Biodiversity loss is considered to be one of the important threats that will impact the global economy over the next decade (World Economic Forum 2021) and the added-value of healthy functioning marine ecosystems in Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPA)/Other Efective Conservation Measures (OECM) and other seascapes is increasingly being underlined in terms of food security, jobs created, climate regulation and human wellbeing, all essential components for achieving the Sustainable Develoment Goals. In Turkey, the presence of the current network of MCPAs is an important asset to demonstrate these values in addition to the potential of the Blue Economy that has been evaluated on the national scale.
The protection and sustainable use of the biological diversity of marine and coastal areas depends on the effective implementation of our national legislation and the provisions of the international conventions to which we are a party. In ensuring sustainable development and benefiting from marine and coastal resources and to assure full participation in global and regional forums, there is a need to improve our institutional capacity in this regard.
With a two-day capacity building program to be carried out in Ankara this context to a group of 25 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students from the Law of the Sea Application and Research Center (DEHUKAM). This way transfer of current information, data and activities based on scientific studies that can be used in the fields of maritime law and politics within the scope of international law, especially within the framework of international agreements will be achieved.