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The Ocean Account vol. 6 | April 2024

A note from GOAP's Co-Chairs

Dear GOAP Community, 

With the Global Dialogue on Sustainable Ocean Development fast approaching, we’re excited to share that almost 450 people have already registered. The event will take place from 1-5 July 2024 at the Meru Sanur, Bali, Indonesia. If you haven't already registered to attend, we'd be delighted for you to join us – please do so by registering here. 

This will be the first Global Dialogue for us as the new Co-chairs and the 5th hosted by the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP). The event will create pathways, new partnerships and coalitions to deliver on ocean, climate and biodiversity priorities.  

The first two days will consist of engaging and interactive training events, for which the full list is now available here. We’ve just added a brand-new workshop on accounts for waste and plastics – aimed at supporting countries to engage in the new global treaty on plastics. The training sessions will be followed by three days of the core event, featuring high-level panels, expert keynote addresses and side events intended to accelerate international collaboration and knowledge exchange. We’ve received many exciting applications for side events and remind anyone interest to apply here before 3 May. 

As well as the exciting preparations for the Global Dialogue, the GOAP Secretariat and partners have engaged in discussions and workshops across the globe including presentations on the use of ocean accounting to inform management and policy decisions in Samoa, Vanuatu and Costa Rica.  

In this edition of the Newsletter, you will find an overview of these workshops and upcoming events in sustainable ocean development, an update on the Global Panel of Technical Experts and new knowledge products from the global community.  

We encourage you all to participate in the Global Dialogue and look forward to this momentous event. 

Happy reading,

One week left to apply to host a side event! 

We’re calling for participants to host side events which align with the objectives of the event. Apply to host a side event here. Already applied? All successful applicants will be notified by 17 May. Do you have an interesting idea but don't have the capacity to organise a side event? Please email info@oceanaccounts.org and we'll be trying to match related presentations.

Venue announced!

The event will take place at the Meru Sanur in Bali, Indonesia. Accommodation can be booked at the event venue at a discount rate here or at the many surrounding hotels. 

The Growing GOAP Membership

Three new members were welcomed to the GOAP Membership over the last quarter: the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA), Belize and Centre for Coastal Management, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.  

  • ICRI: a global partnership of >100 Members including 45 countries who represent 75% of the world’s coral reefs. The Initiative strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world by advocating for sustainable ocean development and implementing effective management solutions.  
     
  • Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, Belize: the Belizean government has committed to several initiatives to sustainably manage their oceans, which will require collaboration across government sectors for the shared use of Belize’s oceans, as outlined in Belize’s Sustainable Ocean Plan. The Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation is working to combine existing data into an integrated framework to inform decision makers and track the country’s progress towards a sustainable ocean economy. The GOAP Secretariat looks forward to working with MBECA to develop ocean accounts for this purpose. Read more here. 
     
  • The Centre for Coastal Management at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana: a focal point for collaborative research on coastal zone issues in Ghana. The Centre’s collaborative and pioneering approach to research, capacity building and outreach has led to tangible impacts along the coast of Africa (see here) and the recognition of the Centre as the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) by the World Bank.  

Interesting in becoming a GOAP Member? Find out more here. 

Updates from the GOAP Panel of Technical Experts   

The GOAP has gathered a global Panel of 21 Technical Experts to inform various aspects of ocean accounting including to identify new global challenges and provide advisory assistance to countries developing ocean accounts. At the most recent Global Expert Panel meeting in February, experts formed 10 working groups based on priority topics and relevant expertise. Each Working Group elected a group lead and agreed to draft a concept note to present at the next meeting in April.  

A full list of the Working Group topics can be found here. 

Project and event highlights 

January - March 2024

Recent project milestones for the Global Community of Practice include workshops on ocean accounting in Samoa and Costa Rica, as well as presentations at international events such as the Ocean Decade Conference. Read more below.

30 Jan 2024 | Webinar Episode 1: Advancing Sustainable Ocean Governance: Updates from 2023 and Directions for 2024 | Online 
The first episode of the Sustainable Development Reform Hub webinar series united experts from across the globe to provide reflections on regional progress made in 2023 and strategies for advancing sustainable ocean development in 2024. Watch the recording here. 

24-25 Feb 2024 | Meeting of Vision 2030 Expert Working Groups | New Orleans, USA 
Vision 2030 Expert Working Groups met to consolidate reviews of White Papers, prepare White Papers for presentation at the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference and discuss arrangements for the next conference. Read more about the White Papers here and Sustainable Development Reform Hub’s involvement here.

11-13 March 2024 | Workshop: Vanuatu's National Ocean Policy and MSP Review for Ocean Stakeholders | Port Vila, Vanuatu 
Over two days participants discussed ocean governance and policy within the Vanuatu national context. SPC participated and the GOAP Secretariat offered insights on integrating ocean accounts into Vanuatu’s ocean governance strategies.

12-14 March 2024 | Training: Ocean Accounting in Samoa | Apia, Samoa 
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was supported by UN-ESCAP and GOAP to run workshops over three days related to ocean accounting in Samoa to support the ambitious goals and targets outlined in the Samoa Ocean Strategy. Read more here. 

18 March 2024 | Seminar and Panel: Accounting for the Costa Rican Oceans Part 1: Introduction to Ocean Accounts | Online 
This seminar discussed how ocean accounting and the valuation of coastal and marine ecosystems could be integrated into the planning for sustainable ocean development in Costa Rica. The GOAP Secretariat hosted the first Spanish-speaking ocean accounting seminar online, which was attended by 30 particpants representing nearly 20 organisations across academia, NGOs and government. Watch the recording here and learn more here.
View all projects

Recent & Upcoming Events

10-12 April 2024 | 2024 Ocean Decade Conference | Barcelona, Spain 
Representatives from the GOAP Secretariat hosted a satellite event (see below), participated in the Ocean Decade White Paper presentation, developed new global connections and strengthened existing networks with community of ocean users and leaders. 

11 April 2024 | Connecting science and policy: The case accounting for the ocean | Pacific Ocean Room (Area 08), Ocean Decade Conference, Barcelona, Spain 
The GOAP Secretariat led this satellite event, which highlighted that ocean accounts compile the environmental, social and economic data needed to make key decisions in the transition towards a sustainable ocean economy Panelists include Stephanie Ockenden (World Resources Institute), Ibukun Adewumi (IOC-Africa), Andrew Rhodes Espinoza (iAlumbra), Bekele Shiferaw (The World Bank). 

14-19 April 2024 | Training Students in Ocean Accounting in Maldives | Laamu Atoll, Maldives 
Representatives from the GOAP Secretariat, Maldives Resilient Reefs and students from Maldives National University performed critical ground-truthing for ocean accounting at Laamu Atoll, Maldives.  

23-25 April 2024 | Space for Island Nations Conference (SINC) | Crossroads, Maldives
Delegates from over 40 countries convened to discuss the important of space or small island counties. Dr Jordan Gacutan from the GOAP Secretariat presented during the panel 'More Than Meets the Island - How Can Space Help Corals Protect Us?' To highlight the use of remote sensing data in natural capital accounting.  

May 2024 | Workshop: Ocean Accounts in the Pacific | Fiji and Tonga 
These workshops aim to grow capacity for ocean accounting in the Pacific to support national ocean governance strategies and provide an overview of ocean accounting activities already implemented in the wider Asia-Pacific region. Organised in partnership with national government, Kami Pasifiki, SPC and the GOAP Secretariat.
View all events

New Knowledge Products!

Want to learn more about the Blue Economy? Join Introduction to the Blue Economy, the latest online course from GOAP Member, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, taught by Dr. Charles Colgan. Over 4 modules and 3-5 hours of self-paced study, the course provides an overview of the (1) components that define the blue economy, (2) challenges in managing the complex social and economic systems, (3) fundamentals of ocean accounting and their use in monitoring the contribution of the blue economy, and (4) basics of blue economy finance. For more information and registration see here.
View all knowledge products
Catch the discussion of Ocean Accounts at the Ocean Decade Conference closing session, 12 April 2024. At 1:50, Sylvia Michele Diez (Program Manager for PROBLUE, World Bank Group) discusses the need for data in the transition to a sustainable ocean economy, including data for mapping and the valuation of natural assets. Ms Diez used ocean accounts as an example of a framework to compile such data , highlighting that 'ocean accounts are needed for people and for the planet.' 

Submit your news


If you have any updates you would like to share through this newsletter, please get in touch with the GOAP Secretariat and we will include your items in the next edition. Please send your submissions of 250 words, plus any relevant links by December 30, 2023, to be included in the Q4 edition.
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About GOAP


The Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) is a multistakeholder partnership established to enable countries and other stakeholders to go Beyond GDP to effectively measure and manage progress towards ocean sustainable development. GOAP aims to support at least 30 countries by 2030 to build complete sequences of national ocean accounts and co-create knowledge products that support the development of globally accepted and standardised ocean accounting practices. Co-Chaired by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Government of Indonesia  and Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, GOAP brings together governments, international organisations, and research institutions to build a global community of practice for ocean accounting.
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