The 8th EMB Forum Proceedings were published and provide a summary of the discussions that took place in Brussels and online on 1 December 2021, along with key messages. Taking place at the end of its first year, the 8th EMB Forum provided the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in Europe, and what more needs to be done to ensure the Decade is a success.
The 8th EMB Forum focused on “Supporting the Ocean Decade in Europe” and included discussions on the role of early career ocean professionals (ECOPs), how we can communicate about the Decade, how to bridge between science and policy at different governance levels, and also highlighted related EMB activities. Over 100 participants from Europe and further afield engaged both online and in person, representing academia, early career researchers, policy-makers, industry, and NGOs. Experts gave presentations and participated in panel discussions with audience interaction. Full recordings of the sessions are available on the EMB YouTube Channel and you can find out more about the discussion on Twitter via #EMBForum.
The main discussion points and key messages emerging from the 8th Forum are presented in the 8th EMB Forum Proceedings which can be downloaded here.
A short overview video of the 8th EMB Forum was made as part of a project by Tibo Belpaire and Eline Leplae, final year students from the Arteveldehogeschool in Gent. You can watch the overview video here.
You can find out more about this event here.
The European Marine Board is an official Ocean Decade Implementation Partner.
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About the Ocean Decade:
Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem. The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The UN General Assembly mandated UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.