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SDG 14 and the Protection of Marine Areas: International Symposium in Rome, March 7-9, 2016

From March 7-9, the Italian government, along with the support of the Ocean Sanctuary Alliance and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), will convene in Rome an international conference on the topic of “Marine Protected Areas: An Urgent Imperative.” The international conference will take place at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where prominent marine scientists will gather from around the world to discuss how to move forward with the protection of critical marine areas around the globe. Particular attention will be given to identifying measures that can regenerate fish stocks.

The technical conference seeks to directly address Target 5 of Sustainable Development Goal number 14 on the conservation of the world’s oceans. Specifically, Target 5 commits to “conserve[ing] at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law, based upon best available scientific information,” by the year 2020. The conference is aimed at finding practical means to implement the target.

Currently, less than 3% of the globe’s oceans have some form of protection. While this number is low, it is the combined result of the national efforts of approximately 140 states that have already decided to establish marine sanctuaries, showing the growing consensus on the need to strengthen the protection of oceans and seas.

The international conference will be an extraordinary opportunity for the world to create a network of marine areas that can function as true sanctuaries that allow fisheries to reproduce and regenerate.

You can download the conference agenda here.