We have one Ocean, the Ocean affects us all and we are inextricably linked to it, so we know it’s not just action at ground level and national level that’s required to support a healthy Ocean, but all levels of action are required. That’s why we are heading to the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC). Raising the voice of the Ocean here can have a global impact!
At UNOC, we will be raising our voice to…
- Support the integration of Ocean literacy as an outcome for society and a mechanism for change.
- To encourage as many countries as possible to develop their own Ocean literacy strategies.
- To work collectively to connect people to the Ocean on a global scale, to implement the outcomes for Challenge 10.
- Speak for those who took our Think Ocean Challenge… over 50% of people who took the challenge in it’s 4th year want us to raise the following 3 issues with policy and decision makers:
- The Ocean’s vital role in the climate and biodiversity crisis
- For governments everywhere to recognise and declare a state of emergency
- Every child at school should have the opportunity to learn about the Ocean
- To call for governments everywhere to recognise and declare a state of Ocean emergency, and invite them to collaborate.
- To demonstrate the need and support for Ocean education learning opportunities.
These cover 5 key themes
Ocean Literacy
The scope of Ocean literacy is now much broader, and covers programmes and activities in both formal and informal education and communication, ensuring that emotional connection to the Ocean and behaviour change are goals, rather than simply knowledge exchange.
Ocean Literacy has been positioned as a key mechanism for change and central to achieving the goals set out by the UN Ocean Decade’s Ten Challenges. In the UK, recent years have seen Ocean Literacy increasingly at the forefront of discussions about Ocean and coastal management, governance and research priorities.
Working with Government to declare a state of emergency
We are supporting the adaptation and adoption of our co founded Motion for the Ocean for other countries and council equivalents.
Blue Education
By working with teachers to help educate and connect school children with the Ocean, we are inspiring a generation to grow up in a world that not only knows why the Ocean is vital to our planet, but live in a way that will create a healthier Ocean for all.
Climate and Biodiversity
We are helping people to understand the links between the Ocean and the climate and biodiversity. We are urging action to protect the Ocean so that it can help in the climate and biodiversity crises.
Blue Finance
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water is the least funded Sustainable Development Goal. We are hoping to foster collaboration in order to get more investment to achieve this goal.
Where you can find us at UNOC
We are taking part in the Green Zone, Beyond Borders: Ocean Futures Pavilion. Through interactive exhibitions, compelling visual stories, and engaging activities, attendees will discover the interconnectedness of life on land and sea, gaining insights into global efforts to protect our Ocean and restore our relationship with it. Our activities in the pavilion include:
- A need for Ocean Recovery through local action initiatives – 10th June 13:00-14:00
- This workshop introduces Motion for the Ocean, which is the UK’s method to get local Councils to support an urgent need for Ocean Recovery and implementing Ocean Literacy into the community. We invite workshop participants to engage in an active discussion about the creation of a ‘Motion for the Ocean’ type mechanism, with specific country and geographical context. Outcomes of the workshop would be to equip attendees with the knowledge and support to create their own Motion equivalent within their own context with Ocean Literate communities as a key outcome.
- Cultural Connections – 12th June 14:00-15:00
- To support one of the UNOC’s priority objectives we will be creating a Cultural Connection hub within the pavilion. This hub will develop a global network of Ocean culture experts, practitioners and local populations, with the aim to create global mini-cultural hubs that will contribute to the global process of better understanding cultural links with the Ocean, as described in the Challenge 10 White Paper. The main activity of the event will be to gather contacts from various countries and regions, competent or interested in how knowledge of the Ocean and human behaviours in favour of the ocean can be supported by best practice activities and initiatives in cultural links, heritage, language and territorial innovation.
If you are at the United Nations Ocean Conference and want to connect with us, drop us an email by clicking on the button below.