Coastal and Ocean Policy and Legislation

The workshop highlighted the importance of coasts and oceans and discussed the various initiatives and efforts at the central and local level in developing and implementing ocean and coastal governance. It benefited from the practical implementation, lessons learned and future actions related to coastal and ocean governance.

The workshop had three sessions. Session 1 focused on the national initiatives, both successes and failures, in developing national coastal/ocean policy, strategy and legislation. The session looked into the experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of national policies and strategies as well as sharing efforts with new initiatives. Session 2 examined how the planning and management framework of ICM could be effectively applied in an integrated manner for addressing the issues of climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity conservation, food security and freshwater resources depletion. Session 3, the Legislators’ Dialogue, provided a venue for exchange of ideas among legislators and policymakers. The heart of the dialogue was the next legislative or policy action agenda that will contribute to the enabling environment for coastal and ocean policy development and implementation as well as wider application of the ICM approach for integrated implementation of relevant international conventions.