Marine Regions Forum 2019

Achieving a healthy ocean – Regional ocean governance beyond 2020

30 September – 2 October, Berlin, Germany

Participants of the Marine Regions Forum 2019. Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

The Marine Regions Forum took place for the first time from 30 September – 02 October 2019 in Berlin, Germany. The overarching theme of the conference was “Achieving a healthy ocean – Regional ocean governance beyond 2020”. The Key Messages from the Marine Regions Forum 2019 and the comprehensive Conference Report are now available here. The summary report by IISD reporting services is available here.

The conference provided a unique space for decision-makers, scientists and civil-society actors from the world’s different marine regions to discuss and showcase impactful collaborative solutions for ocean health. The purpose was to develop clear recommendations, catalyze actionable outputs, and build partnerships for stronger regional ocean governance in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Sustainable Development Goal 14 “Life Below Water”.

The initiative goes back to commitments made by Germany in 2017 at the UN Ocean Conference in New York and together with and the European Union in 2017 at the Our Ocean Conference in Malta, announcing their support in establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for regional ocean governance. The Marine Regions Forum is hosted by the Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG), a collaborative initiative established by scientific institutions and the UN Environment Programme.

To learn more about the concept behind the Marine Regions Forum, click here.

To access and download the conference programme, click here.