Conference: Ocean Governance for Sustainability – Challenges, Options and the Role of Science
6-8 March 2017, Bremen, Germany
Submission deadline: January 2017
Current practices and future directions in Ocean Governance
The subject of governing oceanic systems and coastlines is moving into the center of European strategic and sustainability interests. Yet, it suffers from a high degree of fragmentation and the lack of a cross-scalar approach to addressing prevailing policy shortcomings. The COST Action “Ocean Governance for Sustainability – Challenges, Options and the Role of Science – OceanGov” comprises a vision, and a series of approaches that informs research and future policy directions on crosscutting sustainability-driven issues related to the fragmented governance framework of oceans, seas and coastlines within regional- and open ocean-waters, in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The conference therefore aims at conceptualizing ‘Ocean Governance for Sustainability’ by looking at the realities and practices of ocean governance in the following six thematic fields:
• Land-Sea Interactions
• Area-based Management
• Seabed Resource Management
• Nutrition Security and Food Systems
• Ocean Climate and Acidification
• Fisheries Governance
In addition, the here to be found ocean governance practices, as well as their underlying structures and discourses, will form the empirical basis for a conceptual panel on theoretically grounded discourses in relation to ocean and coastal governance crosscutting diverse conceptual approaches such as Interactive Governance Theory, Evolutionary Governance Theory, together with Social-Ecological Systems analyses.
The conference will end with a policy-level podium discussion with the aim of further advancing policy-practice considerations on Ocean Governance for Sustainability within the context of European Union policy-making. The public panel will comprise representatives spanning the EU Commission, national-level policy making, and civil society.
We encourage the submission of innovative papers related to the conceptualization and/or the applicability of current governance discourses and practices linked to the ocean and marine realms. The focus of this conference targets the governance of the oceans, from multiple approaches and varied disciplinary traditions, illustrating empirical and/or conceptual contributions around Europe. For submission, please send in an abstract (no longer than 300 words) and a short CV to Dr. Maria Jose Barragan Paladines (Mail: dks@leibniz-zmt.de) by latest December 31st, 2016 (Note: extended deadline). Speakers will be expected to contribute sections to a jointly authored concept note following the conference by the end of March, 2017.
Read the full Call for Papers here(pdf).
