UN Ocean Conference 2025: THE Regenerative Blue Economy
Announcing the Ocean Assist Programme
OVERVIEW
In light of the challenges our oceans face, the concept of a “regenerative blue economy” has emerged, prioritizing both sustainability and economic prosperity while actively seeking to protect and rejuvenate our marine and coastal ecosystems. Moving beyond offsetting, regenerative practices restore, renew, or revitalize their own sources of energy and materials, creating resilient systems.
Through various panel invitations, engagements with United Nations agencies, and our very own Official side event, Water Revolution Foundation will expand knowledge about its pioneering Ocean Assist Programme already adopted by several key industries (maritime, medical, musical).
We now know more than ever about the benefits and values that the ocean delivers, even as these values are increasingly at risk. The variety and scale of challenges is increasing each year, and while good progress has been made to recognise the need to protect the ocean, we must now engage new, powerful actors to adapt to nature’s needs and support core ecosystems.
By prioritising projects and adopting scientific tools that are urgently needed to protect the oceans, the blue finance mechanism devised in the Ocean Assist Programme is set to maximise financial and non-financial resources to support nature-based solutions and aid the global effort to mitigate ecological impacts.
UN Ocean Conference 2025 Side Event
At the forefront of this transition is the Ocean Assist Programme, a pioneering initiative that channels financial and strategic support from the maritime industry into scientifically validated marine restoration projects linked to all priority areas of SDG 14 – Life Below Water. By investing in the rejuvenation of marine ecosystems, Ocean Assist enables maritime stakeholders to offset their ecological footprint while promoting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and sustainable ocean practices.
The objectives of the side event will be:
(i) To announce the Ocean Assist Programme and introduce the audience to its benefits and means of contributing.
(ii) To announce the upcoming platform related to Ocean Assist Units [Regenerative Contribution Units according to the certification criteria] and the upcoming call for proposals.
SIDE EVENT HOSTS / PARTNERS: Water Revolution Foundation (host), University of Genoa (host), IUCN, World Commission on Protected Areas, UNCTAD, Project Seagrass, Sound Sea
GUEST SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
Mr. Ameer Eweida
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
Professor Ameer A. Eweida is a marine conservation scientist with over 30 years of experience in sustainability, resilience, and ecosystem-based management.
He serves in advisory and leadership roles with the Red Sea Authority, MENA Oceans Initiative, Goumbook, and IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, and is an Adjunct Full Professor at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. He has led major programs with organizations such as IUCN, UNEP, USAID, and Mission Blue, focusing on regions from the Red Sea to Australia’s coral reefs. A National Geographic Explorer and Rotary Ambassador, Professor Eweida is recognized for his work in marine spatial planning, blue economy, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation. His interdisciplinary approach integrates science and policy to manage socio-ecological systems. He has authored over 80 scientific publications and has contributed to international conventions including the CBD, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, RAMSAR, and UNCLOS.
KEYNOTE
Vienna Eleuteri
Initiator & Vice-Chair, Water Revolution Foundation
Vienna Eleuteri is a Sustainability Scientist and Development Anthropologist specializing in regenerative development across marine and coastal sectors.
Vienna is the founder of the Waterevolution model, a science-based platform to reduce
environmental impact and mobilize structural funding for marine conservation. Her work supports implementation of the Paris Agreement and SDGs, with particular focus on ocean-related NDCs. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Water Revolution Foundation and Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Red Sea Authority, helping integrate sustainability into governance frameworks aligned with Vision 2030.
As architect of Ocean Assist, Vienna has developed a pioneering climate contribution model that enables the private sector to directly support ocean regeneration, biodiversity protection, and blue food systems—bridging science, innovation, and policy for a regenerative ocean economy.
PANELIST
Adriana del Borghi
Vice-Chancellor for Sustainability, University of Genoa
Prof. Adriana Del Borghi, PhD is Vice-Chancellor for Sustainability of the University of Genova, Italy, and Vice-Director of the Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
Full Professor in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering at the University of Genoa, she is currently member of the Technical Commission of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)/Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) at the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition. Delegate for the International climate negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties, CEO and Co-founder of TETIS Institute S.R.L., manager of the eCO2care Registry, she is scientific manager of several funded research projects on sustainability, ecodesign and climate change. She is member of the Editorial Board of international journals and author of more than 150 scientific articles.
PANELIST
Elizabeth Dewar
Ocean and Circular Economy Consultant, UNCTAD
Elizabeth Dewar is an Ocean and Circular Economy Consultant at UNCTAD, where she supports developing countries in designing and implementing inclusive, sustainable ocean economy strategies.
Her work focuses on nature-based solutions, circular value chains – particularly seaweed – and innovative finance tools such as debt-for-nature swaps. With an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Birmingham, Elizabeth brings a science-policy approach to building resilient coastal economies, enhancing ocean governance, and advancing environmental and economic priorities in line with international development goals.
PANELIST
Tundi Agardi
PhD, Executive Director, Sound Sea
Dr. Tundi Agardy is the Executive Director and founder of Sound Seas, an independent group working at the nexus of policy and science to promote marine conservation.
As an internationally renowned marine conservationist, Tundi has extensive field and policy experience in regions of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, North America and the Pacific. Her specialties include coastal planning and assessment, marine protected areas, fisheries management, marine spatial planning, and ocean zoning, and she has published widely in these fields. Through Sounds Seas she advises donor agencies and multilaterals, working with national and local authorities to design and implement marine plans, undertakes ecosystem services assessments, and catalyzes ocean and coastal restoration.
PANELIST
Richard Unsworth
Chief Scientist at Project Seagrass and Associate Professor at Swansea University
Richard Unsworth is a leading expert in seagrass ecosystems and has spent the past decade working at the forefront of nature-based solutions.
With a career spanning over 25 years, he has authored more than 180 academic publications and numerous technical reports, contributing to seagrass research on every continent.
Over the last ten years, Richard has led the development of the UK’s first large-scale seagrass restoration programme, bridging cutting-edge science with on-the-ground conservation efforts. He has provided expert advice to government programmes and policy initiatives both across the UK and internationally. Richard is an Associate Professor at Swansea University and serves as the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Project Seagrass, a marine conservation charity.
CLOSING REMARKS
Jorge Barbosa
BLUE ECONOMY ADVISOR, WATER REVOLUTION FOUNDATION
Over the past 15 years, Jorge has led programs on marine and coastal governance, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation across Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, and the Gulf.
Jorge’s work has contributed to global dialogues on ocean sustainability, mobilizing over US$10 million in program funding, and informed innovative policy solutions in collaboration with national governments and multilateral partners. For example, serving as an ‘ocean advisor’ and working closely with ambassadors of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS), Jorge made significant contributions to the negotiations and drafting of the original SDG 14 concept note in 2013. Whether at the World Bank, the United Nations (UNDESA, FAO, IFAD), or in high-level advisory roles in governments [e.g., Saudi Arabia], Jorge has consistently applied results-driven leadership, technical rigor, and a deep commitment to inclusive development. Jorge’s hobbies include SCUBA Diving and sailing ‘traditionally rigged’ vessels.
DETAILS
Title: Ocean Assist: coalescing scientific knowledge, stakeholder involvement, and finance in support of a Regenerative Blue Economy
Date: Friday 13 June 2025
Time: 14:45 – 15:45, CET
Location: Palais des Expositions, Green zone: The Whale – UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Pavilion
Nice, France.