The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB) has become the major focal assembly to share research outcomes, management and policy issues, and discussions on the role of biodiversity in sustaining ocean ecosystems. Arranged on a 3 - 4 year cycle, prior WCMB meetings (Valencia, Spain; Aberdeen, Scotland; Qingdao, China) have each attracted leading specialists from around the world, and catalyzed numerous sidebar sessions on marine biodiversity issues.

The 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity will be held at the Palais des congrès de  Montréal, Québec, Canada, from May 13-16, 2018. This meeting will bring together scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to discuss and advance our understanding of the importance and current state of biodiversity in the marine environment. Through a mix of keynote sessions, contributed talks and posters, and bookable venues for focused meetings, the conference program will address marine biodiversity across a deliberately wide range of relevant sectors. Participation will be encouraged from the broadest possible range of stakeholder groups from academics to industry.

For more information, visit the WCMB website.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy and the Community Conservation Research Network, two major international networks, have teamed up to co-organize “Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods”, a global conference taking place May 28-30^th 2018 in Halifax, Canada. It will be a unique highly-participatory gathering to explore the crucial role of local communities, around the world, in conserving local environments and at the same time supporting local economies and livelihoods. The meeting will also examine how governments, through their policy and practice, can best support these local conservation and livelihood initiatives.

More information on the website of the conference.

The Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium seeks to provide a forum for scientists, educators, managers, environmentalists, and relevant local stakeholders from key organizations in the Asia-Pacific region to share their knowledge and experiences on all aspects of coral reef biology, ecology, management, and conservation.

The 1st APCRS was held in 2006 in Hong Kong. The number of participants increased from 250 in the 1st symposium to 450 in the 2nd symposium in Thailand and over 500 participants from more than 35 countries and regions attended the 3rd APCRS in Taiwan in 2014.

The symposium happens once in every four years.

For more information, visit the website of the symposium.

Mark your calendars for the 5th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5) which will be held in the beautiful city of Kuching in Sarawak! This conference will bring together marine conserpeople from many walks of life including but not limited to marine conservation scientists, practitioners, teachers, policy makers, and journalists. Join us all in the middle of the Indo-Pacific as we come together to help "Make Marine Science Matter!"

For more information, visit the IMCC5 website.

Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) establishes an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body known as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to provide the Conference of the Parties (COP) and, as appropriate, its other subsidiary bodies, with timely advice relating to the implementation of the Convention. As a subsidiary body of the COP, SBSTTA is to report regularly to the COP on all aspects of its work. Multidisciplinary and open to participation by all Parties, SBSTTA comprises government representatives competent in the relevant field of expertise. Its functions include: providing assessments of the status of biological diversity; providing assessments of the types of measures taken in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; and responding to questions that the COP may put to the body.

SBSTTA has met 20 times to date and produced a total of 216 recommendations to the Conference of the Parties, some of which have been endorsed in full by the latter. Such endorsement makes these recommendations de facto decisions of the Conference of the Parties. Parts of other recommendations have also been endorsed, and many others have been taken up in modified form.

For more information, visit CBD's website.

The 4th GEO Blue Planet Symposium will serve as a forum for discussion of ocean and coastal information needs for sustainable development, Blue Growth and societal awareness. The symposium will bring together producers of ocean and coastal information and current and potential users of ocean and coastal information, who will share their experience with the audience.

For more information, visit the Blue Planet Oceans and Society Initiative website.

The Global Conference on Gender in Aquaculture & Fisheries (GAF7) will be the seventh major conference organised by Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society.

GAF conferences endeavour to explore the expanding horizons of gender dimensions in aquaculture and fisheries, while highlighting the need for expanding gender inclusiveness and equity.

For more information, visit the website of the conference.

The 3rd World Small Scale Fisheries Congress (WSFC) is a transdisciplinary forum for anyone interested in small-scale fisheries to participate in an interactive discussion about the future of the world's small-scale fisheries. 

The overall goal of the Congress is to facilitate opportunities for researchers, students, young professionals, practitioners, fishers and fishers’ organizations, environmental groups, and policymakers to share information about all aspects of small-scale fisheries and to formulate action plans and capacity development programs to support the implementation of the SSF Guidelines.

For more information, visit the website of the congress.

Since 2014, the Our Ocean Conferences have invited ocean leaders to commit to change, to transforming our shared challenges into opportunities for cooperation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Previous conferences have seen a tremendous wave of commitments and billions of euros pledged. Our Ocean 2018 will continue to focus on six main areas of action: marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, climate change, sustainable blue economy and maritime security.

In OOC 2018, nearly 1000 participants are expected to attend, including heads of states and government, foreign, economist, environment and fisheries ministers and other established and up-and-coming ocean leaders in government, business, finance, science, philanthropy, NGOs and civil society. Young and cutting edge innovators and entrepreneurs are to share the stage with well-known and dynamic global readers in ocean conservation.

For more information, visit the website of the conference.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings.

To date the Conference of the Parties has held 12 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting (the latter, to adopt the Biosafety Protocol, was held in two parts). From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Since then these meetings have been held somewhat less frequently and, following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, will now be held every two years.

For more information, visit the CBD website.