1. 1st PROG Marine Regions Forum
Connecting People to Protect One Ocean
The Partnership for Regional Ocean Governance (PROG) was established in 2015 as a collaborative initiative by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), and TMG – Think Tank for Sustainability, and the UN Environment Programme (UN Environment). The partnership aims to support the development of integrated ocean governance approaches for marine regions.
In 2017, the Government of Germany announced at the UN Ocean Conference in New York in June and subsequently at the Our Ocean Conference in Malta together with the European Commission in October that they would support “the establishment of a cross-sectoral and cross-boundary multi-stakeholder platform for regional ocean governance under the PROG”.
This commitment led to the development of a multi-stakeholder platform, the “Marine Regions Forum”, which will support the overall objective of PROG. The first Forum will be organised from 30 September to 2 October 2019.
30 September – 2 October 2019
Berlin, Germany
European Union
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

2. Marine Regions Forum
Connecting People to Protect One Ocean
The Marine Regions Forum facilitates transformations towards integrated ocean governance for marine regions.
By advancing multi-stakeholder dialogue, exchange of good-practices, and cooperation between regions, the Marine Regions Forum supports the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Vision of the Marine Regions Forum
The Marine Regions Forum facilitates transformations towards integrated ocean governance for marine regions.
By advancing multi-stakeholder dialogue, exchange of good-practices, and cooperation between regions, the Marine Regions Forum supports the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems.

3. The Marine Regions Forum will:
Support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda including SDG 14
Bring together people
Build cross-sectoral cooperation
Develop new solutions
Provide informal space
Link with ongoing processes
Advance joint learning
The PROG Marine Regions Forum
The Marine Regions Forum will be a participatory, multi-stakeholder and cross- sectoral dialogue through which stakeholders from science, governments, regional and international organizations, civil society, industry, and other relevant actors from different marine regions and sectors meet:
To advance dialogue and joint learning, engage in the exchange of good practices, and facilitate the development of integrated ocean governance approaches for marine regions;
To support cooperation and coordination within and between marine regions for ocean sustainability;
To facilitate collective strategies for key sustainability challenges and introduce new approaches linking up to relevant international governance processes, e.g. the implementation of the 2030 Agenda