The Global Ocean Forum (GOF) is pleased to announce the Global Ocean Forum Strategic Plan 2024-2030, an action-oriented document that will guide the Global Ocean Forum, in alignment with the timelines of several major global environmental frameworks, through 2030. With the launch of the strategic plan, the GOF team now turns its focus towards the final step in the transition planning process, program development.
Background
With the passing of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, past President of the Global Ocean Forum, the GOF has undertaken a transition planning process spanning from 2020-2024, which has been composed of: 1) organizational restructuring; 2) fundraising; 3) strategic planning; and 4) program development.
Following the expiration of the GOF’s previous plan in 2018 (available here) and noting the need to adapt to a changing world, GOF embarked on a strategic planning process led by the GOF Board of Directors and guided by substantive input from the GOF Policy Advisory Board (PAB). The PAB was formed in 2021 and was specifically charged to lead the development of the GOF strategic plan for 2024-2030. Members of the PAB are international leaders in their fields, and the diverse composition and expertise of PAB members has greatly contributed to the identification of strategies that best enable the GOF to fulfill its mission of advancing the global ocean agenda and supporting an approach of sustainable development focused on healthy ecosystems, coastal peoples, and equity from a wide range of perspectives. For more information on the GOF leadership that guided the development of the new strategic plan, see here.
Strategic Planning Process
Noting with rising concern global mega-trends such as adverse climate change impacts and habitat and biodiversity loss, and hoping to promote good governance of the ocean, healthy marine ecosystems, and sustainable development, the GOF has prioritized strategies in the areas of Ocean & Climate, marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), Integrated Coastal & Ocean Management (ICOM), and Blue Economy moving forward. As its name suggests, the Global Ocean Forum has focused its work on the ocean in various focal areas at the global level since its inception in 2001, including work on marine biodiversity, ICOM, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), capacity development, public education and outreach, ocean and climate change, and ABNJ. However, during its transition period (2020-2024), the GOF has since narrowed its efforts to the four focal areas introduced above in order to maximize its impact and to leverage our past and continuing initiatives in these areas. Furthermore, the GOF will promote an integrated approach that considers the interactions among the land, freshwater, ocean, climate and biodiversity systems when addressing issues across the focal areas. Hopefully, this harmonization will facilitate the development and implementation of solutions to mega-trends that simultaneously target multiple global goals, including the 1.5°C and 30×30 biodiversity targets.
The new Strategic Plan covers 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, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Prior to its launch, the new strategic plan underwent a rigorous review process which included multiple rounds of internal and external review. Members of the PAB and the GOF’s Board of Directors provided substantive written feedback while members of the public provided feedback via a Google Form. Members of the GOF Board, the PAB and the public were also given the opportunity to provide feedback at a series of three webinars held in May 2024 which catered to different regions/time zones across the world and provided an opportunity for the GOF to present its strategic plan, hold discussions among interested stakeholders, and receive further input, especially on the plan’s implementation, to guide GOF efforts going forward. Now that the review period has ended, and upon GOF Board Directors’ approval, the GOF is pleased to launch the new strategic plan and focus its efforts on program development and the implementation of the strategic plan. The GOF extends many thanks to all those who contributed to the strategic planning process and, as always, welcomes further engagement with interested stakeholders.