Nausicaa, the French National Sea Centre, is organizing the High Seas International Conference to raise public awareness and mobilize civil society on the challenges of the High Seas.

The Conference takes place from 27 to 28 June 2018 in Boulogne-sur-mer and is co-organized with l’Agence Française pour la Biodiversité (AFB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Ocean Forum, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Ocean Network and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Interventions from country representatives and speakers of the scientific community, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and academia will provide their insight about the High Seas governance, the Blue Society, and the legal challenges regarding the conservation and the sustainable management of marine resources.

During a special event dedicated to Marine World Heritage on 27 June, the results of the 2016 UNESCO/IUCN High Seas report will be presented. The report explores the different ways the 1972 World Heritage Convention may one day apply to the wonders of the open ocean, which covers more than half the planet. The report also presents five sites that illustrate different ecosystems, from biodiversity-rich areas to the natural phenomena that can only be found in the depths of the ocean. 

For more information and registration, click here.