Events
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01 Mar
Cocktail Reception in honour of the Local2030 Islands Network
Cocktail pre-reception hosted by the US Embassy Panama
Ambassador's Residence,
Panama
5:00pm EST -
02 Mar 03 Mar
Our Ocean Conference: Panama
In March 2023, the Republic of Panama will become the first Central American country to host the Our Ocean Conference. With the theme Our Ocean… Our Connection, the Government of Panama will highlight the importance of knowledge as the basis of our actions and policies to ensure protection of our ocean, responsible management of marine resources, and sustainable future economic growth. The 8th Our Ocean Conference will be a momentous event for all governments, businesses, and peoples to demonstrate their interest in saving the ocean through measurable impacts and cooperation.
Panama -
03 Mar
World Wildlife Day
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08 Mar
International Women's Day
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21 Mar
International Day of Forests
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22 Mar
World Water Day
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22 Mar 24 Mar
UN 2023 Water Conference
Water is a fundamental part of all aspects of life. Water is inextricably linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, and it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values. It is crosscutting and supports the achievement of many SDGs through close linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others. With climate change profoundly affecting our economies, societies and environment, water is indeed the biggest deal breaker to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
New York -
22 Mar
Climate Smart Acceleration of SDG 6 in the Caribbean and the Pacific Regions
This UN Water Side Event will offer an overview of Water Adaptation Strategies in islands and developing states; what still needs to be done, potential partners, models for taking action, and locally-driven solutions.
Side Event Rm 8
The Local2030 Islands Network is an official partner to this event. Stay tuned for the potential launching of its 4th Community of Practice on the food-water-energy nexus.
UN HQ, NYC
11:00 am - 12:15 pm EST -
28 Mar
COP Reflections: Outcomes of the Climate and Biodiversity negotiations and the march toward implementation
Hear an island's perspective on the real impact of these negotiations from those on the frontlines. Learn about actions currently in the works to combat these twin crises.
Virtual
CLICK TO REGISTER!
2:00 pm EST
Past Events

GLISPA Highlights @IMPAC5: Key Ingredients For Building Lasting Networks of Protected Ocean Space
Date: 7 February 2023
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Host: IMPAC5
This session brought together a diverse set of partnerships and networks related to protected ocean spaces at national and global levels. We engage with MPAs to highlight their priorities of work, experiences and lessons that can inform this effort of building a global network in the protected ocean space and exploring what might be some of the challenges and opportunities. This was an official Knowledge Sharing Session of IMPAC5 2023.

GLISPA Highlights @IMPAC5: Establishing Networks of Practitioners and Scaling up
Date: 5 February 2023
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Host: IMPAC5
As we struggle to achieve the global target of at least 30% protection levels by 2030 both within EEZs and on the High Seas we know that we need to have a bold vision backed with a series of effective and resourceful partnerships with and between states, organisations, and local people. This session shows that there are countries and organisations that are working in alliances, networks and partnerships at different levels who have developed a body of knowledge on how to pull together diverse stakeholders in a larger network - like a protected ocean space global network - and leverage efforts.
![Building Resilience: Localized Action Against a Changing Climate Panel. Oceans, climate and SIDS [OCEAN X CLIMATE SUMMIT]](/media/k2/items/cache/83c2446a0896df0a1f4af01c940ae1d9_M.jpg?t=1675655366)
Building Resilience: Localized Action Against a Changing Climate Panel. Oceans, climate and SIDS [OCEAN X CLIMATE SUMMIT]
Date: 11 November 2022
Location: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Host: Oceanic Global
GLISPA Executive Director, Kate Brown, moderates this dynamic discussion on the role of multi-stakeholder action at the local level joined by: Mayor Mary Jean Te (Mayor, Municipality of Libertad, Antique, Philippines), David Obura (Director, CORDIO East Africa), Sefanaia Nawadra (Director General of SPREP), and Daniel Lin (Pasifika Storytelling Lead, Nia Tero).
The Oceanic x Climate Summit was a daylong event hosted by Oceanic Global that took place at COP27. The summit immersed global stakeholders in the importance and potential of the ocean within the climate change narrative and supported multi-stakeholder action for the ocean and all it sustains.

Island Bright Spot Event Series Episode 6: Spotlight on Climate Adaptation
Date: 12 November 2022
Location: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Host: Global Island Partnership, GEF Small Grants Programme UNDP, Rare, Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), Smithsonian Institute, SMILO
In our final Bright Spots episode for 2022, we talk about climate adaptation and hear stories from organizations such as the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, the GEF Small Grants Programme in Mauritius, and the International Student Environmental Coalition.

Island Bright Spot Event Series Episode 5: Island Solutions in Action! ft. the 2022 GLISPA Fellows
Date: 25 October 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership, GEF-SGP
In April 2022 GLISPA launched its inaugural Bright Spots Fellowship to further showcase inspired, home-grown island solutions. This initiative brought together 10 community champions, created a platform to share their stories, and provided the opportunity to communicate with influential policy makers to discuss how their interventions can be implemented globally. We are honoured to present to you our 2022 Fellows from Malta, the Solomon Islands, Mauritius, Brazil, and the Palmyra Atoll. Hear their stories, in their own words.

GLISPA Community Call - July 2022
Date: 28 July 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership
The GLISPA Community Call is an open forum designed to allow GLISPA members to inspire and support each other to take action and produce results for island communities.
Highlights on this call include introductions to our new Board Members (7:40), meeting some of our amazing GLISPA Fellows Class of 2022! (38:06) and presentations from our members Island Conservation (1:01) and the Climate Strong Island Network (1:07).

Island Bright Spot Event Series Episode 4: Spotlight on Sustainable Practices
Date: 21 July 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership, Conservatoire du littoral, GEF-SGP, Island Coast Ocean Solutions, Celebrate Islands
Episode IV puts the spotlight on "Sustainable Practices" as we highlight amazing island initiatives to reduce the harmful negative impacts of various economic sectors, particularly tourism, in islands off Europe, Indonesia and in the Pacific.

Celebrate Islands 2022 Closing Event/ Bright Spots Episode III
Date: 18 May 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: SMILO, Conservatoire du littoral, PIM, Global Island Partnership, GEF-SGP
As part of the 9th edition of "CELEBRATE ISLANDS" 2022, the brainchild of our GLISPA members SMILO, Conservatoire du littoral and PIM; we have partnered with them to celebrate current and future Island Bright Spots around the themes of 1. Preservation of marine ecosystems; 2. Reduction of the impacts of economic activities; and 3. Sustainable management of water resources.
Islands celebrate each other as some of our 2022 GLISPA Fellows were on hand to announce the CELEBRATE ISLANDS video contest grant awardees.

Island Bright Spot Event Series Special Episode pt. II: Weathering Political Uncertainty
Date: 1 July 2022
Location: UN Ocean Conference, Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
Host: GLISPA, Blue Nature Alliance, UNDP GEF-SGP, Micronesia Conservation Trust, Big Ocean
Part II of our virtual event held in March that focused on the policymaker perspective, this high-level dialogue held live during the UN Ocean Conference turned to the "Leader perspective", convening current Island Ministers of the Environment to discuss carrying on large scale conservation projects from one government to another. The event facilitated a dialogue around the Governance and transitions of Large-Scale Conservation Projects and highlighted achievements, challenges, and bright spots. This is particularly relevant with some of the island champion countries for marine conservation having undergone recent changes of government leadership.

Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation webinar
Date: 30 March 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: The Nature Conservancy, Global Island Partnership
This webinar provides insight into how Blue Bonds can be used for ocean conservation, with speakers who were at the heart of the effort to secure the world’s biggest debt conversation for marine conservation in Belize.

Island Bright Spot Event Series Special Episode: Weathering Political Uncertainty
Date: 9 March 2022
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership, UNDP GEF - Small Grants Programme, Blue Nature Alliance, Micronesia Conservation Trust
Our first GLISPA Bright Spot event for 2022 is a special episode that departs from our usual format. Here, we took a deep dive in examining the challenge of sustaining long-term marine conservation projects through successive election cycles, the implications of governance switch and the perspective of new political leaders on carrying-on these legacies. Our exciting discussion panel cast of politicians and experienced conservation practitioners seek to answer these important questions, through the airing of diverse perspectives in a safe space, as only our Bright Spot episodes can deliver.

GLISPA Community Call - February 2022
Date: 23 February 2021
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership
The GLISPA Community Call is an open forum designed to allow GLISPA members to inspire and support each other to take action and produce results for island communities.
Highlights on this call include remarks from new GLISPA Chair Ambassador Gerald Zackios of the Republic of Marshall Islands (8:26) and a Member spotlight on the Siargao Islands and their road to recovery from a Category 5 typhoon (51:43)

Partnerships for Island Resilience: Sharing Solutions in the Great Ocean States
Date: 8 November 2021
Location: Glasgow COP
Host: US State Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
An official United States side event at COP26 titled Partnerships for Island Resilience: Sharing Solutions in the Great Ocean States, with special guest President Barack Obama. Featuring a panel of island leaders and representatives from Fiji, Grenada and the Marshall Islands, all members of the Local2030 Islands Network, the event saw the launch of two topic-specific Communities of Practice to facilitate engagement between islands through an iterative, peer-to-peer process. The United States also announced $9 million in financial support for the Local2030 Islands Network as part of the President's Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE)

Island Bright Spot Event Series Episode 2: Spotlight on Nature-based Solutions
Date: 6 November 2021
Location: Glasgow/ Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership, UNDP GEF - Small Grants Programme, AOSIS, UNDESA, Rare, The Nature Conservancy
A hybrid side-event held during COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland at the AOSIS pavillion. A special SIDS focused episode, participants celebrated innovative nature-based solutions to climate change and food-security challenges in Jamaica, Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Palau.

Island Bright Spot Event Series Episode 1: Spotlight on Biodiversity Action
Date: 21 October 2021
Location: Virtual
Host: Global Island Partnership, UNDP GEF - Small Grants Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity, UNDESA, Rare, Climate Strong Island Network
A special virtual event held in the margins of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). Participants were treated to amazing presentations on real time grassroots biodiversity conservation efforts currently being sustained in Seychelles, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Palau.