Youth Leadership Summit
Marine
Protected
Areas
An effectively managed network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with well-defined conservation measures that address the pressures of ocean-based activities, such as tourism, shipping, fishing, and aquaculture, is an essential instrument for safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining marine ecosystems.
Sustainable
Blue
Economies
Blue economy can serve as a key tool to achieve sustainable use of the ocean and marine resources for sustainable growth of economic sectors that rely on the ocean, such as tourism, shipping, fishing and offshore wind energy, that will bring prosperity and employment creation, while preserving ocean ecosystem health.
Climate
Change
Strengthening the nexus between the ocean and climate change is of paramount importance for bringing forth solutions in a holistic manner. Ocean plays a key role as climate regulator and can serve as a vehicle for clean transition, whilst climate actions aim to preserve a healthy state of the ocean.
Maritime
Security
Safeguarding the ocean from piracy, illegal trafficking of goods and people, illegal fishing and pollution and other illegal activities at sea is a key challenge that needs to be effectively addressed and to bring about innovative and creative efforts to improve maritime security.
Sustainable
Fisheries
To reap the benefits of a resilient ocean, it is essential to incorporate sustainable fisheries policies though adequate fishing methods, surveillance of prohibitions and restrictions and other integral solutions to effectively tackle overfishing that poses a direct threat to marine biodiversity.
Marine
Pollution
Marine pollution, such as eutrophication, marine litter, and chemical pollution, occurs from either seaborne or land-based activities and imposes significant threat to the ocean health. A more holistic approach with joint efforts is crucial to prevent and control anthropogenic pollution that ends up in the ocean.
KEY FOCUS AREAS
In this context and within the 6 main areas of action, the 9th Our Ocean Conference to be hosted in Athens, will specifically address four aspects as horizontal elements cutting across the six areas of action of the Conference:
Sustainable tourism in coastal areas and islands
ensures an optimal balance between tourism development, marine environment conservation and overall sustainability of host communities, and can be a core driver to build resilience to climate change challenges.
Reduction of marine plastic and microplastic pollution
is an imperative task since this type of pollution, derived from either sea or land-based sources, negatively affects marine ecosystems, and may, through seafood consumption, harm human health.
Green shipping
encompasses a range of environmentally friendly actions to enforce emission control, to promote decarbonization, and to move towards a more sustainable shipping management with the aim to minimize the overall impact on the marine environment.
Green transition in the Mediterranean
sea connecting three continents, serving as a crossroad where culture, people, and civilizations meet, is a key challenge for Mediterranean countries and can deliver significant benefits for marine ecosystems.
