Using Scenarios and Voluntary Commitments to Guide Policy and Practice to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 in the Western Indian Ocean:White Paper for the Science-Policy Workshop of the 9th Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention, 9-11 July

The United Nations Agenda 2030 further enshrines the central role of the ocean for sustainable development through Goal 14 (SDG14), to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources ", to lift millions of people out of poverty. The 2017 United Nations Oceans Conference provided a platform to focus countries' and other stakeholders' attention on commitments to achieving SDG14 at national and regional levels. Most countries of the Western Indian Ocean attended the UN Ocean Conference in June 2017, submitting national statements on their commitments to implement SDG 14 through national processes. In addition, countries and organizations responded to the Call from the conference for joint Voluntary Commitments with a more regional scope. Several were submitted, spearheaded by one from the Nairobi Convention Secretariat.