On 24 April 2024, the UN Ocean Decade Action -UN21 “Accelerate Marine Spatial planning (MSP) in the Western Pacific”, convened over forty government officials, marine spatial planning experts, and relevant stakeholders from Member States in the region and international organizations. The objective was to deliberate on a roadmap for marine spatial planning in the region. This Decade Action Workshop formed an integral part of the 2^nd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference & the 11^th WESTPAC International Marine Science Conference (22-25 April 2024, Bangkok), the well-known international marine science event in the region, aimed at fostering international cooperation and advancing ocean science solutions for sustainable development.

“Marine and coastal areas in the Western Pacific hold vast ecological, social and economic significance. MSP has been regarded as a pragmatic approach to balance demands for sea area use with environmental protection,” stated Wenxi Zhu, Head of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) and Decade Coordination Office for the region. He further underscored the demands from Member States in the region and the necessity and timeliness for the Sub-Commission to initiate the MSP Decade Action-UN 21.

This MSP Action Workshop featured presentations on MSP development status both at regional and national levels. Key topics covered included policy frameworks and legislation, MSP initiatives and tools, case studies, and lessons learned.

The Workshop culminated in panel and plenary discussions focusing on the joint development of MSProadmap for the region. Key elements discussed included legal aspects of MSP, regional MSP guidelines and training, data collection and restriction, science-based analytical techniques and tools, disaster risk reduction, stakeholder engagement, identification of critical habitats, and transboundary cooperation on marine spatial planning. Representatives from Member States and organizations such as IUCN shared valuable insights on these issues.