Conf 2025

Following the success of the maiden International Ocean Governance Conference on Emerging Issues in Maritime Boundary Delimitation and Ocean Governance in Africa, the Ocean Governance, Research and Development Project is proud to present the 2^nd International Ocean Governance Conference on the theme “Emerging Issues in Marine Environment and the Law of the Sea”.

Although the ocean plays a vital role on the planet and has immense biological and socio-economic benefits, it faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change, marine pollution, unsustainable resource exploitation, rising sea temperature and many others. This year’s Conference will bring together stakeholders, academics, industry professionals and experts from diverse fields and backgrounds to address emerging issues impacting the marine environment and the legal frameworks that govern ocean exploitation and regulation.  Apart from national and regional mechanisms to conserve the marine environment within national jurisdictions, the current international attempt to bring into force the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ Agreement) is not only timely, but it offers hope and presents challenges at the same time. The object of this treaty is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction for the present and in the long term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the UNCLOS and to further international cooperation and coordination. The element-specific objectives of the BBNJ Agreement include Area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; Environmental Impact Assessments; Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits and capacity building and transfer of marine technology. This conference intends to devote valuable time to assess the opportunities it offers as well as the challenges that confront the realisation of the benefits of the treaty.

Our goal at this year’s conference is to fully and clearly appreciate the various marine environmental challenges, explore innovative solutions, foster meaningful dialogue, build collaborative partnerships to tackle these critical challenges and make vital recommendations that have plagued the ocean and its resources.

The Conference:

This proposed joint interdisciplinary conference between the Ocean Governance Project at the University of Ghana School of Law and the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS) based at the University of Trømso will advance understanding, collaboration, and capacity building in Marine Environment and the Law of the Sea.