Special Events
Youth and Innovation Forum
About: The Youth and Innovation Forum will be a platform for advancing ocean action and implementing youth-led solutions based on SDG 14 targets. It will seek to help young entrepreneurs and innovators scale up their initiatives, projects and ideas through professional training and matchmaking with mentors, investors, the private sector and government officials.
Key partners: The Youth and Innovation Forum is organized by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal and the UN Global Compact, in cooperation with CEiiA, the Municipality of Cascais, Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), and with support from UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
Localizing Action for the Ocean: Local and Regional Governments
About: This Special Event will create an opportunity for local and regional governments and their networks, national governments and other stakeholders to exchange good practices of SDG 14 implementation at the local level. It will also be a space for local and regional governments and other stakeholders to announce new voluntary commitments in support of Ocean Action. The event will also seek to facilitate a discussion on opportunities and initiatives that can support sustainable adaptation for coastal cities and regions, including financing innovation and scaling up ocean protection.
Key partners: The Localizing Action for the Ocean with Local and Regional Governments is organized by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, with the support of the City of Matosinhos, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UN Global Compact, the Climate Champions Team, networks of local and regional governments gathered in the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, Regions4, Ocean & Climate Platform, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Resilient Cities Network and the International Association Cities & Ports (AIVP).
High-Level Symposium on Water – Bridging SDG 6 and SDG 14
About: The High-Level Symposium on Water is one of the preparatory meetings for the UN Water Conference 2023. Trying to bridge and explore the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 14 (Life below Water), this Symposium represents a unique opportunity to bring together political leaders and high-level decision makers dealing both with “fresh” and “salt” water, reflecting on how to better connect these two communities to guarantee an integrated vision of the water cycle. By doing so, this event provides an opportunity to strengthen the role of water and ocean in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement and offers a platform for presenting successful best practices and partnerships.
Key partners: The High-Level Symposium on Water – Bridging SDG 6 and SDG 14 is organized by the Government of Portugal, in articulation with the Government of Kenya, and with the support of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and UN-Water.
Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum
About: The Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum (SBEIF) will launch a process for designing sustainable blue economies sustainable framework global standard, to be used in financial instruments, investment decisions and business. In addition, the SBEIF will be an opportunity to establish a common language for a sustainable ocean economy and to explore how to build synergies between integrated Ocean Management Plans, trade finance, marketing and distribution value chains and the private sector.
Key partners: The Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum is organized by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, with the support of the Municipality of Cascais and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
