Ocean decade week
Photo: by Taisia Karaseva on Unsplash
Ocean Decade Week
8-12 April 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference took place on 10-12 April 2024 as part of Ocean Decade Week. It was the next important step in “Delivering the science we need for the ocean we want”.
Over 150 ECOPs were in attendance at the first in person gathering to celebrate and take stock of the Ocean Decade’s progress so far.
An important milestone on the path to 2030, the event covered the full range of Ocean Decade Challenges including critical issues such as climate change, food security, sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards. The Conference also shared the Vision 2030 white papers, consolidated by the 10 working groups (for each challenge) and set out the Ocean Decade’s strategic ambition process to enhance collective impact.
2024 will mark the fourth year of implementation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Under the leadership of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Ocean Decade has already galvanized thousands of partners around the world to start delivering the science we need for the ocean we want.
The time is now ripe to address key questions related to the Ocean Decade: What have been the main achievements since the launch of the Ocean Decade? What should be the key areas for action over the next three to five years?
Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want’, the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, which will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 10 – 12 April 2024, will bring together the global Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate and take stock of progress, and set joint priorities for the future. It will be the highlight of an entire Ocean Decade Week taking place on 8 – 12 April 2024 throughout the city.
Over three days from the 10 – 12 April, the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will create a new foundation to strengthen the sustainable management of the ocean and drive science-based innovation, from global to local, leaving no one behind.
The ECOP Programme at Ocean Decade Week
The ECOP Programme team and coordinators will be attending the Conference and we have several on-site and off-site satellite events we are co-hosting with partners. We’ll be updating these links news of the venues, times and registration very soon.
Many of our events are now full but please find links to the livestreams and registrations that are still open. We hope to share with you all the updates during the event over on our Instagram channel.
Monday 8 April, 17:00 - 19:00, Institut de Cièncias del Mar (ICM)
Capacity Development for the Ocean We Want: Exploring Science Communication and Solving Global Capacity Development Challenges
This satellite event strives to find innovative and efficient solutions to address specific challenges related to capacity development/sharing. By ensuring an inclusive, international and intersectoral atmosphere, we aim for an impactful and meaningful event that will inform further development of the Ocean Decade by supplying concrete suggestions for capacity development.
The event will include a mini-hackathon, designed to be interactive and action-oriented, with a focus on providing early career ocean professionals (ECOPs) with opportunities to develop practical skills and tools that they can use in their careers, through solving ‘real world’ challenges.
Tuesday 9 April, 11:30 - 13:30, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)
Diving from local to global Ocean Literacy: Exploring, sharing, and developing successful practices to know, feel and join the living Ocean
This satellite event will dive into global to local ocean literacy success stories and share solutions to overcome current challenges in developing and spreading such practices in diverse sectors, through 4 interactive panels: Ocean Literacy & Sports, Removing Barriers for Ocean Literacy, Ocean Literacy in Science, and Ocean Literacy in Local Communities. Our event will also include a teaser video on global ocean literacy practices, a poster exhibition, and the opportunity to participate in the drafting of a white paper, which will serve for discussions on challenges and associated solutions – for an ocean-literate society living in harmony with nature. Register now to share your views on how to know, feel, and join the living ocean!
Tuesday 9 April, 14:30 - 16:30, Barcelona Capital Nautica
The inclusivity we need for the Ocean we want
This satellite event seeks to identify the systemic barriers that lead to the exclusion of underrepresented groups and communities, thus preventing true inclusivity in ocean conservation and governance. On that basis, the event will facilitate discussions around concrete ways to include and amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in high-level national and international fora, spanning from nations in the Global North and the Global South. A major outcome of this discussion is a list of joint statements and recommendations to be considered in high-level processes.
Tuesday 9 April, 17:00 - 19:00, Barcelona Capital Nautica
Gathering forces for Science-policy nexus, Innovation, and Funding
This satellite event will provide a dynamic platform for participants to engage with leading experts. The aim is to foster collaborative and innovative solutions for positive change, and to illustrate some barriers found for Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) to find entry-points into the science-to-policy interface. A diverse array of speakers, including policymakers, scientists, innovators and industry leaders, will provide multifaceted insights. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experts leading to valuable insights and connections. Our event will discuss science-policy nexus, innovation and funding, and will bring subject matter experts and industry leaders to explore topics through structured panels and back-and-forth conversations.
Friday 12 April, 13:15 - 14:45, Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB)
Building Ocean Leadership: Fostering Networking, Creativity, and Resilience
This satellite event is organized by the UN Ocean Decade Action Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme and the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders. The event will include interactive panel discussions on navigating career paths across from early to mid-career stages. The event will kick-off with an executive leadership coach Eric Markowitz providing tips on networking and communication, followed by panelists from the ECOP and EOL sharing experiences, insights and lessons learnt around leadership, networking, creativity and resilience.
The event concludes with audience participation with the panel and ‘take away’ reflections.
Events co-led by/featuring our task teams, nodes and UN Ocean Decade endorsed projects
Waves of Change – A youth-driven sustainable blue economy world café
co-organized by SOIFoundation
Monday 8 April, 15:00 - 18:00, Auditorium, Tech Barcelona - Pier 07
Ocean Literacy Dialogues 5th edition
Panel – Ocean science communication: “Many Cultures, Many Ways” featuring ECOP Japan (Tuesday 9 April 9:00-10:00)
8-9 April, World Trade Center, Barcelona
Digital Twins of the Ocean and Early Career Ocean Professionals
co-organized by OceanBRIDGES
Tuesday 9 April, 09:30 - 11:30, World Trade Center - Barcelona South Building (S2, S3, S4)
Strengthening the Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions
co-organized by ECOP Africa
Tuesday 9 April, 09:30 - 11:30, Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona
Digital DEPTH - Deep in the Ocean, Deep in the future
co-organised by ECOP China core members, to register, email: Pengbin Wang
Tuesday 9 April 9:45 - 11:00, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), Charles Darwin Room
ECOP Stories; Finding and using your voice
co-organized by Ocean Voices and ECOP Canada
Tuesday 9, 17:00 - 18:30, University of Barcelona Room: Aula Magna
What can National Decade Committees do for you? Linking Global and National priorities through stakeholder engagement.
co-organized by National Decade Committees: UK, India and Brazil
Thursday 11 April, 13:15 - 14:45, Indian Ocean Room, Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB)
Looking SEAWARD: African oceans and the Ocean Decade narrative
co-organized by ECOP Africa
Friday 12 April, 13:15 - 14:45, Indian Ocean Room, Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB)
Are you attending the Ocean Decade Conference/Week?
We have launched our registry for Early Career Ocean Professionals, in order to find out what kind of impact ECOPs will have at the Conference and throughout Ocean Decade Week. If you’re attending and would like to join the ECOP WhatsApp group and mailing list to stay updated and receive details about our informal mixer and other events, click the link below and please fill in the form!
Informal ECOP events
V.ECOP Days 2024
V.ECOP Days 2024 will bridge a global online community with the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona from April 9-11, 2024.
V.ECOP Day is organized by the German Marine Research Consortium in cooperation with the Global ECOP Program. The event is supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as UNESCO-IOC, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the European Union through a grant to the Prep4Blue Project, and the Polytechnic University of Catalunya.
The Virtual Early Career Ocean Professional (V.ECOP) Days are a unique livestream event showcasing testimonials of change in applying science to ocean sustainability. It is hosted by and for ECOPs from around the world as a contribution to the UN Ocean Decade. Working with the Global ECOP Programme, V.ECOP Days 2024 will connect the global virtual community with in person events at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona from 9-11 April 2024.
Join us:
9 April, 9:30 – 19:00 CEST
10 April, 9:30 – 19:00 CEST
11 April, 9:30 – 15:00 CEST
Location: online (livestream and YouTube – link will be shared once participants have registered).
Watch the short film
Visit the official Conference website
