UNOC3 Side Event launches strategic partnership for Ocean Research and Capacity Building
A significant step forward in international marine science cooperation was achieved on June 12 as Portuguese-speaking African Small Island Developing States (SIDS) committed to establishing Centers of Excellence in Marine Sciences. The initiative, presented during the official UNOC3 side event “Strengthening Marine Science and Capacity Building through the Establishment of Centers of Excellence in Portuguese-Speaking African SIDS,” was led by Cabo Verde’s Ministry of the Sea and Instituto do Mar (IMar) with support from the AIR Centre.
The comprehensive partnership brings together four island nations—Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste—alongside UNESCO’s SIDS Section and Germany’s GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The collaboration aims to leverage existing scientific knowledge, regional infrastructure, and international cooperation to address critical oceanic challenges facing these vulnerable island communities.
The session gathered distinguished participation from key government officials and scientific leaders, underscoring the initiative’s strategic importance. Ministers from three African nations participated: H.E. Jorge Santos, Minister of Sea of Cabo Verde; H.E. Nilda Borges da Mata, Minister of Environment, Youth, Sustainable Tourism of São Tomé and Príncipe; and H.E. Viriato Soares Cassamá, Minister of Environment, Biodiversity, and Climate Action of Guinea-Bissau.
International organizations were represented by Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission (IOC) and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, and Professor Dr. Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The AIR Centre’s Executive Director Miguel Miranda and Yara Rodrigues, Board Member of Instituto do Mar – IMar (Cabo Verde), also participated in the discussions.
The initiative focuses on five strategic areas critical to building sustainable marine science capacity: strategic partnerships for blue science and innovation, youth capacity building with a dedicated focus on gender equality, evidence-based decision making for marine management, enhanced access to marine data and technologies, and fostering community innovation alongside regional cooperation.
The Centers of Excellence are designed to empower these communities with the knowledge, tools, and expertise needed to protect their marine environments while developing sustainable blue economies.
This represents a significant milestone in South-South cooperation, combining regional expertise with international scientific support to address some of the most pressing oceanic challenges facing island nations in the Atlantic and beyond.
Networking Friday on Coastal Observation and Modelling Systems in Brazil
On July 23rd and July 30th, 2021, 1-3 PM UTC, we will host a very comprehensive overview of the coastal ocean observing and modelling systems in Brazil, which will present current initiatives and future perspectives. The development of the Blue Economy in Brazil needs more and better data for informed decision- and policy-making, stronger collaboration at national and international level and broader and deeper engagement of key stakeholders (government, academia, industry and civil society) to simultaneously foster sustainable economic growth and preserve the health of marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity for future generations.
Networking Friday with Thierry Chopin (University of New Brunswick, Canada)
On July 16th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, Thierry Chopin, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Saint John, Canada, and founder of Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc., marvelled us all with his insights on Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA): responsibly farming our waters by taking advantage of ecosystem services within a circular economy approach.
Networking Friday on the All-Atlantic Pledging Campaign
On July 9th, 2021, 1-3 PM UTC, the Networking Friday on the All-Atlantic Pledging Campaign discussed the existing commitments and the way forward to better understand, care and protect our threatened Atlantic ocean. Every day we hear or read about the ever-growing list of threats that our ocean is now facing due mostly by human action or inaction. From global warming and habitat destruction to marine pollution and overfishing, marine ecosystems and biodiversity are severely impacted, so urgent global action is needed to immediately revert current trends and to broadly restore and preserve the ocean’s health for future generations.