Maldives Hosts Regional Workshop on the Law of the Sea and Sustainable Ocean Economies.

A workshop on the Law of the Sea and Ocean Governance for the Wider Indian Ocean Region was inaugurated today in Villa Nautica by the Minister of State of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Ms. Aminath Hussain Shareef.

Organised by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Government of Maldives, the workshop is implemented under the Division’s project “Strengthening the Strategic Capacity of Developing States in Ocean Governance and the Law of the Sea for Sustainable Ocean Economies”, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

The objective of this four-day workshop is to provide participants with an introduction to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related instruments, as well as an overview of legal and institutional frameworks for ocean management at global, regional and national levels. Participants will also explore issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, concepts of blue economy and ocean finance, and regional priorities such as ocean governance, the science-policy interface, and climate change.

Speaking at the inauguration, State Minister Aminath Hussain Shareef highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, stating:

“We know from experience that no nation, however committed, can secure the health of its waters in isolation. The law of the sea provides us with the compass; but it is the regional cooperation that provides us the vessel and means. When we align our national frameworks with global standards and act together at the regional and subregional level, we can protect migratory and straddling fish stocks, safeguard marine biodiversity, and unlock the promise of a truly sustainable blue economy.”

A total of 47 representatives from 12 Member States, including the Maldives, are participating in the workshop. The programme features sessions on UNCLOS, ocean governance frameworks, blue economy and finance, maritime security, and regional approaches to ocean affairs, along with exercises and discussions to foster peer learning among participants.

Following the regional workshop, a national workshop of three days will be held to strengthen the Maldives’ implementation of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA). This programme will provide Maldivian officials and stakeholders with a deeper understanding of the Agreement and the practical steps needed to fulfil national obligations, including cooperation through RFMOs, data exchange, and enforcement against IUU fishing.