Debates at this year’s edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative considered the recent achievements in Ocean governance, the need to implement the objectives agreed, and other emerging challenges facing the Ocean and the international community in the next decade.   

The meeting provided participants the opportunity to discuss and promote solutions that can reconcile the protection of the Ocean with the development of a sustainable blue economy.

The meeting addressed three themes:

• Ocean protection and governance – success stories and lessons learned from the past 15 years, and goals for the decade to come;
• A Sustainable and Regenerative Blue Economy – the role of the private sector to drive the shift towards a resilient Ocean;
• The role of the Mediterranean Sea in achieving “30x30.”

The meeting also provided updates through brief sessions on key topics, such as Our Ocean Conference 2024, deep-sea mining, ongoing negotiations for an international plastics treaty, the Ocean Rise and Resilience Coalition, and the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

The 15th meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative convened under the Presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, from 17-18 March 2024. 

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.

You can visit the website of the Monaco Blue initiative and access the programme of the 15th Edition.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writer for this meeting was Jean-Christophe Vandevelde, Ph.D. The Digital Editor was Mika Schröder. The Editor was Leila Mead.

Funding for ENB coverage of this meeting was provided by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.