Vancouver, British Columbia, 3-9 February 2023
Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5)
Oceans play an essential role in the lives of people around the world. To promote the long-term sustainability of the world ocean and ensure that future generations are able to benefit from our marine resources, the global community must work together to combat climate change and address biodiversity loss affecting ocean ecosystems.
During the Leadership Forum, the Ministers, alongside representatives from governments and leaders from Indigenous, environmental, philanthropic, academic and private organizations, industry, as well as young professionals, discussed the results achieved at IMPAC5. Attendees emphasized the importance of global cooperation in achieving marine conservation targets and focused on the essential role of Indigenous-led conservation efforts. Participants also addressed the need for increased protection of biodiversity through the use of marine protected areas and highlighted the role of marine conservation financing in achieving shared commitments, including Canada’s ambitious conservation goals of conserving 30 per cent of its oceans by 2030.
Quick facts:
• IMPAC5 is the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress, a global forum that brings together ocean conservation professionals and high-level officials to inform, inspire and act on marine protected areas.
• IMPAC5 has been endorsed as an official United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) Action, coordinated and led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• Canada is committed to protecting 30 per cent of its oceans by 2030, a target that international leaders committed to in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, successfully negotiated during the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal in December, 2022.
• Marine protected areas (MPAs) and other tools, such as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMS) and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) are some of the most effective tools for protecting and restoring ocean health. To date, 52 countries and territories have protected at least 10 per cent of their marine areas and it is estimated that 7.65 per cent of the world ocean is covered by marine protected areas.
Originally published by: https://www.impac5.ca