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Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth
April 22-25, 2014The Hague, The Netherlands
Global leaders, ocean practitioners, scientists and representatives from government, business, civil society and international organizations gathered at the Summit to explore action-oriented partnerships, governance arrangements, investment frameworks and new financing vehicles to address the health of oceans.

Healthy oceans are essential for global food security, livelihoods and economic growth. Ocean health and productivity must therefore be at the heart of global efforts to end extreme poverty, strengthen food security and build resilience to climate change.

For the first time, global leaders, ocean practitioners, scientists and representatives from government, business, civil society and international organizations came together to explore action-oriented partnerships, governance arrangements, investment frameworks and new financing vehicles to address the health of oceans.

The Summit aimed to:

  • Identify steps towards critical internationally agreed targets for fisheries, aquaculture, habitat protection and pollution reduction
  • Highlight the need to address the next frontiers of successful integrated approaches, including public-private partners
  • Take stock of previous important regional and thematic ocean conferences
  • Deliver a pathway towards prime positioning for the oceans on the international development agenda

The Summit was organized by the Government of the Netherlands, in close collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank and the Governments of Grenada, Indonesia, Mauritius, Norway and the United States.

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Download: Program  |  List of Speakers / Panelists  |  Schedule of Side Events

Tuesday, April 22

9:30–10:00 a.m.    Plenary Opening Ceremony including Keynote Speeches by:
- H.E. Sharon Dijksma – Minister for Agriculture of The Netherlands
- Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank
- Arni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO

10:00–10:30 a.m.    Feedback: relevant meetings
- Asia Conference on Oceans, Food Security and Blue Growth, by H.E. Sharif Cicip Sutardjo, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia
- The Economist World Ocean Summit, Charles Goddard, Editorial Director, The Economist Asia Pacific

10:30–10:50 a.m.    Positioning the Oceans by Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Director of Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, and coordinating lead-author of the Oceans chapter in the 5th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report / Blue Ribbon Panel Chair

10:50–12:10 a.m.    Panel discussion – Perspectives on ocean challenges, opportunities for transformation, moderated by Zeinab Badawi, Anchor BBC. Panelists include:
- Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, Senior Associate Director, Rockefeller Foundation
- Fatou Mboob, Executive Director, TRY Oyster Women’s Association, The Gambia
- Mike Kraft, Vice President, Sustainability, Bumblebee Foods
- Rolph Payet, Minister for Environment, The Seychelles
- Stephen Hall, Director General, WorldFish
- Sebastian Troeng, Senior Vice President, Conservation International

12:10–12:20 a.m.    Introduction to the Program of the Summit by the Chair H.E. Sharon Dijksma – Minister for Agriculture of The Netherlands

12:20–12:30 a.m.    Introduction to Working Groups by the Chair

12:30–02:00 p.m.    Lunch, Exhibition, Side Events

02:00–04:00 p.m.    Parallel Working Groups – Session 1
- Balancing Growth & Conservation – Growth
- Private Sector & Social Equity – Role of the Private Sector
- ABNJ & EEZ’s – IUU fishing

04:00–06:00 p.m.    Parallel Working Groups – Session 2
- Balancing Growth & Conservation – Conservation
- Private Sector & Social Equity – Enhancing Local Development
- ABNJ & EEZ’s – Plastics in the Marine Environment

06:00–07:30 p.m.    Welcome Reception hosted by the Netherlands

Wednesday, April 23

09:30–11:30 a.m.    Parallel Working Groups – Session 3
- Balancing Growth & Conservation – Solutions
- Private sector & Social Equity – Getting action
- ABNJ & EEZ’s – Cooperation

11:30–11:45 a.m.    Coffee break

11:45–12:30 a.m.    Plenary session: Feedback Working Groups 1, 2 and 3

12:30–02:00 p.m.    Lunch and Exhibition, Side Events

02:00–04:00 p.m.    Parallel Working Groups – Session 4
- Models for Governance – Experiences from Integrated Management of the Marine Environment
- Financing Mechanisms – Why Invest in the Ocean? Insights from Public, Private, and Multilateral Institutions
- Partnerships – Public Partnerships for Transformative Action

04:00–06:00 p.m.    Parallel Working Groups – Session 5
- Models for Governance – Creating the Conditions for Best Practice Community Management
- Financing Mechanisms – Blue Bonds and Innovative Finance
- Partnerships – Lessons from Effective Partnerships for Ocean Health

Thursday, April 24

09:30–10:30 a.m.    Plenary Opening Session
- Welcome Remarks by Ms. Sharon Dijksma, Minister for Agriculture of The Netherlands
- Keynote addresses:
     Dr. Right Hon. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada
     H.E. Elisabeth Aspaker, Minister of Fisheries, Royal Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries
     H.E. John Kerry, Secretary of State, United States of America
     H.E. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister for Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates

10:30–11:00 a.m.    Highlights from the Working Group sessions of Tuesday and Wednesday

11:00–11:15 a.m.    Coffee break

11:15–01:00 p.m.    1. Ministerial / High Level Round Tables
- Round Table A: Pitches for action (including high-level speakers)
- Round Table B: Pitches for action (including high-level speakers)

2. Parallel Working Groups – Session 6
- Models for Governance – From Top-Down to Bottom-Up: Transitioning to Co-Management of Local Fisheries
- Financing Mechanisms – Banking on Sustainable Fisheries and Healthy Ecosystems
- Partnerships – Private Sector Partnerships for Sustainable Fisheries

01:00–02:30 p.m.    Lunch and Exhibition, Side Events

02:30–05:30 p.m.    1. Ministerial / High-Level Round Tables
- Round Table A: Discussion on draft outcome and Pitches for Action (including high-level speakers)
- Round Table B: Discussion on draft outcome and Pitches for Action (including High-level speakers)

2. Parallel Working Groups – Session 6
- Discussion on draft outcome and Pitches for Action

06:00–08:00 p.m.    Exhibition and side events

Friday, April 25

9:30–10:30 a.m.    Plenary Opening Session
- Feedback: high-level meetings
- Feedback: parallel meetings

10:30–11:30 p.m.    Presentation of draft Chair’s report
                               Reflection on outcomes and discussion

11:30–12:00 a.m.    Coffee break

12:30–02:00 p.m.    Presentation Chair’s report
                               Final remarks and closure of the Summit

2:00 p.m.                Lunch

Last update: April 15, 2014

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