Knowledge exchange webinar between Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans

Date: Tuesday 14 October 
Time: 8:30 - 10.30 CET / 9:30 -11:30 EAT / 1:30 - 3:30 BKK 

An event to exchange knowledge and experiences on SDG14-related topics between COBSEA, Nairobi Convention, HELCOM and OSPAR.

The Swedish government agency the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) has extensive practical experience in regional ocean governance, particularly through the involvement in regional marine management cooperation. Sweden, through representation of SwAM, is a standing member in the Regional Seas Conventions OSPAR and HELCOM. Since more than five years SwAM has established a fruitful collaboration with another Regional Seas Convention, namely Nairobi Convention. On the basis of this partnership, an MOU between SwAM and UNEP has been entered into. Through SwAM’s new Sida-financed development programme SwAM Ocean, SwAM has further expanded its work to the region of the East Asian Seas and initiated a collaboration with the Regional Seas Action Plan COBSEA.

The online event will invite COBSEA, HELCOM, Nairobi Convention and OSPAR to share main areas of work, achievements, challenges and lessons learned. Presentations providing a general overview of each Convention/Action Plan will be followed by discussions in breakout groups to allow for the different Regional Seas to meet and share insights around specific questions. The aim is to build new relations and exchange knowledge that can support capacity building and encourage best practices to be amplified.

SwAM acknowledges that these four Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs) play an important role in corralling countries sharing a sea or ocean region to collectively address marine pollution, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource use through regional cooperation. These Conventions and Action Plans provide a legal and institutional framework for countries to take science-based decisions in promoting protection, conservation, and sustainable management of marine and coastal environments. Yet the RSCAPs face several challenges in ocean governance and management due to the complexity of marine ecosystems, competing interests, and jurisdictional overlaps. The knowledge exchange webinar is an opportunity for exchange and sharing lessons learned in tackling these complexities which are often similar in nature. 

Target Audience: Secretariats and contracting parties’ focal points and technical working groups as appropriate from Nairobi Convention and COBSEA, as well as SwAM’s national coordinating representatives for OSPAR and HELCOM.

Expected Outcomes

Participants will have:

• A better understanding of the different institutional and governing structures of the participating RSCAPs.
• Gained mutual learning on ocean governance and transboundary issues.
• Established networking opportunities including contacts
• A summary report and plans for future knowledge exchange events webinar series in 2026

Organizers

• SwAM together with the secretariats of Nairobi Convention and COBSEA

Agenda

• Opening address - Catarina Hedar, Head, Unit of International Affairs, SwAM
• Keynote speaker - Alberto Pacheco Capella, Chief, UNEP Regional Seas Branch
• Presentation from Conventions and Action Plans
• Break out session
  • Area-based planning and habitat restoration 
  • Pollution management (land-based and sea-based sources) 
• Plenary Reporting
• Panel Reflections
• Closing by SwAM

Registration
https://forms.gle/RcTgXn7BHE1QpjWBA