the programme

PANEL 1 :

• The session will unpack how the 2025 international milestones have reconfigured the ocean governance architecture, with a focus on what is materially changing for implementation across institutions, sectors and geographies. 

• It will critically examine where political alignment and financial flows are genuinely accelerating, and where systemic inertia, fragmented mandates or geopolitical tensions continue to constrain progress. 

• The discussion will aim to delineate a credible course of action towards 2030, identifying priority leverage points in a landscape increasingly shaped by competing global agendas. 

Panel 2:

• The panel will explore how overlapping and sometimes inconsistent governance frameworks are translating into operational constraints or opportunities for both public authorities and private investors. 

• It will assess how regulatory uncertainty and geopolitical fragmentation are being priced into investment decisions, affecting capital allocation, risk management and long-term planning across ocean sectors. 

• Particular attention will be given to high-exposure geographies and ecosystems, where governance gaps intersect with acute climate and biodiversity pressures, requiring more targeted and coordinated responses. 

Panel 3: 

• The discussion will take stock of the immediate implications of the BBNJ Agreement’s entry into force, with a focus on the institutional, legal and operational steps required ahead of COP1. 

• It will examine how to structure the end-to-end process of high seas MPA designation and management, from scientific identification to governance arrangements and sustainable financing mechanisms. 

• The session will also address implementation risks, including political deadlock and capacity gaps, while exploring the enabling role of advanced data systems, monitoring technologies and emerging tools. 

One moderator per table and a roaming “Master Moderator” moving throughout the room

• The role of technology, data and AI
• Impacts and adaptation for the private sector (shipping, tourism, fisheries)
• High seas and the deep sea
• BBNJ in the Mediterranean
• Priority areas and science
• Lessons learned from other international bodies
• Implementation, enforcement and control
• Financing BBNJ  

• Workshop wrapup in a fireside-style on-stage discussion between the moderators. 
• Keynote