MENA Oceans

COP29 Azerbaijan marked a pivotal moment for the Shipping & Maritime Breakthrough, where Goumbook and MENA Oceans launched the '2030 Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health Breakthrough and Roadmap for international shipping' together with six other partners including the Marrakech Partnership, United Nations High-Level Climate Champions, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative, United Nations Foundation, Equal Routes, Ocean & Climate Platform, and United Nations Global Compact; marking the beginning of the next phase of the initiative - where we work towards finalising the roadmap to be launched at UNOC-3. We look forward to continuing this work by bringing together a community of ports, shipping companies and value chain stakeholders. Part of the 'Ocean Breakthroughs: Towards Resilient Economies and Societies' event, it was inspiring to hear Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Oceans and Razan Al Mubarak, COP28 UN Climate Change High Level Champion, calling for bold, collective action to drive sustainable change for our oceans and future generations. The session also featured the launch of the Coastal Tourism Breakthrough, being developed by a consortium of tourism experts; led by: Erika Harms, Global Sustainability Director, Iberostar Group (moderator), Julia Simpson, CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director, UN Tourism, Ivan M. Cruz Burgos, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic. #menaoceans #Goumbook #oceanaction #globalclimateaction #cop29

At COP29 Azerbaijan, on Oceans and Coastal Zones day, MENA Oceans announced a new strategic partnership with World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), by co-hosting the joint session: Blue Economies for Enhanced Coastal Resilience. This partnership represents a step towards the alignment of blue economy strategies with coastal resilience; emphasising the synergy between environmental protection, economic growth, and climate adaptation in coastal regions. Prominent keynotes from Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Oceans, and Sevinj Sarukhanova PMP®, Environmental Expert and Senior Advisor to COP29 Baku High-Level Climate Champions, shared invaluable insights on global ocean priorities and the role of non-state actors in driving outcomes for nature and oceans.  The session progressed with a fireside chat between Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Chair of the MENA Oceans Initiative and Amjad Abdulla, Special Advisor to the Director General of WGEO. This was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Jamila El Mir, and including Urvashi Narain, The World Bank; Savina Carluccio, International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI); and Nafesha R. Office of the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The panel explored critical issues including infrastructure resilience, climate financing, and the unique challenges confronting small island developing states. Join the MENA Oceans Initiative, as we shape solutions for regional challenges, connect with local organisations, and share insights on the blue economy and coastal resilience. To know more about our work, reach out to our team on menaoceans@goumbook.com. Goumbook Anuradha Bhattacharya #menaoceans #cop29 #oceanaction #blueeconomies #coastalresilience #Goumbook

On November 21st, join us for the 'Ocean Breakthroughs: Towards Resilient Economies and Societies' event at COP29 Azerbaijan - organised by Ocean & Climate Platform on behalf of the Marrakech Partnership, High-Level Climate Champions. The session will be moderated by Loreley Picourt, with the coastal tourism, renewables and food sectors represented by Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez, Gabriel Muswali, and Shamini Selvaratnam. Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Chair of the MENA Oceans Initiative, will share key updates on the shipping sector - an impactful programme of work, on which we partner with the High-Level Climate Champions, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative, United Nations Foundation, Equal Routes. 📍Where: Nasimi Room, Zone B, Blue Zone  📅When: Thursday November 21, 2024, 11:00 - 12:30 (AZT) The event will spotlight the Ocean Breakthroughs as catalysts for climate, nature, and societal progress, featuring the launch of the Coastal Tourism Breakthrough and showcasing advancements in conservation, shipping, energy, and food sectors, demonstrating how non-state actors drive change and support Global Stocktake outcomes. #menaoceans #oceanaction #globalclimateaction #cop29

Join us at COP29 Azerbaijan, on the Oceans and Coastal Zones Thematic Day. 🚩 Blue Economies for Enhanced Coastal Resilience: A joint session by MENA Oceans Initiative in partnership with the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) 📍 Where: WGEO Pavilion (C-12), Blue Zone 📅 When: Thursday, November 21, 2024, 15:00 - 15:45 (AZT) The session will explore the intersection of blue economies and coastal resilience, specifically within the context of urban coastal economies, highlighting how MENA nations can leverage maritime assets and urban planning to build resilient, sustainable coastal futures. We look forward to driving momentum on this important topic with insights and calls to action from Peter Thomson - United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Oceans; Nigar Arpadarai, High-Level Climate Champions - COP29 Azerbaijan; Tatiana Antonelli Abella - Goumbook; Abdulrahim Sultan - World Green Economy Organization (WGEO); Jamila El Mir; Urvashi Narain - The World Bank; Savina Carluccio - International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI); Nafesha R. - Office of the Prime Minister for St. Vincent and Grenadines. #menaoceans #cop29 #oceanaction #blueeconomies #coastalresilience

The Sustainable Coastal Development MENA Forum recently held in Dubai was a great opportunity to reconnect with partners, establish new collaborations, and advance key discussions on the challenges and opportunities surrounding sustainable coastal development in the MENA region. Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Chair of the Advisory Board - MENA Oceans, joined an important discussion on “Protecting Marine Life to Minimise Environmental Impact”, moderated by Christoffel Botha, Fugro - with co-panelists including HE Aseela Moalla - Fujairah Environment Authority, Capt. Saif Al Mheiri - Abu Dhabi Maritime and Yasser Othman - Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD). The panel echoed insights from discussions that the MENA Oceans Initiative has been driving with its stakeholders: emphasising proactive regulations, improved data sharing, and enhancing technologies for sustainable coastal management. Tatiana also highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, reinforcing the Initiative’s commitment to advocating for regional priorities and amplifying them globally in preparation for upcoming global meetings, including COP29 Azerbaijan and the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025, Nice. #blueeconomies #coastaldevelopment #sdg14 #sustainable #menaoceans #Goumbook

MENA Oceans hosted the 2nd regional maritime stakeholder consultation last week, supporting the 'Navigating the Future of Shipping programme' developed by the High-Level Climate Champions Team, United Nations Foundation, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative and Equal Routes. Building on the momentum from our MENA Oceans Summit sectoral deep dive, and facilitated by Katharine Palmer; this session brought together diverse stakeholders including ports, researchers, bunkering and fuel companies, banks, and youth. The session aimed to gather regional input into the first draft of the '2030 Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Health' Maritime Breakthrough Goal and Roadmap, to be shared at COP29 Azerbaijan, with the final version to be ready by the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice. Discussions brought forth the following inputs: 🎯 Advocating for ambitious yet achievable milestones that engage all value chain stakeholders 🌱 Integrating existing tools like Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) and Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSAAs) 🔬 Boosting data collection in under-researched areas; proposing ship-based live animal sighting reports. 🌍 Categorising milestones into minimisation, restoration, and offsetting actions 🏙️ Considering both offshore and coastal waters, including new port and harbour developments 📊 Refining the roadmap's language to align with scientific terminology and frameworks To learn about the key takeaways from the MENA Oceans Summit sectoral deep dive download our Insights Paper on “Sustainable Maritime Decarbonisation for Healthy Oceans”: https://lnkd.in/eUMT2PXj For more information, reach out to us at menaoceans@goumbook.com. Goumbook #menaoceans #sdg14 #maritimebreakthrough

Last week was an incredible opportunity to interact with and hear from +25 coastal nations across Africa, alongside representatives from Europe and Asia, during the Africa Ocean Week, in Tangier, convened under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI; in partnership with the Académie du Royaume du Maroc, La Saison Bleue and the Forum Mondial de la Mer - Bizerte - It was an honor to meet with esteemed leaders including, 𝐇.𝐒.𝐇. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐨; 𝐌𝐫. Mohammed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Morocco; 𝐇.𝐄. Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean; 𝐇.𝐄. Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, Special Envoy of the French President and Ambassador for the Poles and Maritime Affairs; 𝐌𝐫. Pascal Lamy, Co-chair of the Ocean Europe Africa Foundation and Co-chair of the Blue Africa Summit. Day 1 brought together Heads of Delegations from African states for the Africa to UNOC-3 consultations; followed by the Blue Africa Summit on Day 2, where experts, scientists, political leaders, and economic stakeholders drove discussions on bridging gaps. Both days highlighted some critical themes for the African region: ✅The importance of enhancing resilience for both ecosystems and coastal communities, with science, youth, women and innovation at the forefront ✅ Leading impact through enhanced governance mechanisms at a regional level ✅ The role of international cooperation to drive best practice sharing and financing towards research and adaptation projects across the region ✅ A focus on challenges of key sectors such as fisheries; and the role of maritime transport Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder of Goumbook and Chair of #menaoceans made a strong call to action towards North African countries to extend collaborative efforts with countries in the Middle East, forging links across the #mediterranean Sea, #red Sea and #arabian Sea, as part of the MENA Oceans Network. The recommendations formulated led to the adoption of the "𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨f 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒", marking a collective commitment to protect Africa’s maritime regions and ensure marine sustainability; and will be highlighted at the upcoming UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice. We look forward to building on the partnerships forged! Rym Benzina Bourguiba, Patricia Ricard , Ashok Adicéam , Fedra Francocci, Silvia Guzzini , Anuradha Bhattacharya #unoc3 #sdg14 #oceanaction #menaregion #collaborativeaction #oceanhealth #coastalresilience

Great news from the #MENA region, as Egypt signs the High Seas Treaty, bringing the number of signatory countries to 105. It's the second in the region, after Morocco. Commonly referred to as the BBNJ* treaty, it will only enter into force 120 days after 60 countries will formally 'ratify' the agreement. The high seas are the open ocean that are beyond national jurisdiction.  This area is vital to the global environment because it absorbs about 30% of the CO2 produced by humans each year. The treaty aims to protect the marine life and ecosystems in the two-thirds of the ocean that are beyond any country's jurisdiction. *The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) was adopted on 19 June 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations. The BBNJ Agreement becomes the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. #forourocean #conservation #menaoceans #biodiversity #highseas #bbnj

Recently, we had the honour of meeting with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's المركز الوطني لتنمية الغطاء النباتي ومكافحة التصحر NCVC in Riyadh. Discussions included the upcoming UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP16, being hosted in Riyadh, as its largest meeting to date and the first in the Middle East. In addition, we gained further understanding of the Kingdom’s extensive efforts to combat desertification and climate change, by enhancing mangrove forest cover which would be vital for the coastal environment and biodiversity. Aligned with the Saudi Green Initiative and in collaboration with partners, NCVC aims to plant 100 million mangrove trees along the #redsea & #arabiangulf coasts in the coming years. We further discussed enhancing regional collaborations to share best practices and scientific developments within similar climate landscapes, through our joint work with the Global Mangrove Alliance. We look forward to continuing our discussions and driving important outcomes at the upcoming meetings in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. #menaoceans #mangroves #coastalecosystems #cop16riyadh

Just published: Insights Paper on ‘Sustainable Maritime Decarbonisation for Healthy Oceans’, by Goumbook, in collaboration with DP World, High-Level Climate Champions and Roland Berger. The report shares important outcomes from the UAE Maritime Sectoral Deepdive convened by DP World, hosted at the 2nd Annual MENA Oceans Summit 2024 by Goumbook - bringing together diverse stakeholders across the shipping value chain, including: conservation agencies, scientists and the community. The sectoral deep dive was held as part of a series of global consultations to gather localised inputs, which inform the development of the sectoral Biodiversity Plan, an outcome of the 2030 Shipping Pact for People & Nature (SPPaN) under the Maritime Breakthroughs. To download the report, please click here: https://lnkd.in/eUMT2PXj Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Ignace Beguin Billecocq, Katharine Palmer, Dr. Jimena Rodriguez, Piotr Konopka, Anuradha Bhattacharya, Hani Tohme, Dragos Fundulea, Karim J-P Haggar, PhD, Jan Gerrit Köchling #maritimesustainability #biodiversity #oceanstrategy #sppan #oceanbreakthroughs