International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

Regional training workshop and MSPforum strengthen MSP capacities in Latin America and the Caribbean

27 Mar 2025 | by m-duque@unesco.org
On 18 and 19 February 2025, the regional Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) training workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) took place at the Marriott Executive Apartments in Panama City, Panama, back-to-back with the MSPforu

MSP ChallengeThis event was co-organized by IW:LEARN, MSPglobal and PROCARIBE+ teams within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) and its Sub-Commission IOCARIBE, in collaboration with two other Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in the region (Sustainable Pacific and BE-CLME+), and the following regional partners: 

  • Ministry of Environment of Panama (Host Country)
  • United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
  • Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP)
  • Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS) 
  • Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
  • Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)
  • Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF)
  • World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

This was the first of a series of regional training workshops on MSP to be organized by IW:LEARN5 and partners to strengthen the MSP capacities of GEF-funded projects and beneficiary countries. It was also the first time that the training included a combination of two hands-on exercises using the MSP Challenge Game by UNESCO-IOC/MSPglobal and selected exercises from Blue Planning in Practice with the support of IW:LEARN partners, GRID Arendal, in addition to the introductory sessions on the basics of MSP regarding biodiversity, climate change and data assessments.

Participants doing an exercise from Blue Planning in Practice.
Participants doing an exercise from Blue Planning in Practice.

One of the exercises led by UNESCO-IOC involved developing a plan from a regional perspective. Participants first crafted a vision for the region and designed a plan with defined objectives, actions, key stakeholders, and indicators, emphasizing climate, biodiversity, and the blue economy. They then created national plans, aligning them with the regional framework while considering each country's environmental, economic, and social contexts.

Hands on exercise using the MSP Challenge Game.

Before the in-person training, all participants were invited to complete the MSPglobal online training course on the Ocean Teacher Global Academy (OTGA), which is available in English and Spanish.

The 2nd LAC MSPforum, held on February 20–21, 2025, kicked off with a field trip to the Panama Canal, one of the world's most crucial maritime routes. Participants observed canal operations and learned about maritime traffic separation schemes designed to minimize collision risks with marine mammals during migration.

Field trip to the Panama Canal during the 2nd MSPforum for LAC.

Back at the meeting venue, the forum served as a platform to discuss the implementation of MSP processes in the region. Key discussions focused on fostering transboundary cooperation, ensuring the sustainability of the blue economy, and assessing its impact on biodiversity and the climate-ocean nexus. These three thematic pillars guided the panels and roundtable discussions. The forum was organized as part of the Updated MSProadmap.

IW:LEARN would like to thank all co-organizers for supporting these events and all participants for their engagement during this intensive and insightful week in Panama.

More information and resources from the training workshop can be found on the IW:LEARN website. In case of questions, contact: pcu@iwlearn.org.