The UfM participated in the EU International Ocean Governance Forum, launched by the European Commission in association with the European External Action Service to provide a platform for dialogue on ocean challenges and governance solutions The International Ocean Governance (IOG) Forum took place online on 23-24 of April to further strengthen international ocean governance for the sustainable use of oceans and seas and the shift to the blue economy. With the participation of the UfM Deputy Secretary General, Isidro González Afonso and UfM Head of Sector, Alessandra Sensi, the core of the debate was the degradation of marine ecosystems and the related economic and social impacts of activities linked to the seas, like the supply of food and tourism. Key speakers such as the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius and the UN Special Envoy for the Oceans, Peter Thomson, highlighted 5 key challenges for a sustainable blue economy. The first action needed is tackling pollution to achieve the healthy status of the ocean and restore marine ecosystems, since the marine environment continues to deteriorate, regardless of the efforts invested in reducing pollution. In this sense, plastic pollution is a main challenge to be addressed urgently, since between 8 and 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. With plastic production expected to double over the next 20 years, other approaches like “production to consumption” value chain initiatives and market shift towards ‘greener’ products need to be considered, according to the Forum recommendations. Learn more here: https://ufmsecretariat.org/reducing-pressure-oceans-sustainable-blue-economy/