GOBI representatives are attending the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York (5-9 June). The conference focuses attention on ocean pollution, overfishing and climate impacts and is calling on countries to set aside short-term gain to avoid catastrophe. Its main message is to promote the positive momentum generated by the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, and to encourage the formation of new partnerships and voluntary commitments to advance the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): Life Under Water.
The week’s discussions and will culminate in a Call for Action that will be formally adopted at the conclusion of the Conference and will stress the need to implement SDG14 whilst recognising its interlinkages with all other SDGs.
GOBI partners are involved in a number of side events throughout the week, and are co-hosting two events as follows:

Wednesday 7 June: SDGs and the Blue Economy

Co-organised by the Permanent Mission of Eritrea in partnership with International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme, University of Strathclyde, Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI), Marine Scotland, and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). GOBI Coordinator David Johnson will present on mainstreaming of marine biodiversity into the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thursday 8 June 2017: EBSAs: special places to accelerate implementation towards SDG 14

Co-organised by CBD Secretariat, FAO, OBIS-IOC/UNESCO, Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, CSIRO/Australia, Duke University/USA, IUCN-CEM-FEG. Co-chairs: Cristiana Pașca Palmer (Executive Secretary, CBD) and David Johnson (GOBI Coordinator)
Further news about these and other side events can be found at the UN Ocean Conference website.