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IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)

Advancing knowledge and cooperation for a healthy ocean and prosperous society

2nd WESTPAC Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning

Chonburi Province, Thailand, 14-16 October 2025

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has gained considerable importance worldwide as a proven effective way to manage the growing demands for marine/maritime spaces while preserving ocean ecosystems.
In the Western Pacific, coastal countries depend heavily on ocean for food security, job opportunities, economic growth, and cultural heritage. As the conflicts among multiple sectors for marine spaces intensify, countries in the region have repeatedly emphasized the urgent need to accelerate marine spatial planning processes.
In response to the pressing calls of Member States in the region, the UNESCO/IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) launched the Ocean Decade Action UN21 titled “Accelerate Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific” in 2022. This initiative aims to assist Member States in adopting an ecosystem-based approach to ocean resource management, advancing a sustainable blue economy, and contributing to the 2030 Agenda as a whole.

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Significant progress has been achieved since its inception. Key milestones include: The first regional MSP Forum convened in December 2022; A regional Group of MSP Experts formed in August 2023, followed by its inaugural meeting in Nov 2023, Qingdao, China; 5 national trainings conducted in China and Thailand during 2023-2024; 6 demonstration sites established across 5 countries.
A major achievement was the formulation and adoption of the Regional Action Framework for Marine Spatial Planning (2025–2030) at the 15th Intergovernmental Session (March 2025, Tokyo). This Framework provides a portfolio of enabling actions that the Sub-Commission, along with Member States and various national and international partners, will undertake to accelerate the MSP processes towards building effective pathways for ecosystem-based management, sustainable blue economy, and the fulfillment of both national and international ocean related commitments.

The need to strengthen marine spatial planning was further emphasized at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), held from 9–13 June 2025 in Nice, France—the largest global event dedicated to ocean issues to date.

In this context, the 2nd WESTPAC Workshop on MSP will take place on 14-16 October 2025 in the Chonburi Province, Thailand, one of the six UN21 MSP Demonstration Sites, to review the current progress and challenges, and chart the course for the marine spatial planning in the region.

Workshop Objectives

This workshop will bring together MSP experts and representatives from national government agencies for marine spatial planning, national and international partners, donors, private and business sectors, and other key stakeholders, to advance the implementation of the UN 21, and the Regional Action Framework (2025-2030).

Specifically, the workshop will：

  • Present the recent developments of marine spatial planning at international, national, and local levels.
  • Review the overall implementation of the Ocean Decade Action UN 21
  • Showcase experience, best practices, and lessons learned from the MSP Demonstration Sites.
  • Generate actionable recommendations to drive MSP development over the next two years and beyond, in particular the implementation of the Regional Action Framework.

Workshop Programme

The workshop will consist of 2.5-day presentations and discussions, and half a day field study to the MSP Demonstration Site.

Session 1: Setting the stage
Session 2: MSP developments and Trends

Session 3: Implementation of the UN 21: Accelerating MSP in the Western Pacific
3.1 Overall progress on the Implementation of the UN21: Accelerating MSP in the Western Pacific
3.2 MSP development and practice sharing from the UN 21 Demonstration Sites: Indonesia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, China, Cambodia
3.3 Capacity Development- experience from national trainings in China and Thailand
3.4 MSP effort by partners and donor agencies
3.5 Brief on the Regional Action Framework (2025-2030)

Session 4: Brainstorming the way forward, in particular the Implementation of the Regional Action Framework (2025-2030)
4.1 Cooperation and collaboration,
4.2 Knowledge support, including the tailored MSP Toolkit development
4.3 Capacity development needs, awareness, and engagement
4.4 Demonstration and practices
4.5 Innovative financing and funding opportunities

Session 5: An MSP Field Trip to Chonburi (visit the Mangrove Cultivation Center and Local Community) to learn more MSP process in Thailand.

Session 6: Wrap up

Workshop Participants

  • Members of MSP Group of Experts in the Western Pacific
  • Government representatives
  • International organizations
  • Research institutes and universities
  • Business and Private sector
  • Donor and foundations
  • Other stakeholders of interest

Registration

Participants are kindly requested to complete the Online Registration/Application Form (https://forms.office.com/e/dCnwheWXjY) as early as possible, preferably by 15 August 2025.

If you are unable to access the online form, please complete the Offline Registration Form (Annex 1) and email it to iocwestpac@unesco.org with the subject line: Registration/Application Form-2nd WESTPAC Workshop on MSP

Contact

  • Ms Nachapa Saransuth, IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific/UN Ocean Decade Coordination Office, iocwestpac@unesco.org
  • Ms Xuewei Diao, UN 21 Support Office, diaoxuewei112@gmail.com
  • Ms Chanokphon Jantharakhantee, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand, chanokphon_017@windowslive.com

Important Links

1. Concept note (pdf)
2. Offline Registration/Application Form (word file)