The new Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021 is an open invitation for partners from around the world to request endorsement for transformative Decade Actions that contribute to the Ocean Decade vision.

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.

To achieve the Ocean Decade vision, a wide range of partners will implement endorsed Decade Actions in the form of programmes, projects or activities over the next ten years.

The Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021, the second of a series that will be launched every 6 months as part of the Ocean Decade, will focus on Decade programmes that address priority issues including marine pollution, multiple stressors on marine ecosystems or the ocean-climate nexus.

The Call will also solicit Projects that could form part of one of the 23 already endorsed Decade Programmes participating in the Call for Decade Actions, as well as Projects seeking funding as part of the joint Ocean Decade – AXA Research Fund “Towards more resilient coastal livelihood” and the joint Ocean Decade – MeerWissen Initiative for African-German Marine Partnerships “Nature Based Solutions in Africa”.

The Call will also invite proposals for Decade Contributions of in-kind or financial resources to support Ocean Decade coordination and Action costs.

Each part of the Call has its own submission form and deadlines so attention is recommended to avoid errors and delays in the processing of requests for endorsement.

All information and documentation about the Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021 is available through the Global Stakeholder Forum, via this link.

Interested Decade Action proponents must register on the Ocean Decade Global Stakeholder Forum in order to access the documentation or submit a request for endorsement.

Registration is via forum.oceandecade.org.

Need more information?

All applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the Call documentation which is posted here.

Applicants are also invited to attend one of the following Information Sessions where they will have an opportunity to ask questions to the Decade Coordination Unit:

20 October 2021 from 17.00 – 18.30h CEST

Join here | Add to your calendar

21 October 2021 from 8.30h – 10.00h CEST

Join here | Add to your calendar

For more information, please contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please add “Call for Decade Actions No. 02/2021” in subject line)

On the occasion of the International Youth Day (12 August) UNESCO/IOC launched the Indian Ocean Youth Short Video Competition on Tsunami Awareness (News Flash click: here). This initiative is also to commemorate the International Disaster Risk Reduction Day (13 October), and the World Tsunami Awareness Day (5 November). The Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) of UNESCO/IOC jointly with a youth and young professional platform on science, engineering, technology, and innovation for disaster risk reduction (U-INSPIRE Indonesia) is organizing these series of activities related to the youth short video competition.

This short video competition opens the opportunity for Youth to learn, engage in international competition, and be a winner through:

1. Free online training webinar on Tsunami Awareness and Preparedness
2. Free online training on Creating Short Videos
3. Submit their creative short video to the competition and get a chance to be the winner.

The competition is divided in groups:

• Kenya and Madagascar  is in the category of Western Indian Ocean region: along with youth from Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa.
• Comoros,  Mauritius, and Seychelles  is in the category of Indian Ocean Small Island States group: along with youth from Singapore, Timor-Leste and France La-reunion.

The 2 minutes short video should showcase young persons' ideas, projects, activities, or campaigns towards promoting community tsunami awareness and preparedness. The video can be in the local language or English. A local language video should have English subtitles.

To know more about the Participant Requirements, important dates, Requirements for Video Submission, Submission Detail, Scoring, Jury, Prizes and Winners, and examples of UNESCO Video Competition please see:

1. Website for Indian Ocean Youth Short Video Competition (available in multi-language with google translation): https://uinspire.id/ioyvc-2021/
2. Download the concept note (in English): https://bit.ly/concept_note_ioyvc-2021
3. Register through: https://bit.ly/participate_in_ioyvc-2021

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the Government of Egypt, through the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) are organizing the “Regional Kick-Off Conference for the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development for Africa and the Adjacent Island States”, 13–15 December 2021 in hybrid format (online with limited physical presence in Alexandria, Egypt).

The conference will provide a forum to take stock of status of ocean science and technology in the region, deliberate on how ocean sciences in Africa should be supported and focused on delivering the required societal outcomes of the Decade, and seek interest and commitment of the oceanographic community to embark on a number of directions of research which are critical for the ocean sustainable management.

The African Union (AU) in collaboration with the government of the Republic of Seychelles commemorated the 2021 Edition of the African day of Seas and Oceans under the theme “Transforming the challenges of African Seas and Oceans into opportunities”

WHO: The 2021 Edition of the commemoration of the African Seas and Oceans is organized by the African Union Commission, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Seychelles.

Objective:
The overall objective of the commemoration is to raise awareness on the critical role played by Africa’s oceans and seas in attaining sustainable development within the framework of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The celebration will also highlight the opportunities and challenges facing Africa’s resources in its Oceans, Seas, Rivers and Lakes and deliberate on appropriate policy and institutional responses.

Background:

Under the first Aspiration: “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”, Agenda 2063 recognizes the huge potential of the Blue Economy as a catalyst of socio-economic transformation through knowledge of marine and aquatic biotechnology, the growth of an Africa-wide shipping industry, the development of sea, river and lake transport and fishing; and exploitation and benefits from deep sea mineral and other resources. It also takes into account the marine environmental protection that includes the methods and strategies to combat climate change.

More: https://au.int/en/newsevents/20210806/commemoration-2021-edition-african-day-seas-and-oceans

The world's oceans are connected to each other, and all humans are connected to the ocean. We depend on it for food, recreation and many livelihoods. The sea has been a major highway by which humanity spread around the globe in the distant past, and it played a significant role in many cultures.Maritime connections and activities still exert a powerful cultural influence. 

Read more at: https://www.oceandecade.org/news/155/Cultural-Heritages-Role-in-Ocean-Conservation

The Ocean Agency together with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission announced today the official launch of the Ocean Image Bank, an online library of thousands of powerful ocean images that have been made freely available for download and use. The imagery collection has been developed specifically to support the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’) and has been endorsed as one of the official contributions to the Decade.

The Ocean Image Bank is designed for use by the media, educators, creators, communicators, and anyone else looking to support the Ocean Decade by helping raise awareness about the ocean and its importance as well as inspiring greater support for ocean science and conservation action.

“Accessing affordable media-quality ocean imagery has been a major challenge for communicators that has limited both the intensity of media coverage and the convincing power of communications about the ocean for many years. It is one of the reasons why there remains a widespread lack of understanding about the importance of the ocean and the seriousness of ocean issues. It has also contributed towards the chronic lack of support for ocean science and conservation action that the Ocean Decade is suffering,” said Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of UNESCO’s IOC in charge of global coordination for the Ocean Decade.

The Ocean Image Bank was created by The Ocean Agency – the nonprofit, famous for taking Google Street View underwater and revealing the impacts of climate change on the ocean in the Netflix Original Documentary Chasing Coral. 

“People say that an image is worth a thousand words, but in ocean conservation, an image can be far more valuable than that. Some of our individual images, that reveal what’s happening in the ocean, have helped generate media coverage that’s been valued at well over a million dollars for each image, educating an audience in the billions. That’s why we are making the imagery even more accessible.” said Richard Vevers, Founder of The Ocean Agency.

Over 100 of the world’s top ocean photographers have generously supported the initiative - providing stunning and powerful imagery that is being made available alongside The Ocean Agency’s own imagery taken during their Underwater Street View and Chasing Coral expeditions.

The imagery covers a wide range of ocean subjects and issues ranging from coral reefs to mangroves, to life in the high seas. Additional imagery as well as creative communication and inspiration toolkits will be added to the Ocean Image Bank over the coming months and throughout the Ocean Decade. The Ocean Image Bank was funded by the Lemonade Insurance GiveBack programme. 

Media are encouraged to showcase galleries of the image to help raise awareness of the ocean and the importance of the Ocean Decade 2021-2030.

More at: https://ioc.unesco.org/news/launch-ocean-image-bank