About The Waves of Change Conference

The Waves of Change conference will be organized around three themed tracks with relevance to women, youth and ocean sustainability, and features in-depth breakout sessions as well as hands-on workshops.

The State of the Ocean; Current Challenges and Future Prospects:

Implications for Women and Youth

• Climate change
• Coastal vulnerability
• Ocean ecosystem restoration

Involvement of Women and Youth within the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

Options and Challenges Related to Ocean Protection:

• Poverty eradication and food security
• Education and capacity building

New Solidarities for Sustainable Ocean Governance:

Engagement of Women and Youth

• Youth and women leadership in maritime affairs
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships
• Innovative approaches to sustainable ocean governance

The results of these deliberations will be incorporated in the Conference Proceedings and will help to shape the Conference Declarations. In line with IOI tradition, public lectures will be featured as tribute to the vision and leadership of Arvid Pardo, the "Father of the Law of the Sea".

Aims of the Conference

• Women and Youth Leadership - To promote women and youth leadership in maritime affairs
• Achieving UN Development Goals - To promote the interests of women and youth in meeting the objectives of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the UN MDGs
• New Approaches and Strategies - To explore new and innovative approaches for the management of ocean space and sustainable ocean governance
• Build Constituencies and Partnerships - To engage all sectors in ocean policy and foster multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to develop actionable outcomes and effective solutions for ocean threats and challenges
• Public Education and Awareness - To build public awareness of the ocean's value and importance to our lives and future, especially among women and youth

Who Should Attend?

• Women and youth leaders from all sectors
• NGO leaders working on sustainable development/environmental and peace/security issues
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) representatives
• Government officials
• Policy makers
• Environmental advocates and experts
• Researchers and academics
• Young social entrepreneurs

Why You Should Attend

• Participate in the world's largest women, youth and ocean campaign
• Engage and establish partnerships with key and influential stakeholders, including representatives from governments, NGOs, the private sector and educational institutions to address the challenges of ocean governance and climate change
• Discuss and develop innovative approaches to the sustainable, equitable and peaceful use of ocean resources