Overline: Virtual stakeholder conference and workshops

Headline: EU International Ocean Governance Forum 2020: Setting the Course for a Sustainable Blue Planet

The European Union’s International Ocean Governance Forum (IOG Forum) is an initiative of the European Commission together with the European External Action Service (EEAS) under the lead of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. As part of a transdisciplinary research project the IASS together with scientific partners supports the conceptual development and implementation of the IOG Forum and advises the European Commission. The IOG Forum acts as a discussion and exchange platform that invites international actors from different fields to jointly discuss the [international ocean governance agenda of the European Union] (International Ocean Governance (IOG): an agenda for the future of our oceans). In the four years since the agenda was set up, progress has been made towards many of the 50 actions that were prioritised. Nevertheless, policy challenges remain that require the agenda to be updated and moved forward with support from international experts and jointly developed recommendations for action.

Following up on launching webinars in April 2020, a series of online-workshops and a targeted stakeholder consultation, the 2nd International Ocean Governance Forum will now take place from 14-16 December 2020 as a virtual event.

Under the banner ‚Setting the Course for a Sustainable Blue Planet‘, the conference aims to critically discuss the results of the first working phase of the IOG Forum and develop concrete ways to implement the proposed actions.

An official high-level opening on 14 December 2020 is followed by two days of workshops, for which interested experts could register. The event is aimed at international actors in the field of ocean governance who wish to contribute their expertise to address the issues raised and advance the EU’s IOG agenda.

The IASS is partner to this project which is funded by the European Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) and together with TMG - Think Tank for Sustainability and experts from the European Commission chairs the thematic working group on ‘Improving the International Ocean Governance Framework’.

Organizer: European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS), together with ACTeon Environment, TMG – Think Tank for Sustainability, European Marine Board, Fresh Thoughts Consulting and the IASS.

Event type: closed event (registration for the high-level opening on 14 December 2020 still possible until 12:00 CEST on the day of the event)