Headline: National Sustainability Strategy: Federal Government Supports Initiative on Marine Conservation by IASS, IDDRI and UNEP

The draft text of the new National Sustainability Strategy, presented by Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on 31 May, identifies an initiative led by the IASS and partners as one contribution to German efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Oceans and Seas (SDG14). The Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG), which was launched in 2015 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris and the IASS, will support efforts to dismantle “structural obstacles to the integrated management of marine resources”. Fostering the development of regional approaches to cross-border cooperation and coordination is central to the work of the Ocean Governance programme at the IASS.

“The sustainable use of ocean resources is a fundamental prerequisite for the achievement of our global sustainability goals”, commented Sebastian Unger, Ocean Governance Lead at the IASS, on World Oceans Day. The reality, however, is troubling: “Human impacts have compromised the health of over half of the world’s oceans.” The IASS is working closely with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other partners under the umbrella of PROG to support initiatives and innovative approaches in pilot regions to protect oceans and encourage the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.

In its recent Ten-Point Plan for Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) lent its support to PROG. The initiative is undertaking important work at the research-policy interface by, for example, analysing and promoting good practice and developing innovative models to facilitate dialogue between various interest groups. PROG was established to support regional organisations and nation states in their efforts to achieve the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.