Ministers of the Environment of over 30 countries from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and a number of Latin American and European countries participated in an informal ministerial roundtable, a follow-up to the Durban climate negotiations organized by EC Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, EC Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik and the Danish EU Presidency on 7-8 May 2012.

The roundtable aimed to build on the important breakthroughs achieved at the 2011 Durban climate conference, and to identify potential common priorities and goals for the Rio+20 summit. In this perspective, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) provided an overview on the key ocean issues that are being discussed through the Rio negotiation process and highlighted a number of desirable ocean targets that would mark a successful outcome at Rio. Some of the key areas highlighted included marine biodiversity conservation, ocean acidification, marine pollution, and the required investment in science and capacity development for transitioning to a blue-green economy.

Related links:

• Event details
• Rio+20: Ocean and coastal sustainability 
• 10 Proposals for the Ocean
• Second International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans, Yeosu, Korea, 15-19 May 2012