The Marine Regions Forum: A workshop on the involvement of regions in global ocean governance
The Marine Regions Forum:
A workshop on the involvement of regions in global ocean governance
Blog post by Kyle Fawkes,UCC
Regimes to govern the oceans and their resources have increasingly sought integrated and international approaches. The establishment of SDG14 and its seven targets have perhaps underscored this best. Regional bodies have emerged as a socially and environmentally relevant approach to addressing SDG14 and related coastal challenges. The Marine Regions Forum (MRF) was convened from September 30 – October 2 to consider how the regions can contribute to achieving healthy oceans beyond 2020.
The forum served as an informal and transdisciplinary platform that aimed to galvanize efforts toward SDG14 through the motivation of initiatives, actions and partnerships at the regional level. It attracted participation from across the ocean governance arena and inlcuded decision makers, scientists and civil society actors. Hosted by the European Commission, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), the forum
![FEC co-Chair, Valerie Cummins presenting about the need to align assessments with sustainable development pathways, session 3.2.2: Enhancing the role of regions in the global assessment process [Mike Muzurakis, IISD Reporting Services]](https://futureearthcoasts.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/29095558/2-300x200.jpg)
FEC co-Chair, Valerie Cummins presenting about the need to align assessments with sustainable development pathways, session 3.2.2: Enhancing the role of regions in the global assessment process [Mike Muzurakis, IISD Reporting Services]
In the closing plenary of the MRF, Alexander Müller of TMG and Sébastian Treyer of IDDRI highlighted four general perspectives that emerged from the dialogue sessions. These included; (1) the necessity for acknowledgement of different needs across regions and particularly in the case of vulnerable regions, (2) the growing importance of knowledge for action in the science-policy interface, (3) the need to break down global long-term goals into measurable actions that make stakeholders accountable and (4) the need for accelerating regional leadership and mutual learning across these regions. These key messages will be refined and sent to ‘relevant global and regional processes, including the 2020 UN Ocean Conference’ in Lisbon, Portugal.