The ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, it connects the world together and human beings depend on it for their livelihood. 8 June was officially designated as World Oceans Day by the UN General Assembly to raise awareness on the preservation and sustainable use of the ocean for all and future generations. Every year, different events are held worldwide with different themes engaging the global community to actively preserve the ocean.
Within the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in close collaboration with the project office of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) organided a one day event titled “Between Past and Present: Towards the Ocean Generation” to celebrate this year’s World Oceans Day on 8 June in La Maddalena, Sardinia (Italy). The event focused on accentuating the importance of the ocean to the planet, critically involving and educating young people on this issue. It was an eventful day of roundtables talks, debates and interactive activities to communicate the invaluable role of the ocean in our lives. The goal was to inspire a conscious generation for the future and the ocean.
Guests and speakers in attendance came from a variety of professions; researchers, scientists, institutional representatives, seafarers, chefs, entrepreneurs, actors, journalists, and artists. The event kicked off with introductory speeches, among them from Vladimir Ryabinin, IOC-UNESCO Executive Secretary and Assistant Director General of UNESCO; Franco Bernabè, President of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO; and, Rosalia Santoleri, President of the Italian Oceanographic Commission. The event was livestreamed from Sardinia with guests and speakers at the location.
Read more at: https://en.unesco.org/news/between-past-and-future-towards-ocean-generation