Ocean Justice – core element of SDG 14

Coastal communities, oceanography and ocean governance between conservation and rights-based policy standards

The event reflects on the importance of a coherent alignment of marine policy between marine conservation and development policy standards. This is a crucial issue, particularly for coastal states in the Global South, SIDS and their local and indigenous coastal communities, whose livelihoods depend on intact marine ecosystems. With this in mind, the contributions will address the concerns of local coastal communities, the role of human rights standards, an interdisciplinary approach to marine research and the sustainable use of marine resources.

In general, the side event aims to promote the involvement of coastal communities, interdisciplinary marine science and development policy in international processes affecting the oceans and seas, such as the Agenda 2030, CBD, UNFCCC or FAO. In addition, the cross-sectoral orientation and emphasizing coherence are overarching contributions to the implementation of SDG 14 and to supporting the idea of Ocean Justice as a guiding principle of Ocean Policy. The strengthening of coastal communities in international maritime policy processes are the focus in this context.

Speakers:
Dr. Maina Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, Tuvalu

Sebastian Unger, Director for Marine Environmental Protection of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, Germany

Kai Kaschinski, Chairman Fair Oceans, Germany

Prof. Dr. Achim Schlüter, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Germany

Joey Tau, Coordinator Pacific Network on Globalisation, Fiji

Francisco Mari, Policy Advisor, Bread for the World, Germany

Mercy Wasai Mghanga, Coastal Women in Fisheries Entreneurship, Kenia

Marie-Luise Abshagen, Head of Sustainability, German Forum on Environment and Development, Germany

Date: 06/12/2025 Thursday
Location: German research vessel METEOR – Quay at Place de l’lle de Beauté
Time slot: 3.30 to 5.30 p.m.

Cooperation partners:Fair Oceans, Bread for the World, German Forum on Environment and Development, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Misereor, Oceania-Dialog

For Participation in the event please register here:

Participation

Our partner, the African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Organisations (CAOPA), is co-organising along with several small-scale fisheries organisations from across the world and with the University of Columbia a side-event at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.

On behalf of our partner, we kindly invite you to “Small-scale fishers: At the center of ocean governance and food security”. This event is also supported by the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

This event is to be held in Room 4 of the Blue Zone, on Thursday 12th June at 5h30pm.

In this event, you’ll have the opportunity to listen to the voices of fishers from Africa, Asia, Europe, Meso and South America, and how they contribute to ocean governance, conservation and the food security of many.

NOTE: Since the UNOC does not provide interpretation services in Room 4, we’ll be bringing our own interpretation devices. Please note that we expect high attendance at this event, so the devices will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, we ask you that if you speak/understand several of the languages that will be spoken (most probably FR, EN, PT, ES), that you kindly refrain from taking an interpretation device to allow for those who do not speak so many languages to follow the event.