11 May 2016 (High Level Event) and 12-13 May 2016 (Workshop)
Events co-organised by IASS, UNEP, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), IDDRI, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Kiel Cluster of Excellence “The Future Ocean"
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 brought about an unprecedented agenda for sustainability, setting ambitious goals that must be implemented by all countries. For the first time conservation and sustainable use of the ocean is paired off with the world’s other most pressing sustainability challenges in one overarching global policy agenda. The global community now faces the challenge of turning this commitment into action.
The ocean and coasts, being indispensable for achieving global sustainability, are subject of a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) and have strong links with many other goals, including poverty eradication (SDG 1), food security (SDG 2), modern energy (SDG 7), growth and employment (SDG 8) and ecosystems and biodiversity (SDG 15).
The 2016 Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshop will bring together outstanding experts and representatives from governments, international organisations, scientific institutions, civil society and business to advance creative thinking to jump-start the implementation of the SDGs for ocean, seas and marine resources.
Turning the 2030 Agenda into practice will require innovative thinking on ocean governance and dedicated action from governments. Whereas States have the primary responsibility to follow-up and review the SDGs, little can be achieved for the ocean and coasts without close international cooperation and coordination across scales and competences.
Following Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshops in 2013 and 2014, this year’s event will focus on key challenges for implementation that will be addressed in thematic parallel sessions and brought together with cross-cutting issues in plenary discussions:
- Follow-up and review of implementation: While we need to retain the core principles of inclusion and universality, without targeted action at different levels the 2030 Agenda will remain a vision. How to ensure an integrated follow-up and review framework and keep track off the ocean in the 2030 Agenda across different levels and associated policy processes?
- Capacity Building: A transformative agenda for sustainable development requires transformed governance. What are strategies and instruments to build the necessary capacities for SDGs implementation at different scales?
- Regional approaches: Implementing the SDGs for the ocean and coasts requires integration across sectors, scales and jurisdictions. What role should the regional level play vis a vis the national and global level and what can be learned from previous experiences?
Taking on these and other questions, the workshop will frame the SDG implementation for ocean and coasts as a task that will require substantial innovation in ocean governance at the national, regional and international level.
