Blue Oceans Conference in Liberia

The Government of Liberia, Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia and Conservation International are proud to announce the Blue Oceans Conference to be held in Monrovia, Liberia the 18-21 of March 2019.

Oceans have been historically undervalued in Liberia, and across Africa more broadly, and the services that the oceans provide are often taken for granted. Conserving and enhancing these ecosystem services is a matter of managing human actions within the marine environment. The Blue Oceans Conference builds upon the momentum begun by the United Nations Oceans Conference and the recent Nairobi Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in creating opportunities for African countries and relevant stakeholders to understand the challenges associated with marine governance and sustainable development, specifically regarding climate change impacts, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, economic opportunities, and maritime security.

By supporting global efforts of UN agencies, governments, civil society and the private sector the Blue Oceans Conference will address some of the most critical challenges affecting the marine and coastal environments, including the potential role integrated ocean management across Africa could have in strengthening the sustainable use of marine resources. This conference aims to identify innovative solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of Africa’s marine environment and will be a turning point for ocean work in Liberia, West Africa, and the African region more broadly that will reverse the decline in the health of our ocean for people, the planet and prosperity.

Institutional Arrangement

The overall objective of the Blue Oceans Conference will be to change the hearts and minds of decision-makers and stakeholders invested in the ocean and push new and innovative policies to protect Liberia’s coastal and marine resources – and Africa more broadly. This will be done by learning from in county experts, regional case studies, and the international community. We hope this will spur communication and collaboration to improve well-being, economic security, and sustainable socio-development.

A National Steering Committee was organized to be the principal decision-making body of the Blue Oceans Conference scheduled for March 18-22, 2019 in Liberia.

The Steering committee is Chaired by the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) and Co-Chaired by the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) and National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).