Scaling up Ocean Action Based on Science and Innovation for the Implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, Partnerships and Solutions
Co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, the UN Ocean Conference 2022 comes at a critical time to urgently mobilise global action to address the rapidly growing threats and pressures faced by our ocean and ultimately, our planet. With less than two weeks to go, the UN Ocean Conference will bring together thousands of stakeholders from across the world, including Heads of Governments, leaders from the private sector, the scientific community and other partners. To drive, accelerate and sustain global ocean action, the Conference will provide a powerful inclusive space to leverage partnerships and boost science-based innovative solutions to protect and conserve the ocean and its precious resources.
Following the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017, this year’s much awaited edition will take place in Lisbon, Portugal from 29 June to 1 July. A world-leader in operational oceanography with increasing contribution to international ocean governance, Mercator Ocean International (MOi) is honoured to be a part of the UN Ocean Conference 2022. Over the full-packed week, MOi will host and contribute to several events together with major partners including the IOC-UNESCO, UNEP and the European Commission, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), among many others.
Key events include, “Digital Ocean systems to support and strengthen the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, which will take place on27 June,and the IOC-UNESCO event related to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development during which Decade Collaborative Centres will be announced on 30 June.
Take a look below at the full list of events MOi is leading and/or contributing to during the Ocean Conference 2022.
Join us in Lisbon for an impactful week!
#SDG14 #SaveOurOcean #UNOceanConference #WeAreAllOceanCitizens #MercatorOcean
18h45 – 20h30 (GMT +1)
Venue : Pavilhão de Portugal – Parque das Nações, Lisbon
Hosted by Mercator Ocean International, IOC-UNESCO, the UNEP Global Environment Monitoring Service – Oceans, and the European Commission, the event will describe the decision-making support tools that will be made possible by new digital ocean analysis and prediction systems. Furthermore, the event will initiate an inter-community dialogue about the Ocean information that States need to support SDG policies and actions in food security, sustainable economic development, climate, and disaster risk reduction.
Expected outcomes include the initiation of new blue partnerships at the science-policy interface across the SDGs to 1) carry out a stocktake of resources, mechanisms and opportunities for the transfer of blue knowledge across the science-policy interface, 2) co-design digital Ocean prediction systems that respond directly to Ocean diplomacy, governance, and management needs for a sustainable Ocean stewardship, and 3) develop new tools and resources for scaling up Ocean action informed by the best-available science and innovation.
Website: https://www.mercator-ocean.eu/en/events/2022_un_ocean_conference/
8h30 – 10h00 (GMT +1)
Venue: Centro Cultural de Cascais & Hotel Baia
In the context of the SDG 14.1.1 targets and the UNEA-5 announcement to forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024, the event will focus on marine litter observation, remote sensing and modelling as key pillars for supporting the establishment of realistic plastic litter reduction targets and developing policies to reach these targets.
The event will address a broad variety of stakeholders including member states representatives to advocate the necessity of a global sustained Integrated Marine Debris Observing System (IMDOS) that will work hand in hand with the UNEP Global Partnership on Marine Litter to address critical knowledge gaps and other stakeholder needs, including by supporting the Digital Platform.
This full-day event is organised by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), GEO Blue Planet, AIR Centre, Mercator Ocean International and the UNEP Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML).
Website: https://www.eu4oceanobs.eu/marine-litter-monitoring-to-inform-action/
18:00-20:00 (GMT+1)
Venue: Pavilhão de Portugal – Expo 98, Alameda dos Oceanos with online participation possible
The event is co-organised by European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), Fugro, IOC-UNESCO and International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme, Mercator Ocean International, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Intertidal Agency in collaboration with the UN Ocean Decade Data Coordination Group.
Providing a high-level overview of current ocean data interoperability initiatives with key examples from around the world, the event will share insights from these efforts and discuss how these can support the goals of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and contribute to achieving UN 2030 Agenda, and in particular SDG14.
Website: https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/UN-Ocean-Conference-SideEvent-MarineDataInteroperability
14:30 – 17:00 (GMT+1)
Venue: Ciência Viva Auditorium, Lisbon (with livestreaming)
Taking advantage of Ocean Conference, the Ocean Decade Forum serves to showcase endorsed decade actions, providing information on their implementation and objectives, and a wide range of partners will make announcements about exciting new commitments. Some Decade Collaborative Centres (DCC) will be officially launched during the event, including the DCC for Ocean Prediction which MOi will lead. The DCC for Ocean Prediction will work to galvanise and coordinate efforts towards the co-development and integration of worldwide ocean prediction activities, serving Decade objectives and in close collaboration with the Decade endorsed actions and other stakeholders.
17:00-18:00 (GMT+1)
Venue: Maritime Museum in Lisbon
This side event will introduce the project to establish an International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS), to allow for the assessment of the current and future state of the ocean. This event is supported by organisations including the Ocean Climate Platform, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), Mercator Ocean International, GEOMAR, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, The Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science (PCCOS) (from Pacific Community, SPC), Oceano Azul Foundation, among others.
Website: https://ocean-climate.org/
18:50-19:45 (GMT+1)
Venue: Maritime Museum of Lisbon
Hosted by the French Government and Ocean Climate Platform, in collaboration with French and international partners, including MOi, this event builds on the outcomes of the One Ocean Summit, held in Brest in February 2022. The event will discuss international partnerships on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Biodiversity and Climate change. Dynamic roundtables will address restoring marine ecosystems, MPAs and climate change, ocean forecasting, financing conservation, carbon, shipping and small-scale fisheries, ocean literacy, among other topics.
16:00-17:15 (GMT+1)
Venue: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Side Event Room 2 (UN conference affiliation needed)
Co-organised by UNEP, IOC-UNESCO, Mercator Ocean International, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the G7 Future of the Seas and Ocean Initiative, the event emphasises the importance of partnerships and easily accessible and relevant data for coastal and marine resource management, policy setting and decision-making
Useful Links:
- Ocean Conference 2022 website – www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022
- Full list of Ocean Conference 2022 accredited side events – www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022/events/side
- Ocean Conference 2017 – https://web.archive.org/web/20180112160215/https:/oceanconference.un.org/about