A National Workshop took place in Peru in May 2012 before the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development: Rio+20 Summit. Its purpose was to identify challenges for the sustainable development of Peruvian coastal zones. To do this, a public request for proposals was sent to national entities from all sectors before the workshop. During the workshop, proposals were discussed among all participants and then categorized using five main topics and ten cross-thematic concerns. Recommendations were also drafted for policymakers to consider when designing new public policies in order to ensure the sustainable use and development of Peru's coastal areas.Specifically, the ten cross-thematic needs and concerns identified by participants were:. •Increase scientific and technological research.•Reform the professional profile for ocean-related careers.•Take multisectoral approaches addressing socioeconomic issues.•Promote the socioeconomic development of artisanal fishermen and fisheries for human consumption.•Strengthen the value chain of artisanal fisheries.•Promote governmental, civic, and corporate social responsibility and environmental commitment.•Increase environmental education and awareness.•Health, fisheries, and trade certifications.•Spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management.•Legal reform to eliminate overlapping responsibilities between authorities.Main recommendations from the workshop are: •Implement an Action Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in coastal marine areas.•Develop a national strategy for risk management to identify the threats and opportunities of climate variability.•Implement co-management tools with artisanal fishing communities and other stakeholders.•Expand school and university curricula to encourage principles of environmental education.•Introduce comprehensive legislation to identify and resolve overlapping attributions in order to make ecosystem-based management possible, and to clearly designate appropriate uses of marine and coastal zones.•Use management tools such as Methods of Impact Quantification (MIQ) and Methods for Compensation Mechanisms (MCM) to meet growing demands and reduce social conflict along the Peruvian coast.