16th Edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative
March 23 and 24, 2025
« Political leaders, scientific experts, and economic players, only by working together, can we take effective and appropriate action to enhance both Ocean preservation and sustainable management. […] Economics gives us the ability to transform our lives rapidly and profoundly, through consumer choices that shape production, transportation, and waste management in line with our aspirations. Finance provides the means to mobilize vast resources, often far greater than those available to states or multilateral organizations, which are frequently overwhelmed by pressing global emergencies. This is why it is essential to approach these issues with both care and determination. »
The Monaco Blue Initiative is a unique discussion platform which brings together every year, by invitation, the major players in the ocean sector to discuss in concrete and operational terms, as well as prospectively, the current and future global challenges of ocean management and conservation.
This event, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, provides a stimulating environment to encourage exchanges between private sector companies, scientists, decision-makers, major international organisations and civil society, in order to analyse and promote possible synergies between the protection of the marine environment and the development of a real and sustainable blue economy.
The recommendations resulting from the debates feed into high-level discussions and negotiations on the protection and governance of the Ocean, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the negotiations on Marine Biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and major international meetings such as the International Congress of Marine Protected Areas.
An edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative focused on preparing for the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.
The 16th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative took place two and a half months before the 3rd UN Ocean Conference held in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025. Its aim was to address key themes of the UN Conference and prepare for the Blue Economy & Finance Forum (BEFF), which was held in Monaco on 7 and 8 June 2025, just prior to the Conference. Some key participants expressed their expectations for BEFF and recognized the opportunity provided by the MBI to prepare for this significant event.
