The Fourth Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, "Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management in the Context of Climate Change", took place on April 7-11, 2008 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference was attended by 439 participants from 62 countries, and brought together members of governments, regional organizations, UN agencies, academia, non- governmental organizations, donor agencies, and industry representatives.
The twelve policy briefs bring together the main points discussed by the various working groups that were created prior to the conference. In addition, the presentations and summaries located below highlight the major topics discussed at the conference.
The Global Forum made use of the suggestions put forth by the Working Groups, as well as the major points coming out of the Conference in developing its submissions to a number of international meetings. The Global Forum submitted interventions to the UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP9), the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9), the UN Ad Hoc Open-Ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, and the 16th Meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. In addition, the Global Forum co-organized side events at the following meetings:
--UN Ad Hoc Open-Ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and
sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, New York, 28 April
- 2 May 2008 (Co-sponsored with the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations)
--Global Forum Submission to the UN Ad Hoc Open-Ended Informal Working Group to study issues
relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national
jurisdiction
--16th Meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, 5-16 May 2008
--ICP-9: “Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management in the
Context of Climate Change” (Co-sponsored with the Permanent Mission of the Seychelles to the UN)
June 23, 2008
--Global Forum Submission to ICP-9: Global Oceans Conference in Hanoi Urges International Attention
to Ocean/Climate Issues
Coverage of the Global Conference is available at the following sites:
* The Global Forum, the World Ocean Network and the World Ocean Observatory have created a
special GOC2008 website and YouTube channel designed specifically to inform audiences across
the world about the context and work of the Global Forum using rich media.
GOC2008 Website:
http://www.thew2o.net/goc2008/index.html
GOC2008 YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/globaloceans2008
* The International Institute for Sustainable Development- Reporting Services (IISDRS) provided
daily coverage of the conference proceedings.
Fourth Global Oceans Conference IISD ENB Summary Report 
