The webinar titled "Ocean Accounts in the Indian Ocean Region: Progress and potential to support the development of the blue economy" was convened to address the need for harmonized data systems that provide timely evidence for ocean-related decision-making. Held virtually on 4 September 2025, the webinar’s primary purpose was to introduce the Ocean Accounting Framework and showcase how integrating environmental, economic, and social data can move governance "beyond GDP".
Key objectives included sharing regional best practices, identifying dependencies of blue economy sectors on ecosystems, and exploring how these accounts can support international reporting obligations like SDGs and NDCs.
The event was prepared by the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) Secretariat for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka and the IORA Secretariat. Participation was diverse, with 80 attendees representing 23 countries, including 14 IORA Member States and three Dialogue Partners. Government delegates made up 46% of the participants, followed by research institutes and academia.
The program featured technical sessions on the UNECA Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit and "country snapshots" highlighting practical implementation. Key activities included presentations on Indonesia's national roadmap to 2045, Kenya's integration of accounts into Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), and the Maldives' pioneering work on Social Accounts. Thailand demonstrated geoinformatics-based approaches for carbon accounting, while India and Madagascar discussed linkages to national blue economy policies and integrated ocean governance.
Main outcomes included a 100% knowledge improvement reported by participants and the identification of actionable models for initiating national programs. Recommendations for Member States included conducting rapid policy assessments and launching pilot projects aligned with current blue economy priorities. This webinar is directly relevant to IORA’s Blue Economy cross-cutting issue, contributing to regional cooperation and capacity building by providing the "enabling infrastructure" necessary for sustainable investment and climate resilience across the Indian Ocean.
