The 'Our Ocean Conference' is scheduled for 29-30 October in Nusa Dua, and it is yet another significant summit putting Bali well and truly on the map for hosting world class MICE events.

There is no doubt that conferences that attract the attention of the world's press in this way, such as the IMF-World Bank Annual meeting, which is also slated for October, are seen as opportunities for Bali's tourism and business communities to work together to attract investors.

But is there something beyond business that makes Bali such an appropriate destination to bring world leaders together?  The island's culture and spirituality have been a powerful draw for visitors from all over the world for many years and one of the driving forces of this is the belief the Balinese have in energy and working together for the good of the whole.

This year's Our Ocean Conference is a good example of this. The theme of which will be "Our Ocean, Our Legacy" as it reflects the choices and actions we take as being necessary to maintain the sustainability of the oceans' resources.

According to Antara News Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister, Susy Pudjiastuti said the conference would be focused on "generating commitments and taking actions to maintain the sustainability of our oceans." This is something that can only be achieved when leaders work together.

The hope is this year's conference in Bali will demonstrate significant progress on past commitments and inspire new ones geared towards the continuation of more concerted and integrated actions to safeguard the oceans by focusing on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution and climate change related impacts to the oceans.

According to the conference's official website this year's event will also be themed towards "a sustainable blue economy and maritime security, as introduced by the European Union in 2017."

Participants from around the world will be in attendance including heads of state, the commercial sector, scientific communities, civil organization and young leaders in the hope of enhancing the collaboration and partnership between various ocean stakeholders.

Since its inception in 2014, the conference has successfully generated commitments totaling around USD 18 billion and 12.4 million square kilometers of marine protected areas according to Antara News.

Sources: Antara News, Coral Triangle Initiative, Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Our Ocean Conference

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