Agenda
The Conference is scheduled to take place on the 16th and 17th of April. The Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit will be held parallel to the main conference, starting the day before, on the 15th of April.
MONDAY
15 APRIL
10:00 - 19:00 | Registration
09:00 - 17:00 | Young Ocean Leaders Forum
Education, Employment, Innovation. | Venue: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) | Lighthouse.
Education, Employment, Innovation. | Venue: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) | Lighthouse.
17:30 - 19:30 | Our Ocean Film Festival Opening | Venue: Megaron Athens Concert Hall
20:00 – 22:00 | Reception hosted in honor of the Heads of the accredited delegations to the 9th Our Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Environment and Energy of the Hellenic Republic. By invitation only (1+1).
Venue: Acropolis Museum.
Venue: Acropolis Museum.
TUESDAY
16 APRIL
Venue: Stavros Niarchos Hall
07:00 - 09:00 | Delegation Arrivals, Registrations & Coffee
08:45 - 09:30 | Welcoming, Video address by H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Keynote Addresses
Actions to Save the Ocean
Actions to Save the Ocean
Speakers:
- George Gerapetritis – Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic
- Theodoros Skylakakis – Minister of Environment and Energy of the Hellenic Republic
- Secretary John Kerry
- Peter Thomson – UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean
- Virginijus Sinkevicius – EU Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries
- Melina Travlos, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners
- Jennifer R. Littlejohn – Acting Assistant Secretary, US Department of State
09:30 – 10:30 | Plenary Session I: Greening of the shipping sector
Moderator: Nigel Lowry – Lloyd’s List Intelligence
Speakers:
- Christos Stylianides – Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Hellenic Republic
- Karin Orsel – President, European Community Shipowners’ Associations
- Dimitrios Fafalios – Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners
- Dorota Lost-Sieminska – Director of Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, IMO
- Guy Platten – International Chamber of Shipping
- Sue Biniaz – Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, US Department of State
- Harald Fotland – President of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break - Side Events
11:00 – 12:00 | Plenary Session II: Confronting Plastic Pollution
Moderator: Dr. Thomais Vlachogianni – Senior Policy & Programme Officer on Marine Litter, MIO-ECSDE
Speakers:
- Evi Lazou – Laskaridis – President, Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation
- Susan Gardner – Director of Ecosystems Division, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Dr. Amna Bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi –Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates
- Forbi Perise Eyong – Young Voice, Cameroon/ Regional Representative for Africa
- Dr. Dana Miller – Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oceana
- Inga Βerzina – Minister of Envrionmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break - Side Events
12:00 – 14:00 | High Level working luncheon for Heads of Delegations οn the protection of marine biodiversity: international processes
Venue: DELTA restaurant – SNFCC
Venue: DELTA restaurant – SNFCC
Moderator: Maria Damanaki – f. Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries
Speakers:
- Katrina Maguire – First Assistant Secretary, International Environment Reef and Oceans, Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water of Australia
- Susanne Kraus – Winkler – State Secretary of Labour and Economy of the Republic of Austria
- Dr. Ibrahim Alarabi Munir, Minister of Environment of the State of Libya
- Ionut – Sorin Banciu, Secretary f State at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests of Romania
- Dr. Joyelle Trizia Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
- Ernesto D. Adobo, Undersecretary for Legal and Administration of the Republic of Philippines
- Ambassador Lazar Comanescu, Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation
- Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaption of the Republic of Vanuatu
- Abner Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management of Belize
- Vladimir Jares, Director of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs at the UN Secretariat
12:30 – 14:00 Working luncheon offered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Ministers and Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs
14:00 – 15:00 | Plenary Session ΙII: Effective Management of Marine Protected Areas
Moderator: Alexandra Cousteau – Senior Advisor, Oceana
Speakers:
- Herve Berville – Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity of the French Republic
- Secretary John Kerry
- Dona Bertarelli – Philanthropist
- Angelo Villagomez – Center for American Progress
- Jelta Wong- Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea
- Enric Sala – National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Pristine Seas
- Teresa Ribera Rodriquez – Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of the Kingdom of Spain
15:00 – 16:00 Coffee Break – Side Events
15:30 – 16:45 | Plenary Session IV Ocean - Climate Nexus
Moderator:Axel Threlfall – Editor at Large for Reuters
Speakers:
- Sun Shuxian – Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China
- Loreley Picourt – Young Voice, Executive Director, Ocean and Climate Platform
- Secretary John Kerry
- Fabrizia Lapecorella OECD Deputy Secretary
- Asterio Appi, MP – Minister of Climate Change and National Resilience of the Republic of Nauru
- Cristelle Pratt – Assistant Secretary General Environment & Climate Action, Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States
17:00 – 18:00 | Side Events
17:00-17:20 | Family Photo for Heads of delegations
17:20 –17:30 | Keynote Address by the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis
17:30-19:15 | High-Level Segment with the participation of Heads of State Government | 3 min. intervention
Moderator: Maria Damanaki – f. Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries
Speakers:
- His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
- Secretary John Kerry
- H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan – President of the Republic of Seychelles
- H.E. Surangel S. Whipps, JR – President of the Republic of Palau
- H.E. Wesley W. Simina – President of the Federated States of Micronesia
- H.E. Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit – Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica
- H.E. Ulysses Correia e Silva – Prime Minister of the Republic of Capo Verde
- H.E. Mark Brown – Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
- H.E. Hu’akavameiliku Sovaleni Siaosi – Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga
- Η.Ε. Dickon Mitchell – Prime Minister of Grenada
- H.E. Patrice Emery Trovoada – Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
- H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao – Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste
19:30 – 20:30 | Cocktail Reception for Heads of State | Government +1 Hosted by the Prime Minister
20:00 – 22:00 | Dinner | Hosted by the Minister of Environment and Energy for counterparts
WEDNESDAY
17 APRIL
Venue: Stavros Niarchos Hall
08:00 - 09:00 | Delegation Arrivals and Coffee - Side Events
09:00 – 10:00 | High-Level Panel on Ocean Sustainable Management | Ministers for Foreign Affairs | 3 min. intervention
Speakers
- George Gerapetritis – Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic
- Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica
- Dr. Hasan Mahmud, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
- Rui Alberto Figueiredo Soares – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration of the Republic of Capo Verde
- Gareth Haddad do Espirito Santo Guadalupe, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.
10:00 – 11:00 | Plenary Session V The Pathway to Innovative Maritime Security and Emerging Technologies
Moderator: Nick Clark – Al jazeera
Speakers:
- Maja Markovcic Kostelac – Executive Director, European Maritime Safety Organization
- Steven Brock, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy
- Konstantinos Kyranakis – Deputy Minister of Digital Governance of the Hellenic Republic
- Viriato Luis Soares Cassama – Minister of Environment, Biodiversity and Climate Actio of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau
- Dieudonne Loic Ndinga Moudouma – Minister of Transport, Merchant Navy and the Sea Environment of the Gabonese Republic
- Kwaku Ofori Asiamah – Minister of Transport of the Republic of Ghana
11:00 – 12:00 | Plenary Session VI Sustainable Tourism – Sustainable Blue Economy
Moderator: Tatiana Der Avedissian – World Ocean Initiative, The Economist Group
Speakers:
- Olga Kefalogianni – Minister of Tourism of the Hellenic Republic
- Craig Cogut – Founder and Chairman of Pegasus CapiAdvisors, Six Senses hotels, Global Fund for Coral Reefs
- Terry Tamminen – President/CEO of Alta Seas and the Port of Los Angeles, f. Environment Secretary of California
- Achilleas Konstantakopoulos – Chairman, T.E.MES. S.A.
- Minister Walter Roban – Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, Bermuda
- Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi – Minister of Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Albania
- Hassaan Mohamed – Deputy Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy of the Republic of Maldives
12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break – Side Events
12:00 – 14:00 | High-Level working lunch on for Heads of Delegations on Sustainable Tourism on the Mediterranean | Venue: Delta restaurant - SNFCC
Moderator: Perit Karmenu Vella – f. EU Commissioner of the Republic of Malta
Speakers:
- Olga Kefalogianni – Minister of Tourism of the Hellenic Republic
- HSH Prince Albert II – Sovereign Prince of the Principality of Monaco
- Abadi Almotaz – Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean
- Claudio Barbaro – Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of the Italian Republic
- Senator Matthew Samuda– Minister – Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation of Jamaica
- Vladimir Martinovic – Minister of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development of Montenegro
- Zane Lightbourne – Minister of State for the Environment of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
- Stelios Kympouropoulos- Member of the European Parliament
14:00 – 15:00 | Plenary Session VII Promoting Sustainable Fisheries
Moderator: Alfredo Giron – Head, Ocean Action Agenda, World Economic Forum
Speakers:
- Lefteris Avgenakis – Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Hellenic Republic
- Esben Sverdup-Jensen – CEO at Danish Pelagic Producers Organisation (DPPO) and ICFA Board member
- Carmen Ivelise Van Dunem do Sacramento Neto dos Santos – Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Angola
- Steffi Lemke – Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Charlina Vitcheva – Director General, DG MARE, European Commission
- Kevin Brosseau – Αssociate Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada
15:00 – 16:00 | Plenary Session VΙΙI Mediterranean Sea: Challenges & Solutions
Moderator: Prof. Michael Scoullos
Speakers:
- HSH Prince Albert II – Sovereign Prince of the Principality of Monaco
- Tatjana Hema – Coordinator, United Nations Environment Programme / Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) – Barcelona Convention Secretariat
- Leila Chikhaoui Mahdaoui – Minister of Environment of Tunisia
- Masa Kociper – State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia
- Julia Manning – Associate Director, Senior Environmental Adviser ,EBRD
- Hon. Dr. Alicia Bugeja Said – Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights of the Republic of Malta
16:00 – 17:00 | Coffee Break – Side Events
17:00 – 17:45 | Closing Ceremony | High - Level Panel on OOC Legacy Official Handover: Looking to Our Ocean 2025
Moderator: Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou – Greek Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Ocean | Our Ocean Conference 2024 Coordinator
Speakers:
- Khadija Stewart – Regional Representative for the Caribbean
- Kirsten Grorud-Colvert – Oregon University
- Ambassador Julie Lymperopoulos – Ambassador and General Consul of the Republic of Panama to the Hellenic Republic
- H.E. Surangel S. Whipps, JR – President of the Republic of Palau
- Ambassador Bebeb A. K. Nugraha Djundjunan – Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Greece
- Georg Borsting – Norwegian Sherpa to the Ocean Panel, MFA Norway
- Perit Karmenu – f. EU Commissioner of the Republic of Malta
- Ambassador Julio Cordano – Director of Environment, Climate Change and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile
- Mahlet N. Mesfin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Ocean –
Fisheries and Polar Affairs, U.S. Department of State - Theodoros Skylakakis – Minister of Environment and Energy of the Hellenic Republic
- Myeong-dal SONG – Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea on OOC10
