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 with GEO Blue Planet
On April 16th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, Emily Smail, Executive Director of the GEO Blue Planet Initiative, and Audrey Hasson, Head of the GEO Blue Planet European Office, introduced the GEO Blue Planet initiative and showcased on-going success stories from 4 different thematic Working Groups. They will highlight how GEO Blue Planet identifies data and information gaps, provides network and coordination support and supports best practices covering a wide range of topics such as eutrophication, sargassum, marine litter and oil spill. The moderator was Leah Mupas Segui, Senior Associate with the Pew Charitable Trusts.
ESAPlastics
ESAPlastics – De-Risk Action: Spectrometer for Marine Litter. This action will evaluate and develop at a low TRL, prospective technology that in the future can lead to the development of a spectrometer for marine litter detection from space. Clearly there is an opportunity to develop innovative technology that can take advantage of Earth Observation satellite constellation to provide a continuous monitoring of earth oceans and coastal areas.
Networking Friday with the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute
On April 9th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, Miguel Bessa Pacheco, Technical Director, and João Vitorino, Oceanographer, will tell us how the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute (Instituto Hidrográfico) contributes to expand the scientific knowledge of the Atlantic Ocean.