Edinburgh Ocean Conversations
As a part of the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders programme, the Ocean Leaders take part in discussion events with high-level speakers talking on leadership through ocean challenges.
The concept of the Edinburgh Ocean Conversations is to invite a highly accomplished and senior leaders to meet with the Ocean Leaders, to offer reflections on some important current issues and opportunities for the oceans, and to engage in a discussion with the Ocean Leaders around this topic and their own leadership experiences. The meeting is hosted under Chatham House Rules. This format is to encourage open and frank discussion, including around topics that are potentially challenging or controversial.
Past Speakers
Dr Rashid Sumalia
Dr Rashid Sumalia is a Professor of ocean and fisheries economics at University of British Columbia. His work is interdisciplinary, focusing on bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global marine issues such as fisheries subsidies, illegal fishing and climate change. Suamlia is deeply interested in how economics, through integration with ecology and other disciplines, can be used to help ensure that environmental resources are sustainably managed for the benefit of all generations. He is a multiple award winning pioneer in his field, including being co-recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 2023.
Rocky Sanchez
Rocky Sanchez Tirona is the Managing Director of Fish Forever, a flagship program of the conservation NGO Rare focused on revitalising coastal fisheries and improving livelihoods in coastal communities. Based in Manila, Rocky previously served as the Vice President of Rare in the Philippines, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia. She was part of the initial development of the Fish Forever program and today oversees a global staff of almost 100 team members
Fanny Douvere
Theme: Leading the World Heritage Marine Programme in a changing ocean
Fanny Douvere heads the World Heritage Centre’s Marine Programme at UNESCO. Prior to her work at the World Heritage Centre, she co-initiated the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initative at UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Fanny has (co-) authored over 25 publications. She obtained her PhD degree in 2010 from the Ghent University in Belgium on the subject of Marine Spatial Planning and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh.
Peter Thomson
Theme: Driving positive change for the ocean and ocean communities through diplomacy and the UN
Peter Thomson of Fiji was appointed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean in October 2017 and was the president of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. He served as Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York since 2010. For the duration of 2013, he chaired the United Nations’ largest negotiating bloc, the Group of 77 and China. In 2014, he served as president of the executive board of the UN Development Programme/UN Population Fund/UN Office for Programme Support.
Tony Hayward
Theme: The future of energy and how this will impact the ocean
