As part of its participation in the United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum (ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025), the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection organized a side event aimed at showcasing the contribution of African youth to ocean sustainability. The event highlighted the synergy between the Foundation’s programs in education for sustainable development, capacity building, and community mobilization.

The objective of this event was to demonstrate how these integrated actions amplify the voices of youth, encourage their active participation in the sustainable management of marine ecosystems, and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 4, 14, and 17.

The side event, held virtually on April 16, 2025, was coordinated by the Hassan II International Environmental Training Center, the Foundation’s academic entity, in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The session was opened by the Director of the Center, who emphasized the importance of youth engagement in multilateral dynamics and their key role in the ecological transition, particularly in ocean protection.

The event was structured around four thematic panels:

• Opening Roundtable – Innovating Education for Ocean Sustainability
• Thematic Roundtable – Marine Education and Blue Skills for African Youth
• Policy Roundtable – Empowering Youth in Ocean Governance and Climate Action
• Youth Voices Roundtable – Stories of Engagement and Leadership from the Field

The side event brought together a diverse panel of representatives from international organizations and partner programs, including IOC-UNESCO Africa, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), FEE, UNESCO Green Academies including the ECOP programme, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), as well as representatives from the academic sector, civil society, and educational aquariums.

It also stood out through the active involvement of youth leaders from the Foundation’s programs, including Young Reporters for the Environment, the African Green Universities & Youth Education Network (AGUYEN), and the African Youth Climate Hub (AYCH). These youth professionally moderated the sessions, shared their field experiences, and delivered powerful messages in favor of ocean sustainability.

This event is fully in line with the Foundation’s mission to promote Education for Sustainable Development as a lever for transformation, placing youth at the heart of environmental solutions.