NGOs

On Friday morning, a partnership dialogue focused on enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Participants highlighted the key role of effective implementation of UNCLOS in achieving SDG 14; and challenges regarding universal participation, and uneven and ineffective implementation and enforcement. Plenary continued with the general debate; heard reports from the partnership dialogues; and adopted the conference report and the Call for Action as agreed during the intergovernmental consultations. The US: noted it did not support reference to technology transfer, reaffirming that strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights provides the incentives needed to foster innovation; disassociated itself from the call to accelerate work to complete World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on fisheries subsidies with special and differential treatment for developing countries and LDCs, explaining that WTO independence must be respected; and reiterated the recent announcement of his country's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change. France welcomed the support for the Paris Agreement indicated by its ratification by a majority of the world. The Russian Federation distanced itself from language on WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, highlighting the complexity and sensitive nature of the topic and the need to address it under the WTO. Egypt registered its reservation on language implying that invasive alien species (IAS) are due solely to human activities, noting it is factually incorrect as there are other causes, including climate change. The EU emphasized the universal and unified character of UNCLOS as the legal framework for all ocean-related activities. General Assembly President Peter Thomson, Fiji, affirmed that the conference: generated broad momentum for implementing all the SDGs; showed that ocean and climate health are “two sides of the same coin”; spurred WTO negotiators to address harmful subsidies; and emphasized the role of small-scale fisheries in sustainable blue economy. Co-President Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, Fiji, noted that voluntary commitments doubled during the week counting: 44% of commitments from governments, 19% from NGOs, 9% from the UN and 9% from the private sector; with the highest number of commitments in the North Atlantic and South Pacific, relating to marine ecosystems, pollution and science. Co-President Isabella Lövin, Sweden, congratulated delegates, in particular Fiji, for placing the ocean at the center of the political agenda as a matter of human survival, in light of the combined pressures of marine litter, ocean acidification and overfishing. She welcomed Kenya and Portugal’s offers to host the next conference in 2020, and called for a “strong home for the ocean at the UN” and leadership by the UN Secretary-General to drive SDG 14 forward. She officially gaveled the conference to a close at 5:44 pm, following which, delegates participated in a cultural ceremony to close the conference. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports and daily web coverage, and has provided a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Session Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union View of the dais during the plenary session Agostinho Mondlane, Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Mozambique President Tommy Esang Remengesau, Palau Necton Mhura, Permanent Representative to the UN, Malawi Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Sven Jürgenson, Permanent Representative to the UN, Estonia Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Oumar Guèye, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Senegal Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Fiji Arthur Andambi, Rapporteur, Kenya Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden, gaveling the meeting to a close. Partnership dialogue 7: Enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Australia Florence Galletti, Director of Research, Law of the Sea and Environmental Law, French National Research Institute for Development (IRD) Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga, Tuvalu Anastasia Strati, Greece Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Pennelope Althea Beckles, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Trinidad and Tobago Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chile Judy Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Regional Development Authorities, Kenya Hernâni Coelho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timor Leste Thorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Iceland Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barbados Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Nohora Galvis, Director, Observatorio Pro Arrecifes, Colombia Charlotte Salpin, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), with Elisa Morgera, IISD Reporting Services Participants networking Around the Venue

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Friday, 9 June 2017: Solutions to Land-based and Sea-based Marine Litter Combined with Marine Plastic Litter in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Arctic Ocean Resilience: Can Tipping Points Still Be Avoided? Engaging the Private Sector in SDG14 – The Seafood Business for Ocean (SeaBOS) Stewardship Initiative Polycentric Ocean and Coastal Governance to Accelerate the Implementation of SDGs IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Ocean Conference. Photos by IISD/ENBOTS | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Solutions to Land-based and Sea-based Marine Litter Combined with Marine Plastic Litter in SIDS Presented by Centre for Sea and Society at the University of Gothenburg, IUCN, European Parliament Green Group, and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) This event, moderated by Carl-Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, considered approaches to addressing marine litter in SIDS. Lena Gipperth, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, urged participants to focus discussion on solutions to the marine litter problems facing SIDS, noting appropriate solutions will depend on the context of each SIDS' situation. Marcus Eriksen, Co-Founder, the 5 Gyres Institute, explained his Institute started researching the marine litter problem through expeditions and in the process found that microplastics are a bigger problem than the trash gyres seen on the Ocean surface, creating a type of “plastic smog” circulating with currents often carrying microplastic clouds from one continent to another. Bethanie Carney Almroth, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, discussed the findings and recommendations of a report recently produced for the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, “Marine Plastic Litter on SIDS: Impacts and Measures.” Anthony Talouli, SPREP, discussed a SPREP-led regional strategy underway called Cleaner Pacific 2025, which features integrated waste management. Marco Affronte, Member, European Parliament, discussed recent EU initiatives addressing marine litter, including an European Commission (EC) communication on Ocean governance that includes an action point on marine litter, a package of four proposed EU directives on the circular economy, and the upcoming proposal from the EC for an EU plastics strategy. Alain de Comarmond, Seychelles, suggested that going forward, what is needed are: more studies of the issue; targeting source countries where the marine litter originates; appropriate laws; engaging the private sector; and educating the public on how microplastics affect health, the economy and biodiversity. Jakob Granit, Director-General, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), said while part of the solution is to invest in waste management and wastewater treatment, the Swedish experience suggests this takes time and steady heavy investment. He said Sweden is: promoting a circular economy; cooperating in regional contexts such as HELCOM and OSPAR; and supporting global campaigns on marine litter and ghost fishing gear. Monica Verbeek, Executive Director,  Seas at Risk, suggested upstream solutions to marine litter need to focus on keeping plastic from entering oceans in the first place, through regulation restricting single-use packaging and getting producers to take responsibility for their end-of-life products. João Sousa, IUCN, discussed IUCN efforts to promote dialogue between producers and waste managers. He stressed the importance of research, noting that an IUCN global assessment of plastics in ocean found that clothing and tires are bigger culprits than the commonly targeted cosmetics industry. Panel (L-R): Alain de Comarmond, Seychelles; Carl-Gustaf Lundin, IUCN; Anthony Talouli, SPREP; Marco Affronte, Member, European Parliament; Marcus Eriksen, Co-Founder, The 5 Gyres Institute; and Lena Gipperth, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Bethanie Carney Almroth, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, discussed the findings and recommendations of the report “Marine Plastic Litter on SIDS: Impacts and Measures.” Marcus Eriksen, Co-Founder, The 5 Gyres Institute, said his research shows microplastics have created a “plastic smog” circulating with currents, often carrying microplastic clouds from one continent to another. Anthony Talouli, SPREP, discussed a SPREP-led regional strategy underway called Cleaner Pacific 2025 which features integrated waste management. Marco Affronte, European Parliament, discussed recent EU initiatives addressing marine litter. View of the side-event on Solutions to Land-based and Sea-based Marine Litter Combined with Marine Plastic Litter in SIDS Contacts: Lena Gipperth (Centre for Sea and Society) | lena.gipperth@gu.se More Information: http://www.havochsamhalle.gu.se http://www.havsmiljoinstitutet.se Arctic Ocean Resilience: Can Tipping Points Still Be Avoided? Presented by Government of Sweden, Stockholm Environment Institute and Stockholm Resilience Center Isabella Lövin, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Sweden, spoke on the immense impacts climate change is having in the Arctic, including record low sea ice levels, warmer Ocean temperature and Ocean acidification. Responding to a question from moderator Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director, SEI, Lövin said the most important outcome from the Ocean Conference was that it has started a process in which the central importance of oceans is recognized. Marcus Carson, SEI, said that while people often see the Arctic as a frozen, desolate place, it is in fact a dynamic place that houses a variety of wildlife and communities. Noting that “what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic,” he explained that ice loss in the Greenland ice sheet would likely have the greatest impact in the Southern Hemisphere. Stating that we are seeing distinct changes in the Arctic, since the Arctic Ocean is no longer the stable place it once was, Thomas Armstrong, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, presented findings showing that current levels of Ocean acidification are unmatched in the last 25 million years. He highlighted impacts that are already occurring such as the migration of fish stocks and degradation of shells. Joel Clement, US, highlighted that the four priority areas of the Arctic Resilience Action Framework cover science, capacity, governance and finance, and pointed to the first Arctic Resilience Forum to take place in Finland in September 2018 as an important moment. Matilda Ernkrans, Sweden, underscored the importance of scientifically-based knowledge as the basis for undertaking action and of “passion and patience” to achieve real change. She gave an example of this, describing the process to develop a policy framework for climate change to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 in Sweden. Stating that “we understand the oceans, now is the time to react,” Liisa Rohweder, Secretary-General, WWF Finland, suggested a scorecard for progress on implementing commitments as a good way to measure progress within the Arctic Council. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director, Marine and Coastal Resources Research Institute, Thailand, said that climate change is already having effects, quipping that his country now only knows two seasons: “hot and very hot.” Tom Arnbom, WWF Sweden, underscored the importance of connections between MPAs since the Arctic region is changing dramatically, and called for greater attention on where MPAs are chosen. On behalf of Stephanie Meakin, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Carson underscored the importance of the need to spend time and energy on integrating scientific and indigenous knowledge. Jouni Laaksonen, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, highlighted, inter alia, the essential role of education opportunities in remote areas in enabling sustainable development. He announced three important events taking place in Finland, emphasizing the Arctic Biodiversity Congress in October 2018. Panel (L-R): Jouni Laaksonen, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN; Joel Clement, US; Matilda Ernkrans, Sweden; Thomas Armstrong, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program; Isabella Lövin, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Sweden; Marcus Carson, SEI; Tom Arnbom, WWF Sweden; Pinsak Suraswadi, Marine and Coastal Resources Research Institute, Thailand; and Liisa Rohweder, Secretary-General, WWF Finland Liisa Rohweder, Secretary-General, WWF Finland, spoke on the importance of implementation, explaining that WWF is starting to monitor progress. Isabella Lövin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Sweden, underscored the importance of strengthening resilience, noting that this was a priority for the Arctic Council. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director, Marine and Coastal Resources Research Institute, Thailand, said noted that climate change is already having effects, quipping that his country now only knows two seasons: “hot and very hot.” Marcus Carson, SEI, highlighted important findings from the Arctic Resilience Report, including the risk of passing thresholds for non-linear change. View of the audience attending the event Contacts: Marcus Carson | marcus.carson@sei-international.org More Information: www.sei-international.org www.stockholmresilience.org Engaging the Private Sector in SDG14 – The Seafood Business for Ocean (SeaBOS) Stewardship Initiative Presented by Stockholm Resilience Centre This event, moderated by Meg Caldwell, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, discussed efforts by companies in “SeaBOS,” a science-based sustainability initiative involving nine of the world’s largest seafood companies. In her opening remarks, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, drew an analogy between forest fires and damage to the Ocean, urging all stakeholders to act for the Ocean as if they were fighting a forest fire. Henrik Österblom, Stockholm Resilience Centre, spoke about the methodology behind the SeaBOS initiative. He highlighted work to identify keys actors in the seafood industry, stressing that the 13 main companies account for up to 16% of global catches and harvest up to 40% of the most valuable stocks. He said the priorities of the dialogue with industry were to connect: science with business; fisheries with aquaculture; and seafood industries around the world. Knut Nesse, CEO, Nutreco and Chairman, SeaBOS, stressed that seafood plays an important role in food production and in rural development but faces challenges such as depleted stocks or antibiotics overuse in aquaculture. He mentioned four taskforces in SeaBOS on: eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries; traceability; regulation; and strategy and governance. He also urged for more collaboration with governments on these issues. Darian McBain, Thai Union, via video message, underscored how SeaBOS could stimulate global seafood industry collaboration for achieving SDG 14 and said that the most pressing issues were traceability, the status of some stocks, and human rights in fisheries. Johán H. Williams, Norway, stessed the need for national governments to develop strong partnerships with the seafood industry in order to achieve sustainability. He gave the example of Norway, explaining that the seafood industry relies on sound management, science, technology, regulation, finance and marketing. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden, said the SeaBOS initiative is a concrete way to link science with real action. Recognizing the strong link between SDGs 14 and 12 (on sustainable consumption and production), she stressed the importance of the consumer’s perspective, which brings change by allowing credit to responsible industries. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia: effective ways to communicate with the industry; the importance of transparency; antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture; the importance of NGOs on alerting consumers; IUU regulation under the International Maritime Organization; and the absence of some major players in the FAO Port State Measures Agreement. Panel (L-R): Henrik Österblom, Stockholm Resilience Centre; Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco and Chairman of SeaBOS; and Johán Williams, Norway Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco and Chairman of SeaBOS, highlighted the opportunities for the seafood industry to become more sustainable through the SeaBOS initiative Meg Caldwell, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, asked the participants about the importance of transparency in the seafood sector. Darian McBain, Thai Union, via video message, said SeaBOS is influencing the whole industry, regulators, and the way seafood is consumed. View of the side event ‘Engaging the Private Sector in SDG 14 – The Seafood Business for Ocean (SeaBOS) Stewardship Initiative.’ Contacts: Henrik Österblom (Stockholm Resilience Centre) | henrik.osterblom@su.se More Information: www.stockholmresilience.su.se Polycentric Ocean and Coastal Governance to Accelerate the Implementation of SDGs Presented by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), Equator Initiative and UNEP This event, moderated by Tehmina Akhtar, SGP, discussed incorporating local ocean management actions into national and regional management frameworks, and developing and implementing local actions in alignment with regional and national priorities. Adriana Dinu, UNDP, highlighted a new SGP/Equator Initiative publication that provides ocean-related case studies on how local initiatives can help deliver global environmental benefits. Sulan Chen, SGP, explained the concept of polycentric governance of complex economic systems and its relevance to Ocean governance. She explained how SGP has helped local communities to effectively participate in environmental governance over 20 years, and is now working on building connectivity between local efforts in Ocean governance. Isabelle Vanderbeck, UNEP, discussed the GEF's five-year Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystem Management in Caribbean SIDS (IWECO) multi-focal area project that tries to tie together work on international waters, land degradation, biodiversity and sustainable forest management. She explained that part of what IWECO is trying to achieve is linking government- and community-led actions. Christopher Paterson, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), explained SEAFDEC's role, assisted by the GEF, in supporting the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the marine and coastal environment of the South China Sea. He explained that partnerships with SGP help governments with local implementation. Stephen Adrian Ross, Executive Director, PEMSEA, explained PEMSEA's work over 20 years to link national and local governments in implementing the integrated coastal management concept in East Asian coastlines. He explained that 17% of East Asian coastlines are currently covered by integrated coastal management, with the goals of achieving 20% by 2025. Laverne Walker, UNDP/GEF CLME+ Project, explained that the project covers large marine ecosystems in the Caribbean and North Brazil shelf involving 4.4 million km2 and over 35 states and territories. She discussed current CLME+ efforts, with SGP help, to engage civil society organizations in the area in “interactive governance,” in support of implementing the Strategic Action Plan underpinning the project. Budi Setiawan, Founder, Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung, Indonesia, explained how his organization, with SGP help, worked to promote community management of local coral reefs, mangroves, fishing zones and tropical forests. Yoko Watanabe, Global Manager, SGP, said these examples show how SGP can play a catalytic role in engaging communities to help achieve larger goals in protecting oceans, and suggested the experience can be replicated and used in other areas, such as landscape management. She closed the session by quoting Mark Zuckerberg, “change starts local, and even global change starts small.” L-R: Yoko Watanabe, Global Manager, SGP; Adriana Dinu, UNDP; and Tehmina Akhtar, Deputy Global Manager, SGP Adriana Dinu, UNDP, highlighted a new SGP/Equator Initiative publication that provides ocean-related case studies on how local initiatives can help deliver global environmental benefits. Yoko Watanabe, Global Manager, SGP, said SGP can play a catalytic role in engaging communities to help achieve larger goals in protecting oceans. Stephen Adrian Ross, Executive Director, PEMSEA, explained PEMSEA's work to link national and local governments in implementing the integrated coastal management (ICM) concept in East Asian coastlines. Budi Setiawan, Founder, Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung, Indonesia, explained how his organization, with SGP help, worked to promote community management of local coral reefs, mangroves, fishing zones and tropical forests. L-R: Budi Setiawan, Founder, Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung, Indonesia; Stephen Adrian Ross, Executive Director, PEMSEA; and Christopher Paterson, SEAFDEC L-R: Sulan Chen, SGP; Laverne Walker, UNDP/GEF CLME+ Project; and Isabelle Vanderbeck, UNEP View of the side event on Polycentric Ocean and Coastal Governance to Accelerate the Implementation of SDGs. Contacts: Sulan Chen (GEF Small Grants Programme) | sulan.chen@undp.org More Information: https://sgp.undp.org

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Thursday, 8 June 2017: Building Ocean Knowledge for Sustainable Development Can We Achieve SDG 14 Without Looking Upstream? Starting at the Source to Save the Sea Addressing Oceans and Climate and Building the Blue Economy: Essential to SDG 14 Implementation Blue Biotrade: Harnessing Trade and Investment for Sustainable Use Advancing SDG 14 and the Quest for a Blue Economy through the Promotion of Socio-economic Benefits for Developing Countries, Including SIDS, and Increasing Scientific Knowledge and Research Capacity: Perspectives on Deep Seabed Mining Financing Ocean Sustainable Development: The Investment Community and SDG 14 IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Ocean Conference. Photos by IISD/ENBOTS | Francis Dejon and Brad VinceletteFor photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Building Ocean Knowledge for Sustainable Development Presented by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and the Permanent Missions to the UN of Samoa, Norway, and Maldives Delivering opening remarks, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa, underscored the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in: addressing loss and damage, mitigation and adaptation in the context of climate change; improving livelihoods; and ensuring Ocean health. He stressed that STI is an integral part of the means of implementation for the SDGs, and thus a priority for member states. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Norway, said her country was one of few to have established research policies for sustainable development, underscoring the Ocean as a priority. She stressed the need for developing human resources in Ocean science, explaining its key role in ensuring a healthy Ocean to achieve “the Future We Want.” Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives, said only through research and knowledge sharing will we be able to cope with, and adapt to, changing manmade and natural environments. He underscored the need to improve our capacity to collect relevant data. Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO, underlined that 3,000 people had climbed Everest and 12 people walked on the moon, but only very few have explored the deep Ocean, which represents 90% of Earth’s habitat space. On the Global Ocean Science Report, she said it provides, inter alia, a call to action for governments to start funding the operationalization of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology. Luis Valdes, UNESCO, presented several key findings of the Report, including: global Ocean science is “big science” and is multidisciplinary; there is more gender balance in Ocean science than in science overall; and Ocean science expenditure is highly variable worldwide and benefits from alternative funding. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, stressed the need to align educational systems with the SDGs and highlighted the role of multi-stakeholder collaborations that engage national science councils in the operationalization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said investments in Ocean science are assets because of the vital findings they bring. Ariel Troisi, Servício de Hídrografia Naval, Argentina, underscored the need for member states to include the transfer of marine technology in their national strategic plans. He expressed support for designating 2021-2030 as the International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, arguing that it would encourage, inter alia, transdisciplinary and integrated research. Peter Haugan, IOC Chairperson, Proposal for an International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, said the preliminary objectives of the Decade include: stimulating a global partnership on the marine science requirements needed to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; and understanding the impacts of cumulative stressors and seeking sustainable solutions for maintaining benefits from the Ocean. Ariel Troisi, Servício de Hídrografia Naval, Argentina, underscored the need for member states to include the transfer of marine technology in their national strategic plans. Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, said the Ocean needs better public policies and stronger international collaboration. Luis Valdes, GOSR Coordinating Editor, presented several key findings of the Report. Peter Haugan, IOC Chairperson, Proposal for an International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, presented the preliminary objectives of the proposed Decade. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, said key investments in Ocean science are assets because of the vital findings they bring. Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa, called for building our Ocean knowledge for sustainable development through STI. Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture of Maldives, said only through research and knowledge sharing we will be able to cope with and adapt to the changing manmade and natural environments. Tone Skogen, State Secretary of Norway, said we need a healthy Ocean to achieve the Future We Want and this will not be possible without Ocean science. Panel (L-R): Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO; Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, UNESCO-IOC; Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives; Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Norway; and Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister, Samoa. Panel (L-R): Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, UNESCO-IOC; Peter Haugan, Chairperson, UNESCO-IOC; Luis Valdes, UNESCO; Ariel Troisi, Servício de Hídrografia Naval, Argentina; and Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Malaysia. Contacts: Hellin Brink (UNESCO New York Office) | h.brink@unesco.org More Information: https://www.norway.no/en/missions/un/events/building-ocean-knowledge-for-sustainable-development/ Can We Achieve SDG 14 Without Looking Upstream? Starting at the Source to Save the Sea Presented by Government of Sweden and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)/Action Platform on Source to Sea Management (S2S Platform), the Government of Germany, Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI), Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Jakob Granit, Director General, SwAM, moderated this event. Raj Mohabeer, IOC, said concrete steps to address upstream sources of marine pollution need to go “further and faster.” Karolina Skog, Minister for the Environment, Sweden, cited HELCOM as an example of a successful regional effort to address source-to-sea (S2S), saying the EU can build on and enhance existing measures. Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted the G20 Action Plan on marine litter. She urged work on helping countries worldwide to adopt functional waste management and wastewater treatment systems. Didier Dogley, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Seychelles, noted that the size and nature of SIDS make the case for S2S clear. He described examples from his country, including innovative financing such as debt-for-nature swaps and blue bonds, as well as regional collaboration in the context of the Nairobi Convention and IOC. Daryl Vaz, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investments, Jamaica, said SIDS like Jamaica , which depend heavily on marine resources must take a systemic approach to protect their ecosystem capital, adding that his country is looking at upstream aspects affecting achievement of SDG 14. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF), said the GEF has become convinced of the need to break silos and look at problems holistically, and would be featuring an S2S approach in its next replenishment. Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, focused on the issue of microplastics in oceans, noting that people are waking up to the danger. He cautioned, however, that banning microplastics in cosmetics will not solve the problem alone, since a much larger proportion come from tires, roads, paints, "city dust" and washing clothes. Torkil Jonch Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform, said the Ocean community needs to get more involved in the freshwater agenda; cross-thinking should be encouraged for indicators for SDG 6 (on water) and SDG 14; and integrated water resource management should be linked to integrated coastal zone management. Emma Nohrén, Swedish Green Party, stressed that a lot marine pollution comes from things we do not see, such as runoff, eutrophication and even pharmaceuticals flushed into sewers. She suggested the sea is a mirror of our lifestyles, so many of the problems will require lifestyle changes. Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, called for helping all countries set up functional waste management and wastewater treatment systems. Karolina Skog, Environment Minister, Sweden, announced €1.5 million contribution to S2S Platform and UNEP’s work on land-based sources of marine pollution. Raj Mohabeer, IOC, suggested that the S2S Platform develop a global monitoring tool so that countries can assess whether progress on S2S is actually being made. Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, pointed out that cosmetics are the source of only 2% of microplastics entering oceans. Torkil Jonch Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform, said countries need to link integrated water resource management with integrated coastal zone management. Jakob Granit, Director General, SwAM, moderated the event. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson for the GEF, said S2S will feature in the GEF’s next replenishment. Daryl Vaz, Minister without Portfolio, Jamaica, described his country’s efforts to address land-sea environment linkages. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden Didier Dogley, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Seychelles, said size and nature of SIDS made the need for a S2S approach clear. Noting “The sea is a mirror of our lifestyle,” Emma Nohrén, Swedish Green Party, pointed out that solving the marine pollution problem will require addressing many lifestyle factors. Panel (L-R): Karolina Skog, Environment Minister, Sweden; Jakob Granit, Director General, SwAM; Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Daryl Vaz, Minister without Portfolio, Jamaica; Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, the GEF; Torkil Jonch Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform; and Emma Nohrén, Swedish Green Party. Panel (L-R): Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN; Raj Mohabeer, IOC; and Didier Dogley, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Seychelles. Contacts: Ulrika Siira (SwAM) | ulrika.siira@havochvatten.se More Information: www.havochvatten.se Addressing Oceans and Climate and Building the Blue Economy: Essential to SDG 14 Implementation   Presented by the Global Ocean Forum (GOF), together with IOC-UNESCO, Oceano Azul Foundation, Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI), and the Governments of Grenada, Japan and Seychelles Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, GOF, moderated this event. She provided a brief overview of the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action, unveiled at COP 22. Event Co-Chairs Angus Friday, Ambassador of Grenada to the US, and Ronald Jumeau, Permanent Representative of Seychelles to the UN, stressed the importance of climate change, oceans and the Blue Economy to SIDS. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, GEF, expressed the GEF's interest in forming a multi-stakeholder platform to create a coherent framework for addressing the nexus of climate, Oceans and the Blue Economy that would include private sector partners. Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN and Co-Facilitator, Preparatory Meeting for the Ocean Conference, praised having the reference to Blue Economy in the Call to Action. Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Disaster Management, Fiji, underscored the importance of “alignment and integration” in addressing Ocean health and climate change. Kees Rade, Ambassador for Sustainable Development, Netherlands, discussed Dutch efforts to share experiences and build capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Tiago Pitta e Cunha, CEO, Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal, stressed the importance of developing a vision for a Blue Economy that convinces industry of the need for decoupling economic growth from ocean degradation. Charles Goddard, Economist Intelligence Unit, suggested that the key to financing the transition to a more sustainable Ocean economy is to increase awareness of the economic exposure and financial risk posed by what climate change is doing to the oceans. Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO, characterized the inclusion of Oceans reference in the Paris Agreement as “a modest success” that must be built upon by finding financing, funding research, developing new tools and forging new partnerships. Wenjian Zhang, Assistant Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), urged investment in Ocean research and subsurface Ocean observations systems. Stuart Chape, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), warned that the Paris Agreement is not going to reverse all the Ocean’s damage set in motion in recent decades. Yoshihisa Shirayama, Executive Director, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), discussed the impact of Ocean acidification on Japanese reefs. Adrian Ross, Executive Director, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Philippines, stressed the need to include local governments in building the Oceans-climate agenda. Hashali Hamaukuaya, Executive Secretary, Benguela Current Commission, and Chairman, African Large Ecosystems Caucus, described climate change impacts on African coastal zones. Angus Friday, Ambassador of Grenada to the US, discussed his country's work on a Blue Economy Master Plan and plans to create a Blue Economy Institute. Álvaro Mendoça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN, announced Portugal's plan to establish in the Azores an Atlantic International Research Center to provide an interdisciplinary platform bringing together space, climate, oceans and data sciences. Álvaro Mendoça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN, announced Portugal's plan to establish in the Azores an Atlantic International Research Center to provide an interdisciplinary platform bringing together space, climate, oceans and data sciences. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, GEF, expressed the GEF's interest in creating a multi-stakeholder platform to create a coherent framework for addressing the nexus of climate, oceans and the Blue Economy. Angus Friday, Ambassador of Grenada to the US, discussed his country's work on a Blue Economy Master Plan and plans to create a Blue Economy Institute. Panel (L-R): Ronald Jumeau, Permanent Representative of Seychelles to the UN; Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, GEF; Angus Friday, Ambassador of Grenada to the US; Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, WOF; Álvaro Mendoça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN; Tiago Pitta e Cunha, CEO, Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal; Kees Rade, Ambassador for Sustainable Development, Netherlands; and Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Disaster Management, Fiji. Contacts: Biliana Cicin-Sain (Global Ocean Forum) | bilianacicin-sain@globaloceans.org More Information: www.globaloceanforum.org Blue Biotrade: Harnessing Trade and Investment for Sustainable Use Presented by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Development Bank of Latin America (CAF); The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), and International Ocean Institute (IOI) This event, moderated by Lucas Assunҫão, UNCTAD and Antonella Vassallo, Managing Director, IOI, discussed ways of adapting BioTrade (BT) principles for use in the marine realm. Assunҫão introduced the session saying that the UNCTAD BT Initiative is a platform that has developed methodologies and standards for trade for the sustainable use of a wide range of biodiversity-based products. Vassallo stressed the importance of showcasing ways to adapt BT to the Ocean, through “Blue BioTrade,” and called for the creation of a community of practice. Tundi Agardy, MARES Program, Forest Trends, said BT is distinct from other tools promoting sustainable use because it is the only one taking the whole value chain into account. She then stressed some difficulties in applying BT to the Ocean: lack of private property; resources beyond jurisdiction; and externalities not yet addressed in marine policies. David Vivas Eugui, UNCTAD, spoke about approaches guiding BT and then presented the six principles on which BT is based and the challenges for developing new criteria for their adaptation to the marine environment: biodiversity conservation; sustainable use; equitable benefit sharing; socio-economic sustainability; legal compliance; and respect for actors’ rights. Federico Vignati, CAF, explained his work in adapting BT to Latin America and presented examples of projects from the CAF’s new Blue BT portfolio, including restoration of ecosystem services from wetlands in Peru, and making pencils from seaweed as an alternate activity for the families of fishermen. Daniel Kachelriess, CITES, gave an example of the recent successful management of the Queen Conch under these rules. He highlighted synergies between CITES and BT principles, and differences between the terrestrial and marine contexts, including national versus regional management, and diverse sources of data versus fisheries as the main data source. Awni Behnam, Honorary President, IOI, highlighted, inter alia: Ocean governance must be an integral part of global governance; weaknesses and strengths of UNCLOS must be assessed; and blue economy and blue growth are different concepts since the core of the blue economy is sustainability, not growth. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed the place of science in CITES recommendations and the links between CITES and the negotiations on marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), among others. Awni Behnam, IOI, stressed the importance of integrating BioTrade to the discussions on a legally binding instrument on marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. David Vivas Eugui, UNCTAD, spoke on how BioTrade principles could be extended to the marine environment. Federico Vignati, CAF, shows a blue BioTrade product: a pencil made from seaweed. Tundi Agardy, Forest Trends, gave several examples of Blue BioTrade projects. Panel (L-R): Daniel Kachelriess, CITES; David Vivas Eugui, UNCTAD; Antonella Vassallo, IOI; Lucas Assunҫão, UNCTAD; Tundi Agardy, Forest Trends; and Federico Vignati, CAF. Contacts: David Vivas Eugui (UNCTAD) | david.vivaseugui@unctad.org Federico Vignati (CAF) | fvignati@caf.com Daniel Kachelriess (CITES) | daniel.kachelriess@cites.org Antonella Vassallo (IOI) | antonella.vassallo@ioihq.org.mt More Information: http://unctad.org/en/conferences/Ocean-Conference/ Advancing SDG 14 and the Quest for a Blue Economy Through the Promotion of Socio-Economic Benefits for Developing Countries, Including SIDS, and Increasing Scientific Knowledge and Research Capacity: Perspectives on Deep Seabed Mining Presented by the Governments of Tonga and Mexico, International Seabed Authority (ISA), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited and Nautilus Minerals Ltd Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority (ISA), moderated the meeting. Mahe’uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Permanent Representative of Tonga to the UN, said blue economy entails sustainable economy where activities such as seabed mining are in balance with the health of the ecosystem. He added Tonga is the first country in the world to have adopted a Mineral Seabed Act, which highlights Tonga’s initiatives to protect and preserve its marine environment and the deep seabed. Sainivalati Navoti, DESA, speaking on behalf of Wu Hongbo UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, noted that deep seabed represents 45% of the world’s area and UNCLOS will contribute to its just economic and social use. Siosiua 'Utoikamanu, Tonga, said activities on deep seabed mining can contribute to: increasing government revenues from taxes and royalties from minerals; generating employment; and capacity building across multiple stakeholders on the potential and risks of seabed mining. Mike Johnston, CEO, Nautilus Minerals, said the company is focusing its corporate social responsibility efforts on health, education, capacity building, infrastructure, collaborations and community partnerships. Patrick Ho, Secretary-General, China Energy Fund Committee, spoke about the potential of blue economy for energy development, noting that the Ocean is a valuable source of renewable energy through the force of its tides. Alejandro Alday, Mexico, said Mexico is progressing towards involvement in deep seabed minding activities. He stated that close collaboration with ISA is beneficial as it provides both capacity building and awareness raising opportunities. Natalia Amezcua, Servicio Geológico Mexicano, presented the ISA Contractors Training Programmes, which provides operational skills development, improvement of scientific research, and capacity building. Among others, she stressed the need for long-term national plans and policies on sustainable marine mining. In the ensuing discussion, participants raised issues related to, inter alia: the need to have national presentations on the benefits of seabed mining to ensure local buy-in; the risks brought by deep seabed mining; and the strong opposition to seabed mining by NGOs and many local communities. Sainivalati Navoti, DESA, said DESA will facilitate and organize a meeting on blue economy in the Pacific. Natalia Amezcua, Servicio Geológico Mexicano, presented the ISA Contractors Training Programmes. Michael Lodge, Secretary-General of the ISA, welcomed participants to the meeting. Mahe’uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Permanent Representative of Tonga to the UN, said Tonga is the first country in the world to have adopted a Mineral Seabed Act. Panel (L-R): Sainivalati Navoti, UN DESA; Alejandro Alday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico; Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority (ISA); Mahe ‘Uli’uli Sandhurst Tupouniua, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Tonga to the UN; and Patrick Ho, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Energy Fund Committee. Contacts: Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera (Moderator Coordinator) | alfonsoa@isa.org.jm More Information: https://oceanconference.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=20000&nr=2108&menu=3327 Financing Ocean Sustainable Development: The Investment Community and SDG 14 Presented by World Ocean Council (WOC), Sustainable Investment Forum, Ocean Assets Initiative, Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, and Climate Bonds Initiative Opening the session, moderator Paul Holthus, Founding President and CEO, WOC, highlighted the development of an Ocean investment platform that would bring together the Ocean community with industry and entrepreneurs to create solutions to Ocean-related challenges. Explaining that US$52 billion is currently spent on conservation globally, John Tobin-de la Puente, Cornell University, said there is a need for US$200-300 billion per year to sufficiently address the problem, an amount he described as sounding “insurmountable” for governments. He underscored, however, the potential of the private investment market to fill this gap, which would amount to only 1% of all new and invested capital globally, noting that how to scale up conservation projects would be the most difficult question. Speaking on reasons for investing in sustainable solutions for the Ocean, Simon Dent, Althelia Ecosphere, highlighted the potential for economic returns and associated environmental gains, underscoring that seafood is ten times more efficient than beef in terms of CO2 emissions. Courtney Lowrance, Citi, spoke about the changing approach of sustainable finance, which no longer focuses only on “doing no harm,” and avoiding risk, but increasingly is now also a field of opportunities, particularly through green bonds. Jacques Demers, Founder, Agawa Partners, said his organization’s private investment programme is focusing on two main areas: agri-food and the Ocean, underscoring the interlinkages between these two areas. He mentioned the need to revamp the coastal infrastructure, noting this could translate into “huge” opportunities for the investment industry. Jayme Kurtyka, EagleRail Container Logistics, said leveraging finance required an approach that could quantify the long-term benefits in a way that makes good sense to investors. Specifically, he called for a focus on economic sustainability as well as environmental sustainability, to make sure the companies pursuing these initiatives can sustain their businesses. Bill Staby, Co-Founder and CEO, Resolute Marine Energy, highlighted that there is a new generation of high net worth individuals “wanting to do good with their money.” He said it was important to consider scaling in terms of ensuring each individual product generates enough cash flow to finance the company, and underscored the need for agreed standards. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, GEF, spoke on opportunities, including from public-private partnerships, but cautioned on a process focused uniquely on scaling up existing products, noting that it was important to find new ways to address the problems we face. She underscored the importance of policies to create the enabling conditions for businesses. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, GEF, said one way to ensure economic sustainability for businesses would be to get a critical mass moving in the same direction. John Tobin-de la Puente, Cornell University, spoke on the Coalition of Private Investment in Conservation, launched in 2016, that aims to bring key actors together to develop ideas that would enable the necessary scaling up of private investment in conservation. Paul Holthus, founding President and CEO, WOC, underscored the need to consider how businesses can interact and develop economies of scale on key issues and challenges. Panel (L-R): Jayme Kurtyka, Eagle Rail Container Logistics; John Tobin-de la Puente, Cornell University; and Simon Dent, Althelia Ecosphere. Panel (L-R): Jacques Demers, Founder, Agawa Partners; Courtney Lowrance, Citi; and Bill Staby, Co-Founder and CEO, Resolute Marine Energy; Contacts: Paul Holthus (founding President and CEO, WOC) | paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org More Information: www.oceancouncil.org

The following special event was covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Our Oceans, Our Islands, Our Future: Partnering for implementation of SDG14 High Level Reception The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Wednesday, 7 June 2017: Launch of the Blue Action Fund Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Solutions to Combat Marine Litter IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage of selected side events at the Ocean Conference. Photos by IISD/ENBOTS | Francis DejonFor photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Launch of the Blue Action Fund Presented by the Blue Action Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development - BMZ, Government Offices of Sweden, and the KfW Development Bank Opening the event, Harald Braun, Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN, saluted the launch of the Blue Action Fund by the Government of Germany and the German national bank (KfW Development Bank). Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, announced that Kiribati closed 200,000 km2 to fishing activities in 2015 and said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of SDG 14, with an initial fund of €24 million. She explained that the Initiative will support national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their efforts to conserve oceans and coastlines, by promoting: the safeguarding of marine biodiversity, through creating new protected areas and improving the management of existing ones; and the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in fisheries, aquaculture and tourism. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., noted that by 2020, 60% of the world’s population will live in coastal areas. She said that by forming a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), the Blue Action Fund will enable the protection of migratory species. Lövin further stressed the need for working together with local communities, and announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Stephan Opitz, KfW Development Bank, explained that the Blue Action Fund selection process for NGOs was designed to be lean and competitive. He said the Initiative will fund projects that: have an integrated approach, not only setting MPAs but also involving communities in the sustainable management of marine biodiversity; have a regional focus; and be scalable and transformative. Opitz added that projects will initially be funded with €1-3 million and NGOs are expected to contribute 25% of the necessary funding for their realization. In a panel discussion moderated by Carl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN, John Tanzer, WWF International, stressed the importance of regional networks. Greg Stone, Conservation International, spoke about the importance of setting long-term principles for MPAs. Gerald Miles, RARE, stressed the need to embed these sustainable use principles in social norms and ensure local communities’ buy in. Providing closing remarks, Cristián Samper, President, Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained investment to ensure that the partnerships created between governments, NGOs and local communities will have the desired results. Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden., announced that Sweden will contribute US$ 5.4 million to the Blue Action Fund. Cristián Samper, President of Wildlife Conservation Society, stressed the need for sustained long-term investment. Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, said the Blue Action Fund is essential to filling the financing gap in safeguarding marine biodiversity. Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ, said the Blue Action Fund will step up action for the implementation of the SDG 14 with an initial fund of €24 million. Panel (L-R): Gerald Miles, RARE; Greg Stone, Conservation International; John Tanzer, WWF International; Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati; and Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ. Contacts: PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS PERSON_NAME (Moderator Coordinator) | EMAIL_ADDRESS More Information: www.blueactionfund.org Second Annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue Presented by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and UN-OHRLLS, in consultation with the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS, co-chaired by the Governments of the Maldives and Italy Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, opened the event, saying this second SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14 among the SIDS partnership community. In his keynote address, Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly, stressed the relevance of welcoming the SIDS Dialogue at the Ocean Conference, underscoring that partnerships for SIDS are strongly Ocean-related. He stated that SDG 14 was created by SIDS, overcoming strong opposition. Mohamed Shainee, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldives, highlighted that the 2014 Samoa Pathway, the blueprint for achieving sustainable development in SIDS, requires more partnerships. Silvia Velo, Italy, stressed her country’s strong partnership with SIDS and the durable and transparent relationships between equal partners, currently in place in the Samoa Pathway. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA, remarked that the SIDS Partnership Framework is open to all member states, UN agencies and stakeholders, and stressed that dialogue five of the Ocean Conference targets SIDS specifically. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, emphasized OHRLLS actions on: developing public-private partnerships for SIDS; and strategizing on how the UN system can best coordinate on SIDS issues. A dialogue followed on the theme “Partnering with SIDS and Oceans,” moderated by Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, announced that his country will establish a two million km2 marine park and a new 300, 000 km2 marine reserve where no commercial activity is allowed. He stressed the need to innovate for financing the costs of such actions and ensure their success. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, highlighted the importance of defining clear Ocean jurisdiction and stressed his country’s support to Pacific SIDS in this matter under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). She announced a AUS $2 million to the SIDS Partnership Framework for the next two years. Karen Ellemann, Minister for Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation, Denmark, shared examples of her country’s support to SIDS, including: the “Mangroves for the Future” project; a climate change adaptation project; and support to the Green Climate Fund. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Norway, highlighted her country’s actions for the implementation of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN, spoke about the creation of a 500, 000 km2 marine sanctuary, accessible only to small fisheries. Rebecca Loustau Lalanne, Seychelles, stressed the relevance of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and proposed Seychelles as host for its secretariat. Cristelle Pratt, Deputy-Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum, spoke on a review of the 300 partnerships for SIDS, saying 74 engage Pacific SIDS but 44 do not have national oversight. She called for the inclusion of partnerships in national plans. Grete Faremo, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), highlighted a water resources management programme involving six SIDS of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Nik Sekhran, UNDP, said that UNDP committed to 77 SIDS partnerships, of which 12 are Ocean-related. Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, said the SIDS Partnership Dialogue aims to galvanize voluntary commitments for the implementation of SDG 14. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), highlighted several actions of her Office Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Minister for International Development and Pacific, Australia, announced new financial commitments to SIDS Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, stressed the need to create innovative mechanisms to finance conservation actions in SIDS. Panel (L-R): Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS); Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, DESA; Sebastiano Cardi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN; and Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN. Contacts: Ola Göransson (Sustainable Development Officer & Partnerships Coordinator, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA) | goranssono@un.org Shifaana Thowfeequ (Programme Management Officer, UN-OHRLLS) | thowfeequ@un.org More Information: www.sids2014.org/partnership Joining Hands to Help Achieve SDGs 6 and 14 – a Win-Win for Freshwater and Oceans Presented by UN-Water, UN-Oceans and the Action Platform on Source-to-Sea Management (S2S Platform) Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water, chaired the event. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, reviewed close linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, concluding that their ambitious targets will require transformational change. Habib El-Habr, UNEP, provided an overview of how the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) had been addressing land and ocean connections since 1995, highlighting the work of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and Global Wastewater Initiative. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and UNESCO, noted that water demand is increasing annually, implying an increase in untreated wastewater production carried to the sea. She highlighted UN-Water work in improving monitoring and the recent UN-Water synthesis report on SDG 6 linkages to other SDGs. A panel discussion was moderated by Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs, discussed the work of UN-Oceans. She called for being mindful of, inter alia : the need for vertical integration linking national, regional and global actions; and linkages between SDGs 6 and 14 and climate change. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested that wetlands are a good lens for looking at the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14, and noted that the Wetlands Outlook due in 2018 will report on both inland and coastal wetlands. Jack Moss, Executive Director, Aquafed, said if all wastewater was properly treated, a large portion of pollution would never reach the sea. He noted the difficulty of addressing diffuse pollution sources such as agricultural runoff. Christine Valentin, CEO, World Ocean Council (WOC), said WOC is in the process of identifying the SDGs that impact businesses associated with oceans. She urged translating the SDGs into concrete targets the business community can understand and meet. Maria van Berlekom, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), spoke about various challenges, including siloed thinking and linking national and regional actions. Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility and S2S Platform, underscored the need to identify incentives to the investments needed to address marine pollution’s root causes. In her capacity as chair of the UN in-house dialogue on water, Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, invited more member states, researchers and other stakeholders to join the dialogue. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, suggested wetlands are a useful lens for dealing with the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Andrew Hudson, UNDP, provided an overview of the linkages between SDGs 6 and 14. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, urged more parties to join the UN in-house dialogue on water. Angela Cordeiro Ortigara, UNESCO, discussed water quality monitoring and the 2017 Water Development Report, “Wastewater, The Untapped Resource.” Panel (L-R): Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, UN Office of Legal Affairs; Birgitta Liss Lymer, UNDP-Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Water Governance Facility; Maria van Berlekom, SIDA; Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Habib El-Habr, UNEP; Angela Cordeir Ortigarao, UNESCO; Andrew Hudson, UNDP; Federica Pietracci, Interim Secretary, UN-Water; and Torkil Clausen, Chair, S2S Platform. Contacts: Birgitta Liss Lymer (Stockholm International Water Institute) | birgitta.liss.lymer@siwi.org More Information: www.unwater.org www.unoceans.org www.siwi.org/what-we-do/source-to-sea/ Co-Designing Game-Changing Ocean Solutions for Sustainable Development Presented by Conservation International Moderator Aulani Wilhelm, Conservation International (CI), opened the event, welcoming participants to an “interactive session.” Highlighting that approximately 50% of matter taken from the Ocean is said to be wasted, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, spoke on technical innovation from Iceland that has shown the enormous economic opportunities to reuse and enhance the commercial value of what comes from the Ocean. He described examples from his country, including Kerecis, a company that has developed a bandage made of fish skin that can heal wounds, which has recently been taken up by the US military. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius, which has discovered large-scale economic opportunities around the Ocean since establishing a Ministry of Ocean Economy. He described innovative solutions that had been found to address issues such as illegal fishing, and spoke on a vision to develop an open access system to harness the aspiration of small islanders to create high-tech, sustainable fisheries. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, explained his company’s innovative approach to finding creative and radical solutions for problems. He explained the “moonshot culture,” which recognizes that real solutions are more likely to come from a group of people that embrace the process of finding innovations. He further explained that bonuses are awarded to employees when they discontinue a project as a recognition that running with a bad idea is an unhelpful approach, noting that 97% of ideas they float do not make it to the second phase of the project development process. For the remainder of the session, participants brainstormed in small groups on radical project ideas for sustainable development issues, such as: solving hunger for 800 million people using a massive open online course; or solving ocean pollution of the food system using desalination. Rapoport stressed that the focus should be on the process of idea generation itself, rather than the actual output. Emerging “radical” ideas included: an autonomous car that would only drive to restaurants that used sustainably sourced food; and underwater internet that would enable young people to share underwater photos on social media to raise awareness on ocean conservation issues. In the ensuing discussion, several participants said they had found the process a useful and “inspirational” eye-opener, and others suggested the need to harness the ideas coming from the Ocean Conference through developing a space where the knowledge is integrated to lead to a “real solutions” database. Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory, said his organization looked for people that fell in love with problems rather than their solutions. Aulani Wilhelm, CI, said her organization works to find global and local solutions to Ocean problems. Nishan Degnarain, World Bank, spoke on experiences from Mauritius. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland, said his country’s recovery from the economic crisis was largely due to the commercial strength of the transformation of its fishing sector. (L-R): Evan Rapoport, X - The Moonshot Factory; Aulani Wilhelm, CI; and Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President, Iceland. Contacts: Aulani Wilhelm (Moderator) | awilhelm@conservation.org More Information: www.conservation.org/ocean http://mymoonshot.com/ Solutions to Combat Marine Litter Presented by the Governments of Germany and Norway This event, moderated by Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, began with opening remarks from Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN. Explaining that a transition from theory to practice in terms of marine litter reduction may be possible, Schulz said the success of this transition would be “the benchmark on which we will be judged by future generations.” Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, underlined the last two years as crucial for sustainable development, highlighting the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and G20 Action Plan to combat marine litter. He also stressed the work done regionally through the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) and the HELCOM on that matter. Tone Skogen, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, spoke about the impacts of plastic pollution on the Barents Sea and on the Artic sea ice. She announced the adoption of a white paper on the place of the oceans in Norwegian foreign and development policy and an associated programme on combating marine litter and microplastics Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council, said marine litter poses an important issue for plastic manufacturers and who want to be part of the solution. He said the first thing to do was to invest in waste infrastructure management in countries where plastic use is currently exploding. He also mentioned: 65 commitments by trade associations to undertake action in their country; and a platform of plastic industry’s CEOs, committing to create common principles for recycling and waste management. Afroz Shah, UN Environment’s Champion of the Earth 2016, spoke about an event in Mumbai, which led to the cleaning of a beach with the help of hundreds of volunteers. He presented a short film, “A Date with the Ocean,” and underlined that such actions can lead to a change of mindset and are complementary to and as effective as new regulation. Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP, stressed that every environmental problem has a solution and spoke of examples of success, including waste management in Rwanda and the work of the high-tech company Dell in reducing its packaging. Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Germany, explained his country’s efforts to convince G20 countries to adopt the Action Plan to combat marine litter and finding concrete ways to make it effective. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: how to replicate Germany’s and Norway’s efficient waste management policies; ways to channel financial organizations’ funds to key levels that bring broader industrial and compartmental changes; and the necessity to act every day to reduce plastic litter. Jürgen Schulz, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, discussed ways to transition from theory to practice in the management of marine litter. Gunther Adler, State Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted the adoption by G20 countries of an Action Plan to combat marine litter. Afroz Shah, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016, presented his work in engaging people to clean Mumbai’s beaches from litter. Lilian Busse, German Environment Agency, moderated the session. Panel (L-R): Afroz Shah, lawyer, UNEP’s Champion of the Earth 2016; Steven Russell, American Chemistry Council; Helge Wendenburg, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Lilian Busse, Germany Environment Agency; and Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP. Contacts: Jens-Michael Bopp (Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN) | jens-michael.bopp@diplo.de More Information: www.new-york-un.diplo.de