Meetings Side Events
The 10th Our Ocean Conference, themed “Our Ocean, Our Action”, aims to promote global actions for a sustainable ocean. The 10th session of the conference will highlight “Digital Oceans” as a special agenda, focusing on innovative ways to drive action. Digital Oceans combines the ocean industry with digital technology, serving as a powerful tool to achieve a sustainable ocean efficiently and systematically.
28 – 30 April 2025
BEXCO in Busan (Auditorium, Convention Hall, Exhibition Center 1).
Address 55, APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Date: 28 April 2025
Time: 14:30 – 16:00
Location: Exhibition Centre 1, Room 215, BEXCO
Event Co-Hosts: International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF)
Description: This side event will showcase how the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) are driving impactful ocean action through regional innovation and global collaboration. It will highlight efforts to deliver on the 30×30 target by advancing marine protected areas and OECMs, strengthening monitoring through tools like the CT Atlas and GCRMN, and scaling up restoration and reef resilience. Panelists will also explore joint solutions to coral reef conservation, enhance food security through sustainable fisheries and ecosystem protection, and promote an inclusive, tech-enabled blue economy. Together, CTI-CFF and ICRI will demonstrate how regional leadership and global policy alignment can accelerate progress on the Global Biodiversity Framework, SDG14, climate resilience, and coastal food systems.
Date: 29 April 2025
Time: 16:30 – 18:00
Location: Exhibition Centre 1, Room 216, BEXCO
Host: Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
Partner Organisations:
- ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
- Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)
- Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC-WESTPAC)
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- North-East Asian Marine Protected Areas Network (NEAMPAN)
- Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
- South China Seas – Strategic Action Programme (SCS-SAP) Project
- Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) Program
- Blue Nature Alliance
- Global Network of MPA Networks
Description: The East Asian Seas is home to the richest marine biodiversity globally. Regional organizations are committed to undertaking joint actions, allowing for streamlined initiatives in support of the 30×30. The session will establish the EAS Collaborative Network of MPAs to be launched at UNOC3.
Date: April 30 2025
Time: 07:00 – 09:00 am
Location: Park Hyatt Busan
Event Co-Hosts: International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR)
Aim: As we approach the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) in June, this breakfast aims to spark aligned and unified action, building momentum for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of coral reef ecosystems around the world.
Date: 30 April 2025
Time: 10:50 – 12:20
Location: Exhibition Centre 1, Room 214, BEXCO
Event Co-Hosts: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Global Fund for Coral Reefs
(GFCR); International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Description: The event aims to showcase how investments in coral reef health can drive sustainable development gains. The panel discussion will delve into scalable blended finance strategies, such as supporting reef-positive businesses, debt-for-nature swaps, blue carbon credits, and coral reef insurance. It will highlight successful finance mechanisms in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Pacific SIDS, and other coral-rich nations. Case studies will illustrate how investments in sectors such as fisheries, waste management, aquaculture, ecotourism, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can yield benefits for ecosystems, economies, and communities, generating “triple bottom line” returns. The session will emphasize how public-private partnerships and cross-sector collaborations can speed up sustainable development through coral reef conservation investments.