The World Maritime University (WMU)–Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (GOI) hosted the WMU–Ocean Development & International Law (ODIL) Journal Special Issue Workshop, on 22 October, at the World Maritime University and online. The Special Issue—“The Future Ocean: Critical Inflection Points for the Law of the Sea and the Global Commons”—will showcase contributions from renowned global experts as well as research findings from the WMU-GOI Future Ocean Programme, generously funded by The Nippon Foundation.
odil special issue workshop
The future ocean: critical inflection points for the law of the sea and the global common
The workshop programme provided an opportunity for the distinguished contributing authors to present the objectives, preliminary findings, and key insights influencing the development of their papers. The experts engaged in discussions focused on both the theoretical and practical dimensions of ocean governance in light of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, drawing on lessons from the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and related international instruments.
The workshop was led by Professor Ronán Long, Director of the GOI, and Associate Professor Dr. Tafsir Johansson, an editor of the Special Issue. They emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in advancing equitable, science-based ocean governance.
The workshop marked a pivotal step in the development of the forthcoming WMU–ODIL Special Issue, as authors continue refining their research and preparing their final papers for open access publication in the ODIL Journal by summer 2026.
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For more information on the event, access the post-documents below
About the world maritime university
The World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden is established within the framework of the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The mission of WMU is to be the world centre of excellence in postgraduate maritime and oceans education, professional training and research, while building global capacity and promoting sustainable development. WMU is an organization by and for the international maritime community and is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda.
About the wmu-sasakawa global ocean institute
The World Maritime University’s WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI) is an independent focal point for the ocean science-policy-law-industry-society interface where policymakers, the scientific community, regulators, industry actors, academics, and representatives of civil society meet to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources in accordance with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Institute was inaugurated in May 2018 and made possible through generous support from The Nippon Foundation of Japan, the Governments of Sweden, Canada, and Germany, as well as the City of Malmö
About the future ocean programme
The Future Ocean Programme is funded by The Nippon Foundation and aims to generate knowledge and understanding of how law, political science, and public policy are used to effect change in humanity’s relationship with the ocean to combat the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution.