On Tuesday 22 October, members of JNCC’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Team had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the MPA Agency Partnership (MPAAP) in the periphery of the latest Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) currently underway in Colombia. (Read our Delegation Diary to find out how we are supporting the UK delegation at the ‘nature COP’, important meetings, and the side events we’re involved with.)
The MPAAP is a partnership of MPA agencies from across the globe; providing an informal, high-level platform for national marine protected area agencies to discuss common issues and explore opportunities for cooperation.
Many MPAAP members joined the meeting from the CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia with others joining from all corners of the world. The meeting was attended by Germany, France, Spain, Colombia (the CBDCOP16 hosts), USA, Canada, countries representing the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine region, Senegal and IUCN, as well as JNCC on behalf of the UK.
The group discussed and celebrated the strides being made to further protection of our global ocean but identified some common and emerging challenges that require global cooperation to overcome. Noteworthy were points made around sustainable finance mechanisms for marine conservation, how clean energy initiatives and nature conservation co-exist in the marine space, and the socio-economic benefits of MPAs.
The importance of collaborating across borders was without question one of the main points made by all participants, using networks like the MPAAP and the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change to share learning between different countries.
JNCC attendees presented our progress so far on the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change and look forward to further reinforcing links between the two partnerships moving forward.
JNCC’s Sarah Harrison (International Marine Coordination Manager) presents work from the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change at the MPAAP meeting.
Co-hosted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Colombia’s National and Natural Parks of Colombia, the two countries will work together to produce a summary of recommendations from the group for Colombia to carry forward into the COP16 negotiations and dialogue.
To find out more about the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change please visit our website.