The Monaco Blue Initiative brought together major players in Ocean conservation and governance in annual debates to explore solutions to challenges facing the Ocean and to promote a sustainable blue economy. The 14th meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative aimed to trigger debate, analysis, and awareness raising to better understand Ocean-related challenges.

This one-day meeting took place in four sessions:

• sustainable fisheries, and reconciling conservation and exploitation in the next decade and beyond;
• highly protected marine protected areas (MPAs), what is at stake and the vision for 2030;
• the role of marine ecosystem restoration in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; and
• raising ambition and scaling solutions for a protected, resilient, and sustainable Mediterranean Sea.

Several high-level officials were among the speakers, including: HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco; Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of Costa Rica; Huang Runqiu, Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment; Jean-François Ferrari, Designated Minister for Fisheries and Blue Economy, Seychelles; Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge; Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; Razan Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature; Kate Guy, US Department of State; Renaud Muselier, President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; and Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of The Union for the Mediterranean.

The Monaco Blue Initiative was launched in 2010 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The Monaco Blue initiative is co-organized by the Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. It convenes every year in the framework of Monaco Ocean Week. The 14th meeting convened on 20 March 2023.