Second Oceans Forum

​United Nations Oceans Envoy Peter Thomson will chair the Second Oceans Forum in Geneva on 16–17 July 2018 where leading voices in sustainability diplomacy will call for urgent action to end harmful fishing subsidies while strengthening the position of developing countries in seizing trade opportunities from the seafood value chain.

Through state-of-the-art analysis, country experiences and identification of public and private best practices, the Oceans Forum will aim at providing policy recommendations and propose specific actions on meeting trade-related targets of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (“Life under Water”), particularly targets 4, 6, 7 and b. Many targets under Goal 14 are due to be met by 2020.

“It is sobering to consider that nearly 90% of the world’s marine fish stocks are now fully exploited, overexploited or depleted, and there is no doubt that fisheries subsidies play a big role,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, who is hosting the event, said.

“Without them, we could slow the overexploitation of fish stocks, deal with the overcapacity of fishing fleets, and tackle the scourge of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

At the same time, Dr. Kituyi said, the sustainability of fisheries is essential for the livelihoods of billions of people in coastal communities around the world, especially in developing countries.

Featured speakers include:
• Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General, The Commonwealth
• Viwanou Gnassounou, Assistant Secretary-General for Sustainable Economic Development and Trade, African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States
• Audun Lem, Deputy-Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Lisa Svensson, Director Oceans, UN Environment
• Nicola Koch, Chef de Cabinet and Secretary of the Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
• Awni Behnam, Honorary President, International Ocean Institute
• Roberto Zapata Barradas, Chairman of the World Trade Organization’s Rules Negotiating Group and Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the WTO
• Anders Jessen, Acting Director for International Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare), European Commission
• José Luis Cancela, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the WTO, UNCTAD, WIPO and ITC
• Mere Falemaka, Permanent Representative, Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and Other International Organizations in Geneva
• Anna Holl, Senior Fisheries Policy Advisor, WWF
• Reina Y. J. Sotillo de Galgano, Minister Plenipotentiary - Representative to the Federal Fisheries Council, National Directorate of Multilateral Economic Negotiations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Republic of Argentina
• Daniel Kachelriess, Marine Species Officer, CITES Secretariat
• Alan Deidun, Malta's Oceans Ambassador and Director, IOI, Malta Centre

The second Oceans Forum is organized in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the International Ocean Institute.