Many EuroGOOS Member Organizations and the EuroGOOS Office will be present at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 2022). This is a milestone event bringing together the global communities across all sectors of society for high-level and comprehensive dialogues about ocean sustainability.
“There is a great deal we still do not know about the ocean but there are many reasons why we need to manage it sustainably”, states the preamble to the UNOC 2022. In response to this, our Member Organizations have collectively submitted a EuroGOOS statement to UNOC 2022 highlighting that oceanography holds key solutions to closing those knowledge gaps. In addition, to a call for global action on sustained ocean observing and operational oceanography service provision, EuroGOOS also is bringing attention to other key topics in today’s ocean science, spanning actions on data, capacity enhancement, blue careers, and ocean literacy.
Partnerships across countries and different sectors are recognized as a key strategy for more effective resource use and increased participation in ocean science, reinforcing its application in policy, according to the Global Ocean Science Report (IOC, 2020). As stated in the EuroGOOS 2030 Strategy, partnerships are paramount in achieving common objectives and gaining the added value in the co-production of oceanographic services and information. Moreover, partnerships are critical to ensure these services are user-focused and the ocean information underpinned by our work can support decision-making. In our UNOC 2022 statement we put forward some priority topics for partnerships in the domain of operational oceanography. These concern, sharing infrastructures, strengthening science-policy interface and public-private engagements, citizen science and co-design with social sciences and humanities.
Our UNOC 2022 statement is not only a call for action across these important topics, but also our commitment. As stated in the document, “EuroGOOS is emphasising its commitment to lead the development and implementation of sustained and coordinated operational oceanography in Europe and further an integrated framework for the European Ocean Observing System. The benefits of this work have global implications, improving the delivery of ocean information and services internationally”.
Download the EuroGOOS statement to UNOC 2022:
In addition to attending the UNOC main event, we will also participate in many side events organized by a vast international ocean community. Programme of the UNOC is available here.
- On 30 June, EuroGOOS will intervene during the UNOC interactive dialogue “Increasing scientific knowledge and developing research capacity and transfer of marine technology”, as part of the main event of the conference.
- On 29 June, EuroGOOS will present our Scientists for Ocean Literacy UN Ocean Decade project at the official UNOC side event titled Ocean Literacy Dialogues, organized by UNESCO and the European Commission.
- Among the side events we will contribute to, EuroGOOS Office was invited to represent the community at the side event co-organized by EuroGOOS member Mercator Ocean International, titled ‘Digital Ocean Systems to Support and Strengthen Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals‘ on 27 June.
- EuroGOOS will also be represented at the side event for the launch of the Charter for the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030″, organized by the European Commission on 30 June.
