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The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, must address the root cause of ocean degradation by confronting the expansion of offshore oil and gas and rejecting speculative marine geoengineering technologies.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical priorities for the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) taking place in Nice, France, from June 9th-13th, 2025. The document emphasizes the need to scale up funding for Sustainable Development Goal 14, integrate ocean-based solutions into national climate strategies ahead of COP30, accelerate the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, and promote 100% sustainable ocean management through Sustainable Ocean Plans.

The Steering Committee on Oceans, Islands, and Coastal Zones of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) issued a statement during its 33rd Meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, outlining its commitment to regional ocean research, governance, and capacity building in the Americas.

This report details the activities of the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) from June 1, 2024, to April 28, 2025. It focuses on implementing decisions from the 32nd Conference of the Parties (CoP-32), expanding institutional partnerships, advancing transdisciplinary research on climate, health, and oceans, and strengthening science diplomacy through the STeP fellowship program and the Center for Science Diplomacy.

This policy brief outlines six key actions to better integrate Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) holders into marine spatial planning (MSP) in South Africa. Based on a collaborative effort in Algoa Bay, the document argues that current ocean governance often neglects ILK and cultural heritage, recommending co-development of plans, increased transparency, improved data accessibility, and legislative alignment between the MSP Act and the Indigenous Knowledge Act.

This policy brief outlines strategies to enhance the science-to-policy interface in the Western Indian Ocean region to improve the governance of marine and coastal systems. It identifies key barriers to policy uptake—such as mismatched timeframes and a lack of trust—and proposes moving toward 'dialogic science-policy networks' and co-produced knowledge. The document emphasizes the need for institutional reforms in research evaluation to reward policy impact over mere publication and suggests specific strategies for building trust and managing the 'boundary' between science and decision-making.

This briefing examines the challenges and opportunities for private sector partnerships aimed at achieving a sustainable Blue Economy in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. It draws on the development of the Strategic Framework for Private Sector Partnership for the Western Indian Ocean Region, produced by the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, to argue that partnerships must move beyond viewing the private sector as a mere funding source and instead leverage technical expertise and mutual benefit to improve ocean governance.

This policy brief examines the disruption of 2020's planned 'Super Year for the Ocean' due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that while key negotiations on biodiversity, fisheries subsidies, and climate change were postponed, the crisis provides an opportunity to shift toward a 'Green Stimulus Framework' and a systemic change in how the global community values and governs ocean resources.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines South Africa's role as chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) starting in October 2017. It argues that while South Africa has set thematic priorities in maritime security and the Blue Economy, its most significant potential legacy lies in driving institutional and procedural reforms to increase the organization's openness, transparency, and inclusivity for researchers and non-governmental stakeholders.

This policy briefing examines the interdependence between the 'Blue Economy' and maritime security within the African maritime domain, arguing that a thriving ocean economy is impossible without integrated governance that addresses criminal activity at sea.

This report details the outcomes of a two-day workshop held in Cape Town in March 2017, focused on the role of civil society in supporting the implementation of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) legislation in South Africa. The event, hosted by the Centre for Environmental Rights, the International Ocean Institute-Africa, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and WWF-South Africa, aimed to identify resource needs, data requirements, and institutional structures to ensure a participatory, ecosystem-based approach to ocean governance.

This policy brief examines the alignment of Africa's maritime ambitions, specifically the African Union's 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy), with the regional efforts of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). It highlights the challenges of institutional fragmentation and the need for improved communication and coordination to realize the economic and environmental potential of the Blue Economy.

This report, prepared by Jock Currie of the University of Cape Town for WWF South Africa, examines the potential ecological impacts of full-scale marine phosphate mining in the Western Cape, South Africa. It focuses on the risks associated with high-volume dredging technologies, such as Trailing Suction Hopper-Dredges (TSHD), and their effects on benthic, demersal, and pelagic organisms, as well as the overlap between proposed mining areas and critical conservation and fishery zones.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is a comprehensive international agreement establishing a legal framework for the use, conservation, and management of the world's oceans and seas. It defines various maritime zones, including the territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and the continental shelf, while establishing the International Seabed Authority to manage the 'Area' (the seabed beyond national jurisdiction) as the common heritage of mankind. The document details the rights and duties of coastal and land-locked states, rules for navigation and innocent passage, obligations for the protection of the marine environment, and mechanisms for the settlement of maritime disputes.

This project document outlines a global initiative titled "Strengthening the Blue Economy: the Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency," executed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The project aims to transition governments and businesses toward a sustainable ocean economy by developing a landmark High Level Panel (HLP) report, producing six thematic "Blue Papers," and creating a beta version of an online monitoring system called "Ocean Watch."