On 12 March, as part of the Third BBNJ Symposium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Ocean Decade convened policymakers, scientists, and funders to identify how the Ocean Decade can help advance the science and knowledge needed to implement the BBNJ Agreement.
As the BBNJ Agreement moves from adoption to implementation, critical gaps in science, data, capacity and investment must be addressed to ensure effective and equitable delivery.
Ahead of the BBJN PrepCom III, the third session of the Preparatory Commission for the entry into force of the Agreement currently underway at the United Nations headquarters (23 March – 2 April, New York City, US), the Third BBNJ Symposium brought together on 10-12 March in Rio de Janeiro scientists, industry representatives, civil society, academia, policymakers, and other stakeholders from around the world.
Organised by the Decade Coordination Unit at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the satellite event ‘Towards Rio 2027: Mobilising the Ocean Decade for BBNJ Delivery’ gathered world-leading ocean experts to identify priority knowledge needs, and explore how the Ocean Decade can help build the enabling conditions required to operationalise the BBNJ Agreement by 2027 and beyond.
In particular, the discussion focused on ocean data systems, philanthropic investment, ocean literacy and capacity development, and synergies with climate-related knowledge and financing agendas.
Participants also noted that the Ocean Decade is a critical platform to help to operationalise the BBNJ Agreement. Efforts to promote a global-to-local commitment to strengthening the science-policy-society interface, developed under the Ocean Decade, can be adapted to support these new knowledge needs.
“We can use the learnings and the platforms that were designed in the Decade and focus them for the BBNJ Agreement”, said Ronaldo Christofoletti, Professor at the Federal University of São Paulo UNIFESP, Brazil, and member of the Decade Advisory Board and Brazilian National Decade Committee.
The BBNJ Agreement was also identified as a key opportunity to drive the delivery of the science we need for the ocean we want.
“Establishing a dialogue between the Decade and BBNJ, so that the Decade programs are more aware of the specific challenges that BBNJ is facing, could drive the science — because BBNJ is going to be an attractor for the scientific community,” added Margaret Leinen, Director Emeritus of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Vice Chancellor Emeritus for Marine Science of University of California at San Diego.
With Rio de Janeiro set to host the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in just over a year, on 7-9 April 2027, the session was a key part of a broader preparatory process that aims to shape the legacy of the Ocean Decade towards 2030 and beyond.
“The Decade is now at the midpoint of its implementation. There’s been a lot of activity. We have over 60 global programs and over 700 projects,” said Alison Clausen, Deputy Global Coordinator of the Ocean Decade at IOC.
“But the focus of the Decade, as it moves into its second part, is now on ensuring that science and knowledge can inform policy, can inform decision-making, from the global to the local level. And that’s going to be a very strong focus of the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference that will be held here in Rio de Janeiro next April.
That conference is going to be a key moment for the scientific community and stakeholders to build new partnerships and initiatives.”
Find more information about the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference here.
Watch the event recording here (please refer to the segment starting at 5:38:30).
For more information, please contact:
Ocean Decade Communications Team (oceandecade.comms@unesco.org)
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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 the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.
About the IOC:
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 151 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science and tsunami warning. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress, the basis of peace and sustainable development.
