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The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 brought about an unprecedented agenda for sustainability, setting ambitious goals that must be implemented by all countries. For the first time conservation and sustainable use of the ocean is paired off with the world’s other most pressing sustainability challenges in one overarching global policy agenda. The global community now faces the challenge of turning this commitment into action. The ocean and coasts, being indispensable for achieving global sustainability, has become subject of a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) and have strong links with many other goals, including poverty eradication (SDG 1), food security (SDG 2), modern energy (SDG 7), growth and employment (SDG 8) and ecosystems and biodiversity (SDG 15).

In order to support comprehensive ocean governance the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other partners announced a new initiative aimed at assisting nations and regional organizations in creating innovative regional strategies that will ensure delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals relevant to Oceans: Launched at the UNEP Regional Seas Meeting in Istanbul in 2015, under the Partnership for Regional Oceans Governance (PROG), the initiative on the Oceans Sustainable Development Goals is a partnership between UNEP, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (through the GIZ Sector project “Implementing the Biodiversity Convention”), the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI).

Several events and activities are scheduled to jumpstart the SDG 14 process through the PROG. The 2016 Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshop (12-13 May 2016) brought together outstanding experts and representatives from governments, international organizations, scientific institutions, civil society and business to advance creative thinking to for the implementation of the SDGs for ocean, seas and marine resources. Turning the 2030 Agenda into practice will require innovative thinking on ocean governance and dedicated action from governments. The workshop focused on key challenges for implementation that addressed on (i) Follow-up and review of SDG implementation (ii) Capacity Building and Gap Assessment (iii) Regional approaches.

The Potsdam Ocean Governance Workshops at IASS provided a unique opportunity for scientists, decision makers and civil society to meet in an inspiring environment and to engage in solution-oriented dialogues contributing to ocean sustainability policy and science. Conclusions of the 2016 Workshop provided inputs to the global policy discussions on the implementation, follow-up and review of the SDGs. The workshop was followed by a Parliamentary Evening “A Sustainable Future for Oceans and Coasts – Implementing the Agenda 2030” hosted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with the IASS, in Berlin last 11 May.