOS), Ms. Vera Agostini (FAO), Ms. Isabelle Vanderbeck (UNEP), and Ms. Kristina Gjerde (IUCN). The interdependency of ocean and climate, ocean-based mitigation and adaptation, and the role the BBNJ Agreement must play in achieving the global 30×30 and other relevant targets emerged as key discussion points. A recording of the event is available on the Global Ocean Forum’s YouTube channel.

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Ocean Events Around the World in 2024

Monaco Blue Initiative

The Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) was launched in 2010 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and is co-organized by the Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. This platform aims to facilitate debate among key players in global ocean conservation and governance to develop practical solutions for the many challenges facing the ocean today. Participants include government representatives, international organizations, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, the scientific community, and members of the media. The MBI will take place from 17-18 March 2024 during the Monaco Ocean Week, which will run from 18-22 March 2024.

Ocean Decade Conference

2024 will mark the fourth year of implementation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want,’ the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, which will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 10 – 12 April 2024, will bring together the global Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate and take stock of progress, and set joint priorities for the future. An important milestone on the path to 2030, the event will cover the full range of Ocean Decade Challenges including critical issues such as climate change, food security, sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards.

Our Ocean Conference

A key objective of all Our Ocean Conferences is to foster collaborative efforts and encourage the submission of clear and measurable voluntary commitments anchored in the six Areas of Action: Marine Protected Areas; Sustainable Blue Economies; Climate Change; Maritime Security; Sustainable Fisheries; and Marine Pollution. The overall aim is the protection and sustainable management of our seas and oceans and their resources. The focus areas identified by Greece for the 9^th Our Ocean Conference include Sustainable Tourism in coastal areas and islands; Green Shipping; Plastic and Microplastic Pollution; and the Green transition in the Mediterranean Sea. All participating entities and organizations are invited to submit their commitments ahead of the Conference, which will take place from 15-17 April 2024 in Greece.

International Conference on Small Island Developing States

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are in the crossfires of multiple crises: climate change, the economic and social repercussions of COVID-19, and a crisis of debt. The pandemic hugely impacted all island nations, especially those dependent on tourism. Global lockdowns left large holes in islands’ coffers and severely set back efforts to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, climate action is becoming increasingly urgent, as weather-related disasters have doubled in two decades: with island nations both most vulnerable and least responsible. The international community will gather to review SIDS’ sustainable development progress and propose a new decade of partnerships and solutions to supercharge their path to resilient prosperity. The 4^th International Conference on Small Island Developing States will be held from 27-30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Stakeholder Meeting in Preparation for the Third UN Ocean Conference

In advance of the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France in June 2025, Costa Rica will host a stakeholder meeting in June 2024. This event is focused on gaining the perspectives of civil society organizations (CSOs) and follows “a call to all the voices of the ocean”, a global consultation that was open until 15 June 2023. This effort was led by Rémi Parmentier, Co-Founder of the Varda Group, and Loreley Picourt, Executive Director of the Ocean & Climate Platform, at the request of the governments of France and Costa Rica, co-organizers of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

SB59 Bonn Climate Conference

The annual sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are typically held at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) in Bonn, Germany. The conference continues discussions on issues of critical importance, such as the global stocktake, global goal on adaptation, just transition, loss and damage and the mitigation work program. The conference is expected to make progress on these and other important issues and prepare draft decisions for adoption at COP 29 / CMP 19 / CMA 6 in Azerbaijan in November/December 2024. While the official dates for the 2024 Bonn Climate Conference have not yet been announced, the conference is likely to take place during the first UNFCCC sessional period of 3-13 June 2024.

World Congress of Ocean

The 12^th Annual World Congress of Ocean (WCO 2024) will be held in Singapore in November 2024. This international gathering, and aims to promote the sustainable use and conservation of the world’s oceans, as well as to provide a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas about marine conservation and management. The 11^th Annual World Congress of Ocean (WCO 2023) was held in Sapporo, Japan from 15-17 November 2023. Dr. Peter Ricketts gave welcome remarks and the opening Keynote Address on Maritime Security in the Age of Climate Change. His address focused on the expansion of risk and security issues as a result of the impacts of climate change on maritime activities. The WCO was also held in conjunction with congresses on Environment, Education, and the Knowledge Economy. Ocean presentations were given on ocean economy, science, engineering, energy, and management, as well as maritime law, environmental protection, fisheries, and aquaculture. Dr. Ricketts also gave a presentation on Progress in Integrating Oceans into the UN Climate Change Convention, in which he spoke about the work of the Global Ocean Forum and the legacy of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain in bringing oceans into the UNFCCC negotiations.

UNFCCC COP29

Following COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan was selected as the host for COP29. The 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29) will convene in November 2024. It will include the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 29), the 19th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 19), and the sixth meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 6) that will convene to complete the first enhanced transparency framework and the new collective quantified goal on finance, among other matters. The 61st sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 61) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 61) will also meet.

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Prepared by Catie Mitchell, Sarah Davidson, and Miriam Balgos

November 22, 2023

Welcome to the November 2023 edition of Ocean & Climate News. This issue focuses on the Global Ocean Forum’s continued efforts in preparation for the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai (30 November – 12 December 2023), providing updated information on the status of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion, the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023 and the other ways the Global Ocean Forum team will be participating in COP28. This issue will also provide a status update on the Cross-sectoral Project and will close with other relevant ocean and climate news.

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Global Ocean Forum at UNFCCC COP28

Virtual Ocean Pavilion

As the upcoming COP28 approaches, planning for the third Virtual Ocean Pavilion (VOP) is ramping up. Lead co-organizers Global Ocean Forum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory are excited to announce the confirmed involvement of the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change, University of Delaware Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, Coastal Zone Canada Association, Nausicaa, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, Global Mangrove Alliance, Climate Champions Team, Ocean & Climate Platform, High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, Communications Inc, Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre, and World Maritime University, among others pending confirmation in this year’s VOP live event and exhibit line up.

There will be 8 live events streamed on the VOP across four days (22 November, 30 November, 8 December, and 12 December). A brief overview of the events is as follows:

22 November: At the opening of the VOP, a live event focusing on what’s to come at the VOP as well as at COP28 more generally, with a focus on ocean-related events. The Global Ocean Forum will also launch the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023.

30 November: At the opening of COP28, a high-level event focusing on integrating ocean and climate action and an event on shifting goals to achieve the ocean we want.

8 December: During the Youth, Children, Education and Skills thematic day, three live events focusing on connecting generations for ocean and climate action, the Mangrove and Coral Reef Breakthroughs and investigating and protecting blue carbon in MPAs, respectively.

12 December: During the COP28 final negotiations, a live event focusing on managing and protecting ocean spaces for climate, biodiversity and people by 2030 and a high-level closing event focusing on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and climate change.

In addition to the live events, there will be 12 exhibit booths available throughout the duration of the VOP for registrants to access and engage with in the VOP exhibition hall. Exhibits will focus on topics such as innovations that bridge scales, disciplines and technologies, coastal city adaptation to sea level rise, and how MPAs function as nature-based solutions to climate change, among others.

Register for free to attend the COP28 VOP! Upon registering, enter the Event Lobby to find detailed information about this year’s VOP, including the development of an exclusive list of ocean-related events at the VOP (click here to add your COP28 ocean-related event to the list if you have not already), an overview of the VOP features and a live event agenda with a convenient “Add to Calendar” feature to ensure registrants won’t miss out on events of interest.

Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023

Continuing the legacy of the ROCA initiative, which has concluded, the Global Ocean Forum has organized 67 co-authors from 46 organizations in the ocean community to contribute to the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023. Now available for downloading on our website, the report was officially launched at the opening of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion on November 22, 2023. The report is an ambitious effort which covers progress in areas such as UN fora, global / regional developments, scientific findings, the role of national determined contributions, mitigation, adaptation, low carbon blue economy, population displacement, financing, capacity development, climate change and BBNJ. Importantly, the report also strives to identify future needs and drive further progress.

UNFCCC COP28 Side Event

Together with the Government of Chile and Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, the Global Ocean Forum will be hosting a side event at COP28 titled Investing in Ocean Nature-based Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change. The event will take place on 10 December, 2023 at 18:30-20:00 GST in SE Room 1 of Expo City. This side event provides an opportunity for national and international partnership initiatives to share their experiences in investing on collaborative mitigation and adaptation. The event will showcase how national/international partnerships: 1) promote carbon sequestration through MPAs/other ocean nature-based solutions; 2) promote adaptation through coral reef restoration & carbon stock conservation from developed/developing country experiences; 3) foster investments on SDG priorities.

UNFCCC COP28 Exhibit Booth

From 1-6 December, 2023, the Global Ocean Forum along with co-organizers Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean Society (POGO) and the University of Plymouth will showcase an exhibit at COP28 titled Why the Ocean Matters in Climate Negotiations: Sharing the latest developments in climate challenges, impacts & options towards sustainable ocean development connecting science, industry, policy & society on ocean action in the UNFCCC processes and strengthening NDCs.

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Cross Sectoral Project

Project Inception Workshop and First Project Steering Committee Meeting

On October 3, 2023, the Global Ocean Forum organized the Project Inception Workshop for the Cross-sectoral Project: Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. With 33 representatives of 16 partner organizations in attendance, the workshop focused on the following objectives:

1) Developing the same understanding of the approved project design and the roles and responsibilities of each co-executing partner, the project’s support structure, and other implementation arrangements;

2) Providing a detailed overview of the project’s stakeholder engagement plan during project implementation, knowledge management and communications, gender analysis and action plan, and monitoring and evaluation;

3) Discussing and finalizing annual work plans and project timeline on the basis of the project’s strategic results framework; and

4) Raising awareness and support for the project and its activities.

The first meeting of the Project Steering Committee was held on October 26, 2023, and all project materials, project timeline, and year 1 work plan and budget were unanimously approved. The project will run for a five-year duration from June 2023 to June 2028, and the yearly work plans and budget will be reviewed by the Project Steering Committee annually.

Planned year 1 activities include conducting a Needs Assessment in our two pilot regions, the Southeast Pacific and the Pacific Islands, in collaboration with seven co-executing partners and twenty-three co-financing partners. During year 1, project activities in the Southeast Pacific will be led by Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and supported by the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS); project activities in the Pacific Islands will be led by University of the South Pacific (USP) and supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC). The Global Ocean Forum (GOF), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and GRID-Arendal will lead the Knowledge Management and Communication strategy, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, and Gender Analysis and Action Plan globally.

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Other Ocean & Climate News

Gearing Up for the UNFCCC COP28

Letter from the President-Designate of COP28/CMP18/CMA5

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the COP28 President-Designate and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, recently shared a letter outlining plans for COP28. Previously, the Incoming Presidency outlined four paradigm shifts to guide future action, including:

• Fast-tracking the just, equitable and orderly energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030;
• Transforming climate finance by delivering on old promises and setting the framework for a new deal on finance;
• putting nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and,
• Mobilizing for an inclusive COP.

The recent letter confirms the commitment to these paradigm shifts and outlines progress and momentum being seen thus far working towards these priority actions, referencing the eventful Amazon Summit, Nairobi Declaration, G20 meeting in New Delhi and the UNGA. While the progress is celebrated, the COP28 President-Designate calls for increased ambition and accelerated implementation towards operationalizing the four paradigm shifts and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

New UN Ocean Decade Actions

The Ocean Decade continues to expand the global portfolio of science-based solutions contributing to its vision of ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. Ahead of COP28, the Ocean Decade has endorsed a set of 21 new Decade Actions focused on the advancement & application of ocean knowledge for a healthy ocean on the path to 2030 and beyond. For the full list of endorsed Ocean Decade Actions, see here.

With this latest batch of Decade Actions, critical ocean science issues are tackled including global ocean observing systems and accurate prediction of ocean ecosystems, data generation and open access, knowledge and innovation for multi-hazard early warning systems, marine and coastal pollution, and ocean literacy.

Launch of the Coral Reef Breakthrough

Following the momentum of the Mangrove Breakthrough launched in 2022 for COP27, the International Coral Reef Initiative has launched the Coral Reef Breakthrough in partnership with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs and the High Level Climate Champions ahead of COP28.

The Coral Reef Breakthrough aims to secure the future of at least 125,000 km² of shallow-water tropical coral reefs with investments of at least US$12 billion to support the resilience of more than half a billion people globally by 2030.

Supporters of the Coral Reef Breakthrough will be announced at the upcoming COP28.

High Seas Treaty Symposium

In June 2023, delegates at the United Nations adopted a legally binding treaty text to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). This landmark ‘BBNJ Agreement’ represents the culmination of decades of work to pull together the fragmented regime of regulations and bodies that manage how humanity uses two-thirds of the world’s ocean.

A 2-day symposium on various aspects of the BBNJ Agreement took place in Edinburgh on 6-7 October 2023. The programme featured keynotes from leading authorities in each of the four pillars of the agreement:

1. Marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits;
2. Measures such as area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs);
3. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs); and
4. Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.

The symposium produced a collective statement welcoming the BBNJ Agreement and recognising it importance in safeguarding the health and sustainability of our global ocean and marine biodiversity. The statement collectively expresses symposium participants’ firm and collective commitment to its future implementation. The symposium statement is available for endorsement here.

BBNJ Informal Dialogue

Following the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement in June 2023, the BBNJ Informal Dialogues will continue to advance progress toward the ratification of the Agreement and progress pre- and post-entry into force of the agreement. The BBNJ Informal Dialogues were designed to be a Track 1.5 Progress. Track 1.5 Diplomacy occurs when government representatives and non-governmental experts engage in dialogue or meetings together in less formal ways than Track 1 diplomacy.

The latest BBNJ Informal Dialogue was held on November 22, 2023 at 08:00 US EST. Another meeting will be held on December 18, 2023 at 16:00 US EST. Recent BBNJ Informal Dialogues have been focusing on the road ahead from the 78^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) to the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). 

The two -hour November BBNJ Informal Dialogue continued to focus on what decisions UNGA 78 will take in relation to BBNJ, the functions of the interim secretariat, and the process to secure the required financial resources to support its functions.

Let’s Be Nice to the Ocean

In partnership with the Varda Group and in association with Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, TBA21-Academy, the Tara Ocean Foundation, MedPAN, the Ocean Born Foundation and the Ocean-Climate Platform, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation published Let’s Be Nice to the Ocean: Thinking Outside the Box before the Third UN Ocean Conference.

The title is a nod to the next UN Conference on the Ocean, to be held in the city of Nice in June 2025. The aim of this effort is to make ocean protection the norm rather than the exception. The document examines the modalities, opportunities and risks of the paradigm shift that the Protection Principle could present, enshrining the reversal of the burden of proof whereby it is no longer those who seek to protect the ocean, but those who exploit its resources, who must demonstrate the harmlessness of their projects and actions.

The Let’s Be Nice online platform launched alongside the publication to invite stakeholders to join the conversation in the run-up to the Nice conference.

The BBNJ Agreement and Climate Change Action Webinar

On September 11, 2023, the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) and IUCN hosted a webinar focused on how the new agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) can offer crucial support to climate solutions. This event was featured in the September Special Issue of Ocean & Climate News. A report from the event is included in Section 10.1 of the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023.

Continuation of the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain made significant contributions to the field of marine policy from the global, national, regional and state levels. But one of the greater impacts she made was on the lives and career of around 100 students and professionals whom she influenced and exposed to the various levels and aspects of ocean governance by providing them opportunities to work with her on various international and domestic initiatives.

In August of 2023, the inaugural Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Fellow, Ms. Sarah Davidson, joined the Global Ocean Forum thanks to the donations made thus far to the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund. To further support the development of a Global Ocean Forum internship and fellowship program, the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund 2023-2024 campaign has recently been launched. Please consider donating to the 2023-2024 campaign for the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund to enable the Global Ocean Forum to support Fellows, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at the UNFCCC COPs and the “ROCA” report for years to come.

September 8, 2023

Welcome to the September 2023 Special Issue of the Global Ocean Forum’s Ocean and Climate News. This Special Issue will focus on the Virtual Ocean Pavilion to be held at the upcoming COP28 in Dubai, UAE, and related ocean and coastal news.

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What is the Virtual Ocean Pavilion

The Virtual Ocean Pavilion is an online platform dedicated to raising the visibility of the ocean and showcasing why the ocean matters in climate negotiations and to all life on our planet. It aims to increase knowledge, commitment and action for the ocean-climate nexus during and at key events in the run up to the UNFCCC COP.

The Pavilion aims to:

• Raise the profile of the ocean among members of the ocean and climate community
• Provide a communication platform for those who are unable to participate in COP, and other key ocean and climate conferences, in person from various parts of the world;
• Address COP priorities while promoting the space for ocean in the climate conference; and
• Promote cross-sectoral cooperation and collaboration on ocean-climate action at the national, regional, and global levels. 

Highlights from the COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion

The COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion was held from October 31 to November 12, 2021 during the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP26). With the overall coordination by the Global Ocean Forum in close partnership with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), it was co-organized by the GOF, PML, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Oceano Azul Foundation, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO under the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) Initiative together with 30 collaborating partners. The event drew 2929 registrations of which 1935 (66%) logged in to visit the Pavilion and participate in its various features for the duration of the Pavilion as well as post-event hosting that allowed on-demand use up to December 12, 2021.

The Pavilion offered the following features:

• Highlighting of important ocean events such as those planned by the UNFCCC Secretariat under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MP-GCA), and VOP collaborating partners, including the youth;
• Eight live events which featured eminent high level speakers from national and regional organizations, UN and IPCC representatives, ocean and climate experts, and youth leaders from around the world and twenty-six exhibition booths, which collaborating partners and sponsors used to share their activities and resources on ocean and climate action;
• Panel sessions linking the ocean with the themes of the GCA events and SBSTA Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue themes to provide input to these discussions;
• Feature interviews with Party negotiators to gain insights on the status of discussions;
• Online gateway to a unique collection of ocean and climate resources and stories from around the world through virtual exhibits, on-demand videos and reports.

The most-watched event in the Pavilion was a webinar on “Ocean & Adaptation, Resilience, and Mitigation” held on November 5, which featured expert presentations on the nexus between ocean and adaptation and resilience. This show-cased initiatives around the world focused on ocean-based solutions, including protecting and restoring marine habitats which are important natural buffers, capacity building, and other cross-cutting approaches.

Highlights from the COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion

The COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion was held from August 30 until November 18, 2022. The Pavilion opened during Africa Climate Week (August 29-September 2, 2022) and covered the duration of the 27^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP27, 6-18 November 2022). With the overall coordination by the Global Ocean Forum in close partnership with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, it was co-organized by the GOF, PML, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), One Ocean Hub, and the Ocean & Climate Platform, together with 28 collaborating partners. The Pavilion drew 4,187 registrations, representing 115 countries, of which 1,313 (31%) logged in to visit the Pavilion and participate in its various features within the duration of the Pavilion and through post-event hosting that allowed on-demand use up to December 18, 2022

The Pavilion offered the following features:

• Five live days and seventeen live sessions (with Wordly translation into multiple languages), including panel sessions linking the ocean with the themes of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue themes to provide input to these discussions as well as a live day on Aquatic Food, organized by the FAO, One Ocean Hub, and European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD), which was the first time that a day was dedicated to aquatic food during a climate conference;
• Thirty exhibits including booths on major ocean-related events in 2022 showcasing national and international initiatives on ocean and climate;
• Multiple opportunities for networking and developing synergies among attendees;
• Educational and fun features on the platform and in the booths;
• A gateway to ocean and climate stories from around the world;
• Links to other ocean events at and around the COP.

Plans for COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion  

As in years past at COP26 and COP27, the Global Ocean Forum is excited to act as lead organizer for the Virtual Ocean Pavilion (VOP) at COP28 in close partnership with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and other collaborators. This year, the Global Ocean Forum aims to increase user engagement and elevate user experience. The functionality of the VOP will be streamlined through the removal of inefficient and/or unnecessary features, while new features, such as daily quizzes, will add a fun gamification element to the VOP.

There will be four live days, with plans for two live events associated with each live day’s theme, as detailed below:

• November 30 (Opening)
• December 8 (Youth, Children, Education and Skills)
• December 9 (Nature, Land Use and Oceans)
• December 12 (Final Negotiations)

For increased accessibility to the Virtual Ocean Pavilion events, Wordly translation in multiple languages will be made available during the live sessions. The platform will also be designed to send notifications to registered users to remind them of events in a timely manner with the aim of increasing attendance.

There will be twelve exhibit slots available for featuring in the Virtual Ocean Pavilion Exhibition Hall. The proposed exhibit must: 1) showcase initiatives that offer ocean-based solutions to climate change and its impacts; 2) provide a novel aspect or information to the Virtual Ocean Pavilion (which ideally has not been featured in past VOPs); and 3) aim to attract, inform and engage external actors, thus expanding ocean literacy and understanding that “we are all ocean stakeholders.”

If possible, exhibits should highlight intersections between the ocean and the goals laid out by the COP28 Presidency. These four paradigm shifts highlighted by the Presidency to deliver on the Paris Agreement should be considered:

• Fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030;
• Transforming climate finance, by delivering on old promises and setting the framework for a new dealon finance;
• Putting nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and,
• Mobilizing for the most inclusive COP ever.

The Global Ocean Forum is now welcoming Expressions of Interest for potential pavilion co-organizers, exhibitors and live event hosts for the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion at this time. For more information on the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion, click here.

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Other Ocean & Climate News

Reports from the Global Stocktake

The third meeting of the Global Stocktake’s (GST) technical dialogue (TD 1.3) took place from 6-13 June 2023 during the SB 58 sessions. The Summary Report focuses on how gaps in the implementation of the Paris Agreement can be bridged towards supporting an outcome of the first GST that informs Parties in updating and enhancing their climate actions and support as well as enhancing international cooperation for climate action and on identifying opportunities for action across all thematic areas of the GST.

On 8 September, 2023, the co-facilitators of the technical dialogue (TD) of the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement (GST1) published the synthesis report on the UNFCCC website.

Continuing the Legacy of the ROCA Report

The Global Ocean Forum recently invited co-authors to contribute to the Report on Assessing Progress on Oceans and Climate Action 2022-2023 to be presented and distributed at the UNFCCC COP28 Dubai, UAE. The Progress Report is intended to provide information on the progress in various areas of the oceans and climate nexus on a biennial basis, continuing the legacy of reporting on the Roadmap to Ocean and Climate Action: 2016-2021 (ROCA) Initiative, which has concluded.

The Report on Assessing Progress on Oceans and Climate Action 2022-2023 will provide a summary of major developments in ocean and climate policy and action since the UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow, following the categories/themes established in the prior reports (see the reports here).  Each section of the reports reviewed the recommendations from the ROCA Initiative and provided examples of action or other developments relevant to each action area. The reports had addressed six interrelated ocean and climate themes: the central role of oceans in regulating climate and associated science and policy issues; mitigation; adaptation, including Blue Economy approaches; displacement; financing, and capacity development. For each of the six themes noted above, the authors discussed:  1) the current status of the issue (and, as relevant, the science related to the issue); 2) the current state of play of the issue within the UNFCCC; 3) the opportunities and pathways that could be available within the UNFCCC to advance the issue; and 4) the opportunities and pathways that could be available outside of the UNFCCC to advance the issue.

The BBNJ Agreement and Climate Change Action Webinar

On 11 September 2023, the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) and IUCN will be hosting a webinar which focuses on how the new agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) can offer crucial support to climate solutions.

Climate Week NYC

Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together some 400 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening.

Climate Week NYC is hosted by Climate Group, an international non-profit whose purpose is to drive climate action, fast. This year Climate Week NYC will be held from 17-24 September, 2023. The event takes place every year in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.

There will be several ocean-related events spanning the lead up to and duration of Climate Week NYC, including, but not limited to:

• Climate Hero: The ocean’s super-powered carbon pump
• Marine Species and Climate Change Panel
• Nature Positive Hub

In addition, on Monday and Tuesday, September 18 – 19, 2023, Climate Group will host The Hub Live, which will bring together influential leaders from business, government, and the climate sector. Day 1 (18 September) will focus on showcasing action, while Day 2 (19 September) will focus on the new frontiers of climate action

The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action

This event will launch the new report ‘The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action’ commissioned by the Ocean Panel, an update of the 2019 report ‘The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Five Opportunities for Action’. The report reassesses the mitigation potential of ocean-based actions towards closing the ‘emissions gap’ relative to a 1.5°C pathway by 2050.

Members of the author team, Ocean Panel representatives and other experts will share reflections on the opportunities and challenges for accelerating ocean-based climate action. They will highlight possible policies and measures to support implementation in country, the needs for finance through to further research, and how ocean-climate action contributes to the Ocean Panel’s goal of 100% sustainable ocean management to realize the holistic range of benefits ocean climate solutions offer.

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Prepared by Sarah Davidson, Catie Mitchell, and Miriam Balgos

The Global Ocean Forum (GOF) is thrilled to welcome three new members aboard:

• Tony MacDonald will serve as an incoming Board Director of the International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO), the secretariat of the Global Ocean Forum
• Sarah Davidson will serve as the inaugural Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Fellow
• Catie Mitchell will serve as the Administrative Financial Professional – Research Assistant, Common Oceans Cross-sectoral Project

  All of GOF is excited to have these passionate individuals join us and help take the GOF to the next level in our mission for sustainable and healthy oceans.

December 23, 2022

Welcome to the last issue of Ocean & Climate News for 2022. This issue focuses on the final major ocean-related events in 2022, namely the UNFCCC COP27 and the CBD COP15. We included perspectives on the COP27 outcomes from the IPCC and Fiji. We report on the COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion, a COP27 side event on Coordination and Collaboration towards Ocean Blue NDCs, and other Global Ocean Forum news. But first, the important ocean-related outcomes of COP27…

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Ocean & Climate

UNFCCC COP27: Ocean-Relevant Outcomes

In Article 45, the COP welcomes the outcomes and key messages of the UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Dialogue in 2022 and establishes that future ocean and climate change dialogues, beginning in 2023, will be facilitated, in consultation with the Parties and observers, by two co-facilitators to be selected biennially by the Parties. The role of the co-facilitators will also include selecting dialogue topics and preparing informal summary for presentation concurrent with the subsequent COP:

[The Conference of the Parties] [w]elcomes the outcomes of and key messages from the ocean and climate change dialogue in 2022 and decides that future dialogues will, from 2023, be facilitated by two co-facilitators, selected by Parties biennially, who will be responsible for deciding the topics for and conducting the dialogue, in consultation with Parties and observers, and preparing an informal summary report to be presented in conjunction with the subsequent session of the Conference of the Parties.

In Article 46, the COP encourages Parties to include ocean-based action in the development and implementation of national climate goals, including their NDCs, long-term strategies and adaptation plans:

[The Conference of the Parties] [e]ncourages Parties to consider, as appropriate, ocean-based action in their national climate goals and in the implementation of these goals, including but not limited to nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies and adaptation communications.

The UNFCCC Ocean and Climate Dialogue, which had its inception in 2019 at COP25, will be a crucial mechanism for advancing ocean-climate action. For the dialogue to perform this function effectively, dialogue themes must include technical capacity building and financing with the goal of understanding the needs of the Parties when it comes to assessing risk and responding to changing ocean and coastal conditions in the face of ongoing climate change.

To this end, Article 26 of the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan is important due to its emphasis on the need to address gaps in the global climate observing system, particularly in developing countries, and to enhance coordination of systematic observation activities:

[The Conference of the Parties] [e]mphasizes the need to address existing gaps in the global climate observing system, particularly in developing countries, and recognizes that one third of the world, including sixty per cent of Africa, does not have access to early warning and climate information services, as well as the need to enhance coordination of activities by the systematic observation community and the ability to provide useful and actionable climate information for mitigation, adaptation and early warning systems, as well as information to enable understanding of adaptation limits and of attribution of extreme events.

Additionally, Article 44 highlights the ongoing need for long-term, country-driven capacity building efforts to enhance the effectiveness of climate interventions in developing countries:

[The Conference of the Parties] [n]otes that capacity gaps and needs still exist in developing countries and calls on developed country Parties to increase support for long-term country-driven capacity-building interventions to enhance the effectiveness, success and sustainability of those interventions.

Perspectives on the COP27 Outcomes

COP27: Bad compromises overshadow progress made during UN Climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh

Hans Pörtner, Co-Chair, Working Group II, IPCC, and Sina Löschke, Communications Manager, IPCC

Six weeks after the 27th UN climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh was closed, its outcomes are still controversially discussed. We hear people talking about history being made by including food, rivers, nature-based solutions, tipping points, and the right to a healthy environment in an overarching COP “cover decision” for the first time. Coverage of loss and damage has been agreed with details to be developed. Ocean issues and the ocean dialogue were appreciated in the Sharm el-Sheikh implementation plan. The Blue Zone had many Ocean Action events.

At the same time, many experts and activists are disappointed by the lack of progress in regard to deep and rapid emissions reductions, urgently needed to keep risks to humans and nature at a moderate level.

Considerations of nature, its services, and overall dependence on a stable climate

The good news is: Nature’s prominent role in the Earth’s climate system is more and more recognized by decision-makers. “Connecting Climate and Biodiversity” was the title of the high-level segment opening the COP’s very first biodiversity day to address the urgent need for integrated responses at scale. With this, the COP’s presidency followed solution options presented in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

However, we see a widening gap between high-level rhetoric and the realities of negotiations and decisions made at COP27. On the one hand, ocean, forests, food security, and nature-based solutions are mentioned in the cover text, known as the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan. Forests and Ocean even got their own section in that text.

On the other hand, decisions on emission reductions fail to hit the mark the world was hoping for. Keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius has not been defined as a high priority. Instead, a bad compromise was found by making rather vague statements about emission sources, reflecting the unchanged position of those that want to make a profit by selling fossil fuels and those that think they still have a right to use fossil fuels to boost their nations’ economic development.

Recognizing our shared responsibility and acting accordingly

By calling out coal but intentionally concealing the climate change impact of burning oil and gas, we only name half of the problem, avert meaningful climate action and lose valuable time to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Let’s face it, current global efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to the changing climate are falling short to secure a livable planet for all. The latest IPCC Assessment Report highlights that climate risk develops more strongly with warming. There is a clear differentiation now to be made between warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius, as this relatively small temperature change means a lot in terms of impact – for people as well as for our world’s ecosystems.

We still have a fighting chance to keep climate impacts at moderate levels. But to do so we have to push for action, recognizing our shared responsibility for our planet’s and our own future and for acting accordingly to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Victories for the Ocean-Climate Nexus at COP27: A Step Forward on the Ocean Pathway at the UNFCCC

Izhaar Ali, Ocean Officer, Climate Change & International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Economy, Fiji

COP27 was widely claimed to be an implementation COP with a strong emphasis on the finalization of a funding mechanism for Loss and Damage which, in particular, has been a key point of discussion for the African Group of countries. After years of pressure, a fund was finally established, bringing a sigh of relief especially from amongst the most climate-vulnerable countries. But what did this COP bring for the oceans, and how was the oceans-climate change nexus addressed?

Although the Fijian Government, through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), had formally reached out to the COP27 Presidency in understanding how the oceans-climate change nexus would be discussed in Sharm el-Sheikh, we had only received vague answers, from ensuring that messaging on oceans was promulgated at side events and Ministerial interventions to ensuring that other thematic areas included segments on oceans in their negotiations. 

Additionally, prior to the COP, Fiji’s Hon. Minister for Economy and Regional Political High Level Champion for Oceans met with the Egyptian Roving Ambassador for the Pacific and highlighted key areas of concern within the climate change agenda, emphasizing the clear need for a dedicated space to discuss ocean issues in Sharm in an effort to generate much needed momentum heading into the COP. 

Moving into the Conference itself, deliberations on what the proposed language would look like had started in October, facilitated by the Friends of the Oceans and a draft on a potential submission was developed. However and as always, there were some conflicting views when this was proposed to other negotiating groups. What was clear, however, was that all Parties agreed that the primary change that was required was on how the Ocean-Climate Change dialogue was to be facilitated. The previous iteration of the Dialogue, which was held along the lines of SBSTA in June 2022, had been an ambitious effort by the Chair to consolidate and discuss most if not all the requests by Parties and compressed into one, three-hour long discussion. Parties were both overwhelmed with the various themes on the agenda and uncertain as to what should have taken precedence, as each had their own preference. 

In Sharm el-Sheikh, the COP27 Presidency, for its part, tried to include as much language as possible on the oceans-climate change nexus within the initial draft texts that were circulated, which was a pleasant surprise to many, and although the finalized text was only able to include three paragraphs on the oceans, it was a vital win to see that the primary request for having two co-facilitators of the ocean-climate change dialogue was considered and adopted. The co-facilitators will ensure that there is transparency and greater communication with Parties and non-Party stakeholders on how the Dialogue will be structured and what themes will be discussed. Additionally, the assumption is that the co-facilitators will also communicate how the informal summary report will be presented to the COP28 Presidency. 

Sharm el-Sheikh was a promise, a promise for progress, and despite our best efforts, there is only so much that can be done on a theme (oceans) that has yet to be acknowledged by the UNFCCC. However, progress is progress and the Dialogue is a space through which the oceans-climate change agenda can develop a stronger foothold within the UNFCCC system. All eyes are now on the in-coming Presidency, who has shown great enthusiasm around oceans. However, only time will tell whether this enthusiasm will translate into the necessary action that is required. Furthermore, the oceans theme now has a significant ally with Samoa Chairing AOSIS for the next two years. Fiji hopes that this Pacific leadership will assist in making headway in the UNFCCC through this greater umbrella negotiating body. We can only look on with optimism and determination for the future, and whatever the outcome, Fiji will always be steadfast in our position for the world’s only recourse and most important resource, the oceans, to be acknowledged and adopted within the UNFCCC system.

The COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion: Connecting All on Our Incredible Blue Planet

The COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion was held from August 30 until November 18, 2022. The Pavilion opened during Africa Climate Week (August 29-September 2, 2022) and covered the duration of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP27, 6-18 November 2022). The overall coordination, work in the development of the pavilion, and organization of live events was carried out by the Global Ocean Forum in close partnership with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, One Ocean Hub, and the Ocean & Climate Platform, together with 28 collaborating partners. The Pavilion drew 4,187 registrations, representing 115 countries, of which 1,313 (31%) logged in to visit the Pavilion and participate in its various features within the duration of the Pavilion and through post-event hosting that allowed on-demand use up to December 18, 2022. The contents of the Pavilion will be made accessible from the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) Initiative website in early 2023.

Overall, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at COP27 was successful in achieving its goals of amplifying the visibility of the ocean-climate nexus and further democratizing the COP, bringing it to a wider audience than would be able to physically attend the conference in person. The VOP was useful in compiling the ocean-related activities at the COP, providing a roster of over 200 ocean-related events and helping to promote the ocean agenda. The roster included the events held as part of the Ocean Action Day and the Ocean Pavilion events at COP27.

The Virtual Ocean Pavilion will return in 2023 for the UNFCCC COP28 to continue the ongoing work of increasing recognition of the vital importance of the ocean to global efforts in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and to advance the goal of connecting the people in our incredible blue planet. For more information, see the COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion summary report.

COP27 Side Event on Coordination and Collaboration towards Ocean Blue NDCs

Amb. S. Prasad, Fiji

Speakers shared how synergies at global, regional, national and sub-national levels promote national ocean-based adaptation and mitigation initiatives. H.E. Mr. Satyendra Prasad, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations in New York and Fiji’s Non-resident High Commissioner to Canada, provided a government perspective on the prospects and opportunities in incorporating ocean-climate action in NDCs. Mrs. Stéphanie Bouziges-Eschmann, Secretary General, French Facility for Global Environment, spoke about illustrative initiatives on nature-based and other coastal sustainable solutions and the links between ocean preservation and climate. Mr. Matthew Bray, Co-founder and CEO, Brayfoil Technologies, a representative startup from OceanHub Africa, talked about the strategic role and importance of startups. Mr. Tony MacDonald, Director, Urban Coast Institute, shared the Mid-Atlantic experience in promoting collaborative ocean-based climate solutions from a sub-national/regional perspective. Dr. Peter Ricketts, President, Acadia University, provided insights on promoting ocean-based climate solutions through universities and other academic and research institutions. Ms. Anna Maria Marino, Liaison Officer on Arctic and Oceans, Youth and Environment Europe, challenged and inspired the audience with her intervention on the role and opportunities for the youth in promoting ocean-based climate solutions. Mr. Richard Delaney, Center for Coastal Studies and Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam, Sustainable Oceans and Coasts, LLC, moderated the panel presentations and subsequent discussion. The recording of the event may be viewed here.

Looking Forward: UNFCCC COP28

The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28) is scheduled to be held on 30 November to 12 December, 2023, in the United Arab Emirates in the city of Dubai.

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Biodiversity & ABNJ

CBD COP15: Ocean-Relevant Outcomes

The UN Biodiversity Conference (Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)), chaired by China and hosted by Canada, was held in two parts. Part 1 was held virtually on 11-15 October, 2021. Part 2 was held in Montreal, Canada, from 7-19 December, 2022. In attendance on site at Part 2 of the COP were representatives of 188 parties and two non-parties (the Vatican and the United States). 

The COP’s primary objective was the adoption of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which recognizes the need for urgent policy action on the global, regional, and national levels to implement effective economic, social, and financial mechanisms to stabilize biodiversity loss by 2030 and to achieve net improvements in the recovery of natural ecosystems by 2050. Draft One of the framework, which builds on the lessons learned from the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets, was released in July, 2021. Consistent with this objective, the COP finalized and approved measures to halt ongoing loss–including human-generated loss–of terrestrial and marine biodiversity and to put in place clear indicators to measure humanity’s progress towards achieving a sustainable relationship with natural ecosystems.

On Monday, December 19, the final day of the conference, the closing plenary adopted a compromise package of six decisions on the monitoring framework, resource mobilization, digital sequence information (DSI), and capacity building for the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF), as well as mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and review under this framework. Included within the framework adopted by the COP are four overarching global goals: A) substantially increasing the area of natural ecosystems, halting the rate of human-induced extinction of known species and reducing the extinction rates of all species by the year 2050, and maintaining the genetic diversity of wild and domesticated populations; B) sustainable use and management of biodiversity, including ecosystem services, by 2050; C) equitable sharing of the monetary and non-monetary benefits of genetic resources by 2050; and D) providing financial resources, capacity-building, technical and scientific cooperation, and access to and transfer of technology to fully implement the biodiversity framework, specifically in developing countries. 

The GBF also includes 23 targets for achievement by the year 2030. These targets include several notable ocean-related outcomes, such as bringing the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance close to zero by 2030 and implementing participatory integrated biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and/or effective management processes to address sea use change (Target 1); ensuring that 30% of coastal and marine areas, especially those of particular importance to biodiversity, are, by 2030, effectively conserved and managed through area-based conservation measures, recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and ensuring that sustainable use, where appropriate, is consistent with conservation outcomes (Target 3); and minimizing the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches (Target 8).

Integrated Coastal Management was recognized in the Kunming-Montreal GBF monitoring framework regarding a complementary indicator for Target 1^b on Red List of Ecosystems and Percent of land and seas covered by biodiversity-inclusive spatial plans. 

Final decisions on marine and coastal biodiversity were adopted by the COP regarding: ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) on completed descriptions (CBD/COP/15/L.13) and further work (CBD/COP/15/L.14); and taking into account the assessments by IPBES and the Regular Process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment in the implementation of the GBF (CBD/COP/15/L.15).

BBNJ IGC5 to Resume

The 5th substantive session of the intergovernmental conference on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ IGC5) will reconvene at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City from 20 February to 3 March, 2023.

Cross-sectoral Cooperation Project

This GEF-funded UNEP project under the Common Oceans Program to be led by the Global Ocean Forum, is expected to start implementation in January 2023. The project is committed to building and strengthening regional and national capacity for sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination, knowledge management and public awareness of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). It aims to raise awareness of the BBNJ Agreement and improve cooperation on ABNJ governance in two pilot regions: the Southeast Pacific region and the Pacific Islands region, working with the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, GRID-Arendal, Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur, the Pacific Islands Forum Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Universidad Católica del Norte, and the University of the South Pacific. A project inception workshop is scheduled for January 17/18, 2023.

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Other GOF News

Leadership Updates

Moving forward into 2023, Dr. Miriam Balgos, who formerly served as Officer-in-Charge and Director of Organizational Development of the Global Ocean Forum, will now serve as its Executive Director. Mr. Richard Delaney of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA, will act as the President of GOF’s Board of Directors. Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam of Sustainable Oceans and Coasts, LLC, and Mr. Tony MacDonald of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, will be overseeing the GOF Strategic Planning Process.

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund

Thanks to the generous donations of our friends and colleagues, in 2022, the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund exceeded its goal and raised a total of nearly $33,000 to support the development of an internship and fellowship program. We invite additional financial contributions to support this program which will allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to experience being part of civil society’s efforts in advancing the global ocean agenda through diverse initiatives and in various United Nations and other international fora.

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Prepared by Johanna Vonderhorst and Miriam Balgos

The Virtual Ocean Pavilion of the UN Climate Conference (COP27) will kick off its program of events during the first week of the Summit this November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. From 6-18 November 2022, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion will host live sessions addressing finance and public education (9 November), science, youth and future generations, and resilience (10 November), followed by live sessions during the second week on aquatic food (14 November), biodiversity and ocean-based adaptation and mitigation (16 November). It also provides access to an overview of the ocean-related events at the COP in Egypt itself and links to join online where available.

Everyone is invited to register for free and visit the online Pavilion, which is dedicated to raising the visibility of the ocean in the climate negotiations, and to showcasing why the ocean matters to all life on our planet. It is a communication platform for connecting participants in the Summit from various parts of the world and for promoting increased commitment, finance, unity, and action in accordance with COP27 priorities.

The Virtual Ocean Pavilion is co-organized by the Global Ocean Forum, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, One Ocean Hub, and the Ocean & Climate Platform, in collaboration with many other partners from across the globe. The diversity of organizers and collaborating partners ensures a wide range of perspectives on ocean and climate issues and provides opportunities for forging cross-sectoral collaboration on ocean-climate action at the national, regional, and global levels.

The Pavilion will feature live and view-on-demand events with interventions from high level speakers, including UN representatives, ocean and climate experts and practitioners. Visitors to the online Pavilion will also be able to interact with experts through over 25 ocean exhibit booths, watch interviews with Party negotiators and key stakeholders, and explore the ‘Treasure Trove’, which holds a collection of art, videos, climate stories and publications from around the world to increase knowledge and inspire action on the ocean-climate nexus.

Last year’s COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion drew 3,000 registrants to attend live events and to view the wealth of on-demand content offered by the platform. The virtual nature of the Pavilion provided access to information and events to a wide audience, including those who were unable to attend in person due to COVID-19.

On the Road to COP27, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion intends to draw a large number of registrants to this year’s edition, making access to COP27 more inclusive and equitable. Join us to experience many opportunities for sharing knowledge and experiences, networking, development and renewal of partnerships and other collaborative initiatives toward a healthier, more sustainable ocean and planet.

“The Virtual Ocean Pavilion provides a crucial platform to recognize the ocean’s importance in the climate change challenge. Convening scientists, negotiators, civil society, and intergovernmental bodies, the Pavilion provides more than just an inclusive and equitable networking environment for all COP27 participants – whether they can afford or not to attend COP27. It also provides a clear entry point for citizens yearning for knowledge and ocean-based solutions for the climate crisis,” said Vladimir Ryabinin, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO and Executive Secretary of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO).

To learn more about the Virtual Ocean Pavilion and what it offers, and to register for the event, visit the landing page. For more information and all other inquiries, please reach out to Miriam Balgos and Thecla Keizer.

The 2022 UN Ocean Conference takes place on June 27 – July 1 in Lisbon, Portugal. The objective of the Conference is to incite action and promote innovative, science-based solutions to the deep-rooted societal problems revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with the SDGs to usher in a new chapter of global ocean action.

This is the second UN Ocean Conference. The first was held on June 5-9, 2017 in New York City, USA. Its focus was on the promotion of progress in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

The Global Ocean Forum continues its work in advancing the ocean agenda in various international fora by organizing, along with 10 partners (Nausicaa National Sea Center, France; World Ocean Network; One Ocean Hub; Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States; African Union Development Agency; Global Fund for Coral Reefs; United Nations Development Programme; Acadia University; Envirostrat; and Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University), a side event on Creating a Blue Society: Innovative solutions for sustainable ocean and coastal management action to be held on Thursday, June 30 from 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM in Side Event Room 2 at the Altice Arena Convention Center.

This side event addresses ways by which scientific and innovative approaches to ocean-based socio-economic development based on the idea of a Blue Society could effectively integrate long standing concepts of coastal management, ocean planning and ecosystem-based management; and how these approaches could be especially beneficial for small island developing States and other developing countries. A Blue Society incorporates culture into the pillars of a Blue Economy, involving civil society in socio-economic development because every human being on earth depends on the ocean for survival.

Additionally, this side event will contribute to information sharing and discussion towards advancing the implementation of SDG14 Life below water in an interlinked manner through cross-cutting initiatives that also address other SDGs including: 7 Affordable and Clean Energy; 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; 13 Climate Action; and 17 Partnerships for the Goals, among others. It will focus on scientific and innovative solutions that address the constraints to scaling up ocean action towards the implementation of Goal 14, including through fresh approaches to integrating various development and management frameworks and paradigms as well as relevant initiatives in pursuit of other SDGs.

For a list of speakers and other information about the side event, view the event brief here.

June 8, 2022

Welcome to the World Oceans Day 2022 issue of the Ocean & Climate News. This issue focuses on the major ocean-related events in 2022, including information on concluded and upcoming events, perspectives on the UN Ocean Conference and the Fifth substantive session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), and preparations in the lead-up to COP27. The major events include, among others: One Planet Summit for the Ocean (9-11 February 2022); 4th IGC on BBNJ (7-18 March 2022); 7th Our Ocean Conference (12-14 April 2022); UN Ocean Conference (27 June-1 July 2022); CBD COP-15 Part Two: Face-to-Face Meetings (29 August–9 September 2022 tentative); 5th IGC on BBNJ (15-26 August 2022); and UNFCCC COP27 (7-18 November 2022). The plethora of events provides an opportunity for the ocean community to practice and apply proven ways of integration, coordination, and collaboration, e.g., increasing interlinkages among sectors to reflect the common nature of their goals; use the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a checklist; hosting cross-sectoral events; promoting the links between environment and sustainable development; tying funding to joint development and environmental outcomes, among others (see Purvis 2016).

But first, we’d like to greet you all a Happy World Oceans Day! The global celebration of World Oceans Day 2022 focuses on the communities, ideas, and solutions that are working together to protect and revitalize the ocean and everything it sustains.

TITLE: Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean
TIME: 10:00 AM-1:30 PM EDT
LIVESTREAM: https://unworldoceansday.org/un-world-oceans-day-2022/
HOST: UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-united-nations-world-oceans-day-event-registration-272875797857

TITLE: For a global mobilization for the ocean
TIME: 11:00AM (GMT)
ORGANIZER: University of Brest
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Joelle Richard, University of Brest, Joelle.Richard@univ-brest.fr
REGISTRATION: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MQ7w8uHHRbOnqlYK8b33dQ

TITLE: High-level event on the Human rights of Small-scale Fishers
DATE AND TIME: Monday 6 June, 13:00-15:00 GMT
ORGANIZER: One Ocean Hub
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Senia Febrica, One Ocean Hub, senia.febrica@strath.ac.uk

TITLE: Blue Heritage: The Role of Ocean Art and Culture in Ocean Science and Management
DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, 7 June, 13:00-14:30 GMT
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Senia Febrica, One Ocean Hub, senia.febrica@strath.ac.uk

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One Planet Summit for the Ocean

After two days of discussions and debates, some 40 Heads of State and Government responded positively to the invitation of the President of the French Republic to commit for the ocean at the One Planet Summit for the Ocean in Brest (9-11 February 2022). Addressing 4 main themes: the protection of marine ecosystems, the fight against pollution, the fight against climate change, and ocean governance, political and private sector representatives met to discuss the future of our global ocean. The meeting showed a promising dynamic ahead of the many ocean-related international meetings to come in 2022. Read the synthesis of the summit’s main announcements here. – Anaïs Deprez, Ocean & Climate Platform

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7th Our Ocean Conference, Palau

The seventh Our Ocean Conference, titled “Our Ocean, Our People, Our Prosperity,” was held in Koror, Palau on April 13-14, 2022. Co-hosted by the Republic of Palau and the United States, the conference drew more than 600 participants representing more than 70 foreign delegations and 150 non-state actors. The first to be held in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), the conference placed special attention on the importance of ocean-based climate solutions, including offshore renewable energy, marine nature-based solutions, and shipping decarbonization, as well as the importance of a healthy ocean to small island states and communities around the globe. The conference concluded with 410 commitments worth $16.35 billion to support concrete action to advance ocean issues, including ocean-climate issues. To read more about the Conference, please go here; see who the Conference partners were here; see the Conference photos here. – Bridge Thomas, Office of the President, Republic of Palau

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7th Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022

The seventh session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 (GP2022) was held from 23 to 28 May 2022, in Bali Indonesia under the theme “From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World.” On the occasion of GP2022, a seminar on “Migration, Dignity, Fragility and Pandemics: Livelihoods of immigrants before and after COVID-19 Pandemics” was organized by the Environmental Law Institute, the Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan and the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, on 24 May 2022 in Bali, to discuss the research results published in the Journal of Disaster Research Vol.17 (2022) No.3 (Apr), Special issue on Migration, Dignity, Fragility, and Pandemics, which can be accessed here. – Miko Maekawa, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation

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The UN Ocean Conference, Lisbon

The UN Ocean Conference is upon us at last! Postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Conference will be held on June 27 to July 1, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal. We invited Dr. Nigel Bradly, GOF Policy Advisory Board Member, to provide his perspective on Blue Economy, one of the recurring themes of the Conference, which focuses on the implementation of SDG14. We also provided a list of some of the side events that we have information on.

• Perspective on Blue Economy by Nigel Bradly, CEO, Envirostrat

The Blue Economy involves recognizing the ocean as a primary life source of our planet, vital for human well-being and a thriving global economy. Blue Economy requires a move beyond the business-as-usual approach underpinned by simple resource extraction and depletion. It fosters new and emerging sectors with innovation and climate as core elements and a systems-wide view of development to maximize the benefits of marine ecosystem services. It also enables low impact growth of traditional ocean industries with a transition toward restorative marine economies that are defined by circular and inclusive economic models.

The current scope and variety of challenges facing oceans call for making hard, strategic investment choices about where the most impact can be most efficient. Investments in the Blue Economy cannot be considered in isolation. Instead, they should be seen as part of a dynamic, sustainable and interconnected ocean economy where socioeconomic growth is pursued in an integrated fashion. Enabling investments in blue economy sectors requires an interactive engagement of governments, businesses, investors, and funds, each playing a complementary or synergistic role. Their collective action can promote economic growth by altering practices and regulations, engaging in new performance measures, developing low-carbon and resource-efficient opportunities while improving livelihoods, creating jobs, and preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.

Blue economy can thrive if governments regulating marine-dependent economic sectors switch from siloed approaches to integrated ones. Most externalities generated by one sector are borne by others and are neither monitored nor accurately measured. A purely sectoral approach does not allow the Blue Economy to grow as fast as it could, as the development of one sector can prevent the full optimal development of the others. Governments can ensure climate change and environmental degradation prevention are mainstreamed into policies and requirements for future investments while developing strategic planning for using marine space and resources. Integrated coastal zone management plans and marine spatial planning are examples of policy instruments that can be designed or improved to address impacts of land-based sources of marine pollution, incorporate marine natural capital accounting, identify ecosystem thresholds, improve climate resilience, and maximize socioeconomic and cultural benefits from marine resources.

A Blue Economic approach will require scaling up the available financial resources, including fostering sustainable private investment. While governments may lead additional actions to promote Blue Economy by engaging in public expenditure reviews, value chain assessments, and natural capital accounting, collaborating with funds and private investors can expand and reveal new funding venues for innovative blue economy ventures. Leveraging the Blue Economy potential includes fostering sustainable private investment, building a favorable climate for investors and innovative finance products, such as blue bonds or climate bonds. Natural asset valuation incorporated into payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) strategies are also examples of innovative investable approaches. The combination of an enabling environment promoted by public investment and the strategic deployment of impact funding and concessional grants or loans can enable ‘crowding in’ of private finance and the integration of blue-related risks in financing decisions.

The motivation for blue economy investments which is increasing given the awareness of the risks of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation in coastal and marine areas is rising fast amongst policymakers and investors. However, capturing investors’ interest in Blue Economy solutions still requires a greater focus on developing investment-ready projects, developing project pipelines, and validating models for investable projects that are replicable and scalable.

• Side Events at the UN Ocean Conference

TITLE: From Science to Action: Blueing the Paris Agreement
DATE AND TIME: Monday 27 June, 13.00-14.15 WEST
LOCATION: Altice Arena (Room 2)
LEAD ORGANIZERS: Government of France, the UNFCCC, and the Ocean & Climate Platform
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Loreley Picourt, Ocean & Climate Platform, lpicourt@ocean-climate.org

TITLE: The future and ocean WE (ALL) want: Inclusion and integration for strong, sustainable and equitable blue economies
DATE AND TIME: Tuesday 28 June, 13:00-15:00 Lisbon Time (12:00-14:00 GMT)
LOCATION: Alfama room, Tivoli Oriente Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal
LEAD ORGANIZER: One Ocean Hub
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Senia Febrica, One Ocean Hub, senia.febrica@strath.ac.uk

TITLE: Welcome out of the box! From blue food for thought to blue food for action: Making ocean protection the norm rather than the exception
DATE AND TIME: Tuesday 28 June, 16h00-17h30
LOCATION: Auditorio III – PT Meeting Centre, R. do Bojador 1990-048 Lisbon
LEAD ORGANIZER: Varda Group
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Remi Parmentier, The Varda Group, remi@vardagroup.org

TITLE: Celebrating over 10 years of building capacity and catalyzing partnerships towards achieving global ocean goals
DATE AND TIME: Wednesday 29 June, 8:30-11:00 PM
LOCATION: York House, Rua das Janelas Verdes, N.º 32 1200-691, Lisboa – Portugal
LEAD ORGANIZER: University of Brest
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Joelle Richard, University of Brest, Joelle.Richard@univ-brest.fr

TITLE: Creating a Blue Society: Innovative solutions for sustainable ocean and coastal management action
DATE AND TIME: Thursday 30 June, 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM
LOCATION: Altice Arena (Side event room 2)
LEAD ORGANIZER: Global Ocean Forum
EVENT POINT OF CONTACT: Miriam Balgos, Global Ocean Forum, mbalgos@globaloceanforum.com

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5th Intergovernmental Conference on BBNJ

• Perspective: High Seas within our reach! Progress report on the UN treaty for marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable use beyond national boundaries by Peggy Kalas (Director, High Seas Alliance), Kristina M. Gjerde (Senior High Seas Advisor, IUCN), and Nichola Clark (Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts; PhD candidate, University of Wollongong)

After decades of work to progress discussions surrounding the need for an international treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, world governments are now engaged in the final stages of negotiations at the United Nations. The final round was delayed from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following two years of informal, virtual, intersessional work, the fourth negotiating session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC4) took place at UN headquarters from 7-18 March 2022, where encouraging progress was made. However, pandemic-related challenges, including the inability to participate in in-person meetings ahead of the session, high turnover of UN delegates, and restrictions on country and civil society participation, stymied hopes of concluding treaty negotiations during this last session.

Nonetheless, the IGC was still a remarkable success considering the circumstances. Many governments engaged with a renewed sense of urgency and flexibility, and States delved deeply into substantive negotiations. Delegations were eager to work together to progress key issues, which resulted in new areas of convergence amongst many regional groupings.

An additional negotiating session (IGC5) has been scheduled to address remaining gaps and sticking points. Taking place from 15-26 August, many regional groups and countries are working to ensure that this fifth meeting produces a finalized treaty text. This goal is supported by the 47 Heads of State who have joined the BBNJ “High Ambition Coalition” (HAC), which commits to achieve an ambitious outcome in 2022.

In this short intersessional period before IGC5, the High Seas Alliance including IUCN is making every effort to keep and build momentum through upcoming opportunities at international fora (e.g., UN Ocean Conference) and beyond. To facilitate more targeted negotiations, the President of the IGC, Rena Lee, released a further revised draft text of the BBNJ Agreement in late May, with comments due 25 July.

A number of key issues still need to be resolved, likely at political levels, and it is also not too early to start thinking of ways to accelerate the eventual treaty’s entry into force, and to enhance the capacity, science, technology, financial, and other resources of all States, particularly developing countries, to effectively and equitably implement the treaty. Critical gaps in management, scientific, and technological capacity to safeguard marine biodiversity in the face of accelerating climate and other human pressures need to be addressed now. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration are excellent opportunities to advance collective knowledge and action.

After nearly two decades of discussions and negotiations, it is vital that we conclude the high seas treaty negotiations in 2022. It is even more important that the substance of the treaty be worth the twenty-year-long process– it should reflect the ambition that we need to meaningfully transform ocean governance and finally put into place legal safeguards to protect marine life, ensure use of our shared global commons is sustainable, and promote an ocean future that will benefit generations to come.

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Ocean & Climate News

SBSTA 56

The 56th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) will be held from 6 to 16 June 2022, in Bonn, Germany.

Side Event on Coordination and collaboration on Ocean-based climate actions towards sustainable development, June 7, 2022

This event showcased action-driven trans-disciplinary science and cross-sectoral collaboration towards strengthening cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders and relevant UN bodies to adapt to the climate-induced challenges placed on the ocean and thus improve sustainable development, limiting warming to 1.5 °C, enhancing NDCs, and helping achieve Net Zero. Co-organized by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK; Global Ocean Forum; Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan; Réseau Océan Mondial (World Ocean Network), Belgium and Nausicaá Centre National de la Mer, France. View event here. – Thecla Keizer, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

SBSTA Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue 2022

This year’s iteration of the mandated dialogue on the ocean and climate change to consider how to strengthen ocean-based action on climate change to be held annually, takes place on 15 June, 15:00 – 19:00 at the World Conference Center in Bonn. An in-person event with webcast, the dialogue will explore two topics through moderated panels: 1) Strengthening and integrating national ocean climate action under the Paris Agreement; and 2) Enabling ocean climate solutions and optimizing institutional connections. See the dialogue agenda here. To participate, go here.

Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action Meetings

A Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MP-GCA) Meeting held on 20 May 2022 provided an opportunity for the High-Level Champions to share their vision and priorities for COP 27 as well as provide updates on the progress made in the operationalization of the improved Partnership for enhancing ambition, the Global Stocktake and the plans towards the UN Climate Change SB sessions in June. Meeting participants welcomed Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the new UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt.

A MP-GCA Ocean & Coastal Zones Meeting on Planning for the Ocean and Climate Change SBSTA Dialogue and the UN Ocean Conference was held on 31 May 2022. Contacts: MP-GCA Ocean & Coastal Zones co-focal points: Loreley Picourt, Ocean & Climate Platform (lpicourt@ocean-climate.org) and Tamara Thomas, Conservation International (tthomas@conservation.org)

Virtual Ocean Pavilion

COP26 VOP’s new home

The COP26 Virtual Ocean Pavilion assets have been migrated to the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) Initiative website. You may view the webpage here, where visitors can continue to access the VOP event recordings and the information and resources provided in the exhibit booths.

Opportunity for further collaboration: COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion

To help realize the ocean and climate change agenda through the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at COP27, the co-organizers are welcoming sponsors as well as additional partners. The design of the COP27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion will take into consideration the cascade of ocean and ocean-related events in 2022, the COP27 priorities, as well as the lessons learned in the development of the platform and feedback received from the survey of COP26 Pavilion attendees.

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Other Stories

Cross-sectoral Capacity Development in ABNJ Project endorsed for GEF financing

The project on Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-sectoral capacity to support sustainable resource use and biodiversity conservation in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, one of the child projects under the Global Environment Facility-funded Common Oceans Programme, received the GEF CEO endorsement for financing. The Global Ocean Forum will lead the execution of the project which is scheduled to start in December 2022, together with implementing agency UNEP, and executing partners UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, GRID-Arendal, Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat/OPOC, University of the South Pacific, and Universidad Católica del Norte.

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund

The Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund campaign, launched by the Global Ocean Forum in December 2021 to support the development of an internship and fellowship program, has surpassed its goal. Additional contributions are welcome.

A celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain among colleagues, family, and friends will be held on September 4, 2022, at the Decatur House in Washington DC. In addition to remarks commemorating the life and works of Biliana, the event will feature the announcement about the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Fellowship Program. For more information on the event, please contact Ms. Vanessa Cicin-Sain Knecht (vcs.knecht@gmail.com).

Ocean Gallery: St. Lucia

LaVerne Walker, GOF Policy Advisory Board member, provided a teaser on the lovely views of the coast of St. Lucia.

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Prepared by Miriam Balgos and Johanna Vonderhorst