Bangkok, Thailand, 20 – 22 July 2026

Introduction

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has gaining increasing attention from Member States in the Western Pacific, as an effective process to support policy-makers and stakeholders in making informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine spaces and resources sustainably.

In 2022,  the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) launched the United Nations Ocean Decade Action 21: Accelerating Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific in 2022. More importantly, Member States in the region adopted the Action Framework for Accelerating Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific and its Adjacent Areas (2025-2030), representing a collective commitment to advancing MSP for boosting a sustainable blue economy and fulfilling both national and international ocean-related commitments.

Among other efforts, this in-person training aims to strengthen national and regional capacity for marine spatial planning (MSP) in the East Asian Seas. The activity is a joint initiative, and the UNESCO/IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) is pleased to co-organize this event together with our partners: IW:LEARN, MSPglobal, the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Strategic Action Programme (SCS-SAP) Project, and the UNEP Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA).

Workshop objectives

The in-person training workshop aims to:

  • Strengthen the understanding and capacities on MSP concepts, processes, and practical implementation approaches, as a way to help accelerate the implementation of MSP in the region;
  • Enhance awareness on existing national and regional MSP mechanisms and their linkages to global frameworks;
  • Train participants on the application of the newly developed practical approach to integrate MSP and sustainable blue economy into the TDA/SAP process implemented at the scale of the LMEs.

The training workshop includes three parts:

  1. The first part covers the fundamentals of MSP, including interactive sessions using the MSP Challenge board game adapted to specific regional needs.
  2. The second part focuses on practical ways to integrate MSP and sustainable blue economy approaches into the transboundary diagnostic analysis/strategic action programme (TDA/SAP) process used byLarge Marine Ecosystem (LME) programmes, based on a new practical approach developed with the support of GRID-
  3. The third part explores how MSP links to global and regional frameworks. Countries will also have the opportunity to share their experiences and approaches, followed by examples of technical support provided to countries.

Workshop participants

The training will bring together participants from Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters (IW) projects, national authorities and supporting institutions engaged in MSP initiatives, regional organizations, representatives of government and academia.