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Highlights and images for 25 March 2019
10th Meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative
Family photo at the entrance of the Oceanographic Institute
The 10th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) convened on Monday, 25 March, at the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco. The meeting addressed the theme of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and took place under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The event gathered more than 140 participants representing international organizations, governments, academia, the private sector and NGOs.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco opened the meeting, stating that the MBI helped put MPAs on the international agenda. He stressed the role of MPAs as an effective tool against the threats facing the ocean, as well as their economic benefits.
In the first session, participants discussed how to collectively continue developing MPAs whilst ensuring their efficiency. The discussion highlighted the work carried out to clarify the classification system of MPAs. It also underlined the need for effective MPA management through regular financial resources and the gaps in knowledge in marine ecosystems.
In the second session, participants considered how coherent MPA networks contribute to protecting species, in particular the role of local communities’ knowledge and social skills. Discussions highlighted the importance of international cooperation for building ecological corridors, and coherence across jurisdictions to secure effective MPA networks.
Keynote speeches were delivered by:
Brune Poirson, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France
Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Chuanlin Huo, Deputy Director General of the Department of Marine Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China
José Apolinario, Portuguese Secretary of State for Fisheries, underlined Portugal’s efforts to lead the race on MPAs in Europe and announced that the Second UN Ocean Conference will be held in Lisbon in June 2020. He also stressed the creation of a coalition of Portuguese stakeholders that brings knowledge and expertise upon which to design new MPAs.
Updates were also provided regarding several key current topics:
Peggy Kalas, the High Seas Alliance, and Marco Lambertini Director General, WWF International, presented the work of the High Seas Alliance to foster an ambitious Treaty with a global mechanism to establish a network of MPAs in the high seas.
Geneviève Pons, Jacques Delors Institute, presented the efforts of the Antarctica2020 platform to secure large MPAs in the Southern Ocean.
Sabine Jessen, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and Dan Laffoley, IUCN, presented the outcomes of the last International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC4) and what is to be expected from the next edition in Vancouver, Canada.
François Simard, on behalf of Inger Andersen, Director General, IUCN, concluded the meeting by stressing that for MPAs to be effectively and equitably managed, more work needs to be done on: partnerships, connectivity aspects, and MPAs’ integration into the wider seascape and blue economy.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided a web update from the 10th Monaco Blue Initiative. In addition, IISD Reporting Services produced a briefing note, which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by M. Dagnino - Institut océanographique
L-R: Vincent Meriton, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles; Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University; HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco; Brune Poirson, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France; Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries; and Haydee Rodríguez, Vice Minister of Waters and Seas, Costa Rica
L-R: Romain Renoux, Association for sustainable financing of MPAs in the Mediterranean; Mark J. Spalding, Ocean Foundation and Commissioner of the Sargasso Sea Commission; Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University; and François Houllier, Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer
Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University
François Houllier, Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer
L-R: Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries; Alexander Tudhope, University of Edinburgh; Puri Canals, Mediterranean Network of Marine Protected Areas; Olivier Laroussinie, Deputy delegate to the Sea and Coastline, Ministry for the Ecological & Inclusive Transition, France; Haydee Rodríguez, Vice-Minister of Waters and Seas, Costa Rica; Serge Planes, National Centre for Scientific Research, France; and Rachel Graham, MarAlliance
José María Figueres, Former President of Costa Rica and Co-Chair of Ocean Unite
Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean
L-R: Olivia Langmead, Plymouth University; Abdou Karim Sall, MPA Joal Fadiouth, Senegal; Maria Damanaki, The Nature Conservancy; Vincent Meriton, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles; Mia Pantzar, Institute for European Environmental Policy; and Peter Herzig, GEOMAR
José Apolinario, Secretary of State for Fisheries, Portugal (photo courtesy of Cedou)
Chuanlin Huo, Deputy Director General of the Department of Marine Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China (photo courtesy of Cedou)
L-R: Peggy Kalas, the High Seas Alliance; Genevieve Pons, Jacques Delors Institute; Marco
Lambertini, Director General, WWF International; Sabine Jessen, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society; and Dan Laffoley, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Institute, and Brune Poirson, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France
Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International
A view of the room during the event
Summary report 22–26 March 2021
53rd bis Session of the IPCC (IPCC-53 bis)
Highlights and images for 24 September 2019
Launch Event of the GO for SDGs Initiative
Organized by the Permanent Mission of Germany and UNEP, the event marked the official launch of Global Opportunities for SDGs (GO for SDGs), an initiative aiming to accelerate and raise ambition for building inclusive and sustainable economies. Led by Germany and UNEP and open to other partners, GO for SDGs will serve as platform to facilitate regional dialogue and exchange among practitioners on best practices for replicating and scaling-up effects, and by fostering local institutional learning and experience sharing.
L-R: Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland; Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; and Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Highlights
The GO for SDGs Initiative will serve as platform to accelerate ambition by facilitating dialogue and knowledge sharing for inclusive green economies.
Germany will contribute EUR 7.5 million.
GO for SDGs will work through existing initiatives like The UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) One Planet Network.
Finland is using a toolbox of policies to achieve its commitments to be carbon neutral by 2035 and move towards a circular economy.
Peru’s National Green Growth and Competitiveness Plan highlights the value of the environment and natural resources for economic growth.
Karin Göbel, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, welcomed participants noting that the stakes to implement the SDGs have never been higher and calling for integrative solutions that bring actors together, unlock potential, and galvanize momentum towards a fast, fair, and green transformation.
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, reminded participants that only ten years remain to implement the SDGs, noting that despite progress in some areas, more action is needed, especially on climate, water and inequality. Highlighting that many effective tools, methods and approaches already exist, she explained that the GO for SDGs initiative will focus on scaling up their use and enabling their adaptation to specific national circumstances. She announced Germany’s contribution of EUR 7.5 million to the initiative, expressing hope that other partners will join. She called for greater efforts to promote green innovation and sustainable business models and, outlining several successful examples, expressed confidence that GO for SDGs will be fruitful.
Citing several recent reports on SDG implementation, Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, stressed that many areas receive insufficient attention, including rapidly increasing resource consumption and biodiversity decline. She underlined that SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production) has the potential to unlock progress on serval SDGs. She explained that GO for SDGs will allow working through the UN system to enable sharing knowledge products and cross-country learning using existing platforms such as UNEP’s One Planet network. She called for “rolling up our collective sleeves” to tackle implementation together.
Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland, said her country wants to lead by example, by making Finland climate-neutral by 2035 and moving towards a circular economy. She highlighted that these ambitious targets need to be achieved in a socially-inclusive way. Instead of instituting a comprehensive sustainable development policy, she noted, Finland has a toolbox of policies tackling different issues, from plastics to waste. Mikkonen added that, under the One Planet Network, Finland has taken responsibility on the program for sustainable building and construction.
Lucía Ruíz, Minister of Environment, Peru, highlighted the need for a grassroots, multi-stakeholder approach to SDG implementation, and for “multi-alignment” of government policies and actions. She said Peru is working to transition to a green, circular economy and has recently instituted a ban on single-use plastics. She further mentioned Peru’s recently adopted National Green Growth and Competitiveness Plan, which highlights the value of the environment and natural resources for economic growth.
In the ensuing discussion, participants debated, among other issues: ways to rapidly scale up successful local and regional initiatives for SDG implementation; transformative cooperation; the need to provide green jobs and include social partners in the social dialogue needed for a successful transition to a green economy; and putting local governments on the UN’s agenda.
In her response, Schulze highlighted the need to translate the SDGs at the regional and local levels so that the Goals provide answers to local needs, and invited other governments to embark on the journey to become carbon neutral by 2050, like Germany. Mikkonen explained that GO for SDGs is necessary to create a pool of practical local answers and solutions to SDG implementation. Ruiz underscored the need to tackle corruption in local administrations. Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNEP’s New York Office, underscored the need to find the “magic mix between progress and politeness when it comes to the private sector,” which he explained implies finding the balance between safeguards and room for partnerships and innovation.
In closing, Schulze encouraged participants to “paint the picture of a better future together” that will be realized through climate action and achieving the SDGs.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
L-R: Naysán Sahba, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Moderator; Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland; Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; and Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Karin Göbel, Head of Department of Economic and Financial Affairs, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland
Lucía Ruíz, Minister of Environment, Peru
Satya Tripathi, UNEP
Naysán Sahba, UNEP
Event panel answering questions from participants.
Anne-Beth Skrede, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Arjan de Haan, International Development Research Centre
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, in conversation with event participants.
CONTACT
Tobias Cabani | Tobias.Cabani.Extern@bmu.bund.de
MORE INFORMATION
https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/event/launch-go-sdgs-initiative-creating-opportunities-inclusive-and-sustainable-economies