Since 2017, the Commission, in partnership with IOC-UNESCO, is supporting/funding the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Global initiative to promote better use of maritime space at a global scale. It aims to meet the ambitious goal of covering at least 1/3 of the global maritime areas under national jurisdictions with marine spatial plans by 2030.
In October 2024, at the 6th International Maritime Spatial Planning Forum in Bali, Indonesia, the Commission announced that the MSP Global Initiative would continue with the MSPglobal 3.0 project.
This edition of the Maritime Spatial Planning Forum gathered over 100 participants from 46 countries for three days of intense discussion. It was co-organised by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia (MMAF) together with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) and the Commission.
At the centre of the conversations were the three pillars of the Updated MSProadmap
- Maritime spatial planning and marine protection and restoration
- Maritime spatial planning and climate change
- Maritime spatial planning and the sustainable blue economy
Like previous editions, the 6th International MSP forum in Bali empowered planners, researchers, sectors, and civil society to identify solutions towards cross-sectoral actions to conserve our ocean and use its resources in a sustainable way. A detailed event report is available on the MSPglobal website.