As part of its mission to provide timely learning opportunities and continuous professional development for its global IOI Alumni community and early career ocean professionals (ECOPs), the International Ocean Institute hosted its second Alumni CPD Webinar of 2025. Titled "Ocean at a Crossroads: Key Insights from the 3rd UN Ocean Conference". The webinar offered participants a unique opportunity to engage with some of the outcomes of the June 2025 conference held in Nice, France, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.
Moderated by Cosmin Chivu, Project Officer at IOI Headquarters, the webinar convened a distinguished panel of experts, each offering a unique perspective on some of the conference outcomes, as well as practical strategies for advancing sustainable ocean governance.
Rebecca Lahl, Head of the Office for Knowledge Exchange at ZMT and Director of IOI Germany, opened the panel by reflecting on the growing importance of science-policy interfaces in delivering ocean action. She stressed the need for greater interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific cooperation across borders, and more inclusive capacity development to ensure that ocean knowledge leads to practical, local impact.
Evgeniia Kostianaia, Global Coordinator of the ECOP Programme, followed with a dynamic presentation on how early career professionals can enhance their contributions at large global conferences like UNOC3. Drawing from the ECOP Programme’s work, she shared strategies for networking, participation, and turning conference experiences into concrete opportunities for collaboration and continued learning.
Jorge Barbosa, Blue Economy Advisor at the Water Revolution Foundation and Blue Economy Specialist with the World Bank, closed the presentations by discussing the promise and risks of the emerging blue economy. He shared perspectives on how inclusive investment, climate-linked development strategies, and co-created solutions with communities can reshape sustainable ocean economies and strengthen ocean-climate governance.
The webinar concluded with remarks from Dr Awni Behnam, Honorary President of IOI, who underscored the urgency of turning ambition into action. Referring to the draft political declaration of the Nice Conference, he highlighted the importance of multilateralism, financial equity, and long-term commitments as we move towards the next UN Ocean Conference in 2028.
Participants from across the IOI network and the broader ocean governance community engaged actively during the Q&A, raising important questions on topics such as deep sea mining, the follow-up process for conference commitments, and the role of civil society in implementation and accountability.