A note from GOAP's Co-Chairs

Dear friends and colleagues,

So far, 2023 has seen many new projects, events, collaborations and knowledge products dedicated to advancing the development and global uptake of ocean accounting.

We want to take this opportunity to welcome our newest member to GOAP, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA joined as part of the recent Our Ocean conferenced hosted in Panama in March. Ocean Accounts featured prominently throughout the agenda, offering an exciting opportunity to ensure ocean accounts are embedded in broader ocean policy discussions and national commitments. 

In this edition of the GOAP newsletter, you will find the latest information on ocean accounting projects from around the world, including a natural capital accounting project in Laamu Atoll, the Maldives; a valuable multi-country, multi-institution collaboration that offers insights on how countries can share knowledge and lessons on developing ocean accounts for small island states. We have also shared three new Knowledge Products on basic spatial units for the ocean, lessons from the Africa CoP on how to implement ocean accounts and the importance of adopting blue economy models.

We are also very much looking forward to the upcoming 4th Global Dialogue on Ocean Accounting, scheduled for June 13th. This will provide a valuable opportunity for the global community of practice to connect, exchange new ideas and knowledge and identify opportunities for the reminder of the year.  The proposed agenda closely aligns with emerging global opportunities for ocean accounts and will play an important role in providing a foundation for the 5th Global Dialogue which will be held in person next year. We encourage everyone to participate. Please refer to the events section for more information. 

As always, your continued engagement with the GOAP's social platforms on Twitter & LinkedIn is very much appreciated to ensure you stay updated on the most recent news and discussions around the importance of ocean accounts to a sustainable ocean economy. 

Happy reading, 

• Rikke Munk Hanson, Chief, Economic and Environment Statistics at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• Zeba Ali, Manager, Fisheries and Oceans Canada