The 4th Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshop, hosted by IASS and organised in cooperation with IDDRI, UN Environment, TMG - Think Tank for Sustainability, the Cluster of Excellence ‘The Future Ocean’ and GEOMAR.
There has been a widely cited expression of hope that the year 2017 could become a game changer in international ocean governance. The 4th Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshop will bring together outstanding international scientists and representatives from governments, international organisations and the civil society for a critical review and discussion of what has been achieved, and of the challenges and possible next steps to advance ocean sustainability.
By December 2017, several key meetings for the oceans will have taken place, including the first UN Ocean Conference, the EU-hosted “Our Ocean” conference in Malta, the annual session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), and UNFCC COP 23. In parallel, the UN General Assembly will have taken a decision on negotiating a legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
These meetings, together with complementary national and regional efforts, will have a critical influence on how governments, stakeholders, science and civil society will approach the complex issues of ocean governance in the forthcoming years. The 4th Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshop aims to discuss lessons learned from these critical meetings for oceans sustainability, to identify leverage points for implementing and reviewing the 2030 Agenda with a focus on SDG 14, and by that to support the on-going policy processes.
