This PR is originally by the Ocean Decade.
Paris/Barcelona, 8 June 2023 – With 10 months to go, the launch of the pre-registration process and call for Satellite Events marks an important milestone towards the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona.
Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want’, the Conference will take place over three days from 10 to 12 April at the Barcelona International Convention Centre and will be part of an entire Ocean Decade Week that will take place throughout Barcelona from 8 to 12 April 2024. As a coastal city with a major commitment towards the blue economy as a driver of competitiveness and job creation, Barcelona is the perfect place to hold an event such as this one focused on ocean science, sustainability and innovation.
Hosted by Spain and co-organized with UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), this international event will bring together various actors, including governments, decision-makers, maritime sectors, philanthropy, academia, the private sector, and civil society. All these voices will engage in a constructive dialogue around progress and joint priorities for the future of the Ocean Decade and continued success of ocean sustainability efforts, across the science – policy – society interface. It will be a 3-day, in-person event co-led with a range of partners: Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council through the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation, and the Spanish National Ocean Decade Committee, which is led by the Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).
About the programme
Based around the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges, the Conference will be collaborative, inclusive, and interactive in nature to offer participants time and space for learning, networking and building partnerships.
It will provide a forum to discuss the results of the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 strategic ambition setting process around the Decade Challenges, and its related set of white papers. These papers will identify future priorities for the Ocean Decade to generate the knowledge needed for science-based solutions to global challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards.
The Conference will be structured around three key moments:
- The high-level opening session (10 April in the morning) will feature commitments and announcements by Heads of State, leaders of UN agencies, and representatives of industry and philanthropy, as well as a plenary discussion on foundational elements of success for the Ocean Decade.
- The main part of Conference will be articulated around four thematic sessions based on groupings of the Ocean Decade Challenges, with a mix of plenary and parallel sessions to present the results of the Vision 2030 process and showcase science solutions that are contributing to sustainable development.
- The high-level closing session (12 April in the afternoon) will focus on resources and partnerships in the Ocean Decade as well as provide a platform for partner announcements. The closing segment will report the main outcomes of the Conference and a vision to 2030 for the Ocean Decade.
For more details about the programme of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, please click here.
Take part in the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference
Pre-register today! Before 30 September
Registration for the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will take place in two steps:
- Pre-registration which will be open from 8 June to 30 September 2023. To pre-register, please click here.
- Full registration which will take place from 30 September to 30 October 2023.
There are no registration fees to participate in the Conference; however, at the time of full registration, participants will be kindly asked to make a modest financial contribution to a travel fund to support travel for selected participants from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries and Early Career Ocean Professionals. This contribution will not be compulsory but will be greatly appreciated and will help ensure that no one is left behind in the Ocean Decade!
To pre-register for the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, please click here. The deadline for pre-registration is 30 September 2023.
Submit your activity as a Satellite Event before 30 October 2023
To complement the formal programme and contribute concretely to the Conference outcomes, interested parties are invited to propose, organize, and lead Satellite Events prior to and during the Conference.
On-site Satellite Events will take place at the Conference venue on 10-11-12 April 2024 during the lunch break of the Conference, while off-site Satellite Events will be organized in a variety of locations around Barcelona starting from 8 April. From workshops and symposiums to dinners and art exhibitions, these partner-led and partner-resourced events can take various forms.
To learn more about Satellite Events and to submit your application, please click here. The deadline for submission is 30 October 2023.
Get a booth
To provide partners with the opportunity to present their activities, foster knowledge-sharing and strengthen collaboration, a small number of booths will be available at the Conference venue. More information on the logistics and costs of booths can be obtained by contacting [email protected].
Posters and session presentations
Stay tuned for information on calls for posters and for presentations during the parallel sessions of the Conference! For additional information or queries, please contact [email protected] and include “2024 Ocean Decade Conference” in the subject line.
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/UNESCO) to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its partners, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. As a global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Find out how you can contribute to the UN Decade. Follow #GenerationRestoration.