Marine Regions Forum 2023

In the ocean, no boundaries exist – neither for marine life nor for ocean pollution or other pressures that impact ocean health and challenge sustainability. To protect the future of the ocean and its resources, and of humanity that depends on it, collaboration is needed across states, sectors, and actors. The Marine Regions Forum encourages the transformation of ocean governance towards achieving conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, bringing actors together across multiple stakeholder groups, sectors, and marine regions in a genuine effort to foster joint learning and collaborative action.

The 2023 Marine Regions Forum conference in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region will be hosted in The United Republic of Tanzania, in collaboration with the Republic of Seychelles. The conference is being organized in partnership with the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and regional partners. The 3-day conference will take place, in person, in Tanzania.

The conference will explore what is needed to enhance cooperation and coordination to advance ocean governance within the western Indian Ocean region and beyond. The conference agenda is developed in close collaboration with our partners to ensure that the event adds value to existing regional processes. In addition to highlighting the successes and challenges in the WIO region, the conference will bring together selected experts from other regions to encourage knowledge exchange and share examples of good practice in regional governance processes.

The conference will incorporate interactive workshops, engaging panel discussions and keynote presentations as well as providing space for creativity and meaningful networking. Participants will leave the conference feeling empowered, energised and on the cutting edge of ocean governance processes. It will address specific topics within the following topical strands through the lenses of inclusivity and equity, innovation, and implementation:

• Tackling the triple planetary crisis
• Fostering the sustainable Blue Economy
• Implementing global goals at the regional level
• Regional Ocean Governance

More information on the topical strands and the draft conference agenda are available here.

While this conference will have a regional focus, the interregional knowledge exchange remains an important component of the Marine Regions Forum. By complementing existing processes, facilitating open exchange and dialogue across sectors, and disseminating emerging recommendations to the formal policy processes including, among others, the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.

This event is by invitation only.

The Marine Regions Forum in the Western Indian Ocean is co-funded by the European Union and the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise.