Paris, 27 June – UNESCO and Prada Group announced on Tuesday a new partnership within the framework of SEA BEYOND, the educational programme dedicated to the dissemination of ocean literacy principles and ocean preservation, conducted together since 2019.
“This new partnership between UNESCO and Prada Group marks a significant milestone in our efforts to promote ocean literacy and preserve our oceans. We will seed ocean knowledge in the minds of school students from many countries. I am confident that with our collective efforts, we can make a lasting impact on the well-being of our oceans and our planet,” said Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of IOC- UNESCO and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO
SEA BEYOND will now benefit from 1% of proceeds from the sale of Prada’s Re-Nylon Collection. The programme will thus extend its scope beyond education, with two new areas of focus related to the ocean: support for scientific research and community projects.
The aim is for SEA BEYOND to become an open platform, welcoming third-party projects with ocean preservation principles at the core. IOC-UNESCO will scout relevant opportunities and will analyze and validate all the new proposals submitted by Prada Group.
“It is critical that everyone understands how culture and education are fundamental for making change happen. We need to invest in a constructive dialogue with young generations to contribute to a more sustainable future and preserve our ocean. UNESCO is the only UN agency with a mandate on both education and ocean science and its Oceanographic Commission has demonstrated a strong ability to bring stakeholders together. I am really proud we will continue this journey together,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.
The new partnership will also see the opening of an Ocean Decade Coordination Office in Venice, hosted by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science & Culture in Europe.
The Office in Venice will oversee a series of programmatic activities to support the objective of transforming humanity’s relationship with the ocean – a crucial challenge for the UN Ocean Decade 2021-2030. Key activities include engaging youth through outreach programs, such as the SEA BEYOND Project targeting students of all ages, and helping governments implement “blue curriculum” mainstreaming ocean issues into all levels of national education. The office will be a global hub for ocean literacy networks from around the world, monitoring progress, identifying gaps, and developing synergies across countries.
The new agreement between UNESCO and the Prada Group will support the organization of the first World Conference for Ocean Literacy in 2024, convening experts and diverse stakeholders to inspire positive change, foster environmental stewardship, and ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the ocean. The World Conference for Ocean Literacy will be a key preparatory step on the road to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
SEA BEYOND achievements so far
- Training over 600 secondary school students in ocean literacy across Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
- Empowering students to freely interpret one of the ten challenges of the Ocean Decade though text, graphics, or interactive content. Winning projects were awarded during the UN Ocean Conference 2022.
- Enrolling over 120 preschool children into the “Kindergarten of the Lagoon”, an outdoor educational program in Venice.
- Strengthening understanding of ocean literacy for Prada Group’s over 14,000 employees across more than 70 countries.
