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Strengthening international cooperation and coordination for the Ocean in the 2030 Agenda

GEF/UNDP LME:LEARN

By IW:LEARN

June 27^th, 2017

Throughout its participation to the discussions, IW/LME:LEARN actively supported the sharing of knowledge and experience gained at the regional and international levels in the implementation of Goal 14, particularly through the organization of a side event on 6 June. The side event gathered governmental and basin stakeholders of four large marine ecosystem projects and drew more than seventy people.

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, stressed the importance of ocean science in advancing all aspects of SDG 14, as reflected in SDG target 14.a which calls nations to further support and develop scientific knowledge, research capacity and marine technology transfer.

“We need to invest massively in science and research immediately and this effort must be made collectively – all Governments and partners must share knowledge to craft common science-based policies”.

For this reason, the IOC of UNESCO has been encouraging all concerned UN-agencies to act as “one”, in particular to rally behind the IOC Member States’ proposal to make 2021-2030 the International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development:

“Sustained and global ocean science and observation is absolutely necessary to understand the impact of changing climate, to assess regional vulnerability, and to monitor the efficacy of adaptation and mitigation efforts”.

Julian Barbière, Head of the IOC Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, on behalf of IOC-UNESCO

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO (left)

The Conference has adopted by consensus an intergovernmentally agreed declaration in the form of a "Call for Action" to support the implementation of Goal 14 and a report containing the co-chairs' summaries of the partnership dialogues, as well as a list of 1372 voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14 available on the Ocean Conference’s dedicated website.

The resolutions underline the need to raise awareness about marine research and the importance to support the accessibility and availability of marine knowledge and data between and across regions. Strengthening an open and inclusive research community will also require building bridges with policy makers and other stakeholders, in line with a coherent and cross-sectoral approach.

The IW/LME:LEARN project pursues this mission in the improvement of the conservation and use of the oceans, seas and marine resources through a global ecosystem-based approach and transboundary coordination, by generating knowledge, building capacity, harnessing public and private partners and supporting south-to-south and north-to-south learning.

The IW/LME:LEARN’s participation notably addressed aspects related to ecosystem-based management approaches, the utilization of scientific evidence in policy making and the contribution of capacity development as a cross-cutting theme to all SDG 14 targets. IW/LME:LEARN submitted its own voluntary commitment.

Please visit the “UNESCO @ UN Ocean Conference” page for a comprehensive view of IOC-UNESCO side events and all our voluntary commitments.

Tanzania (Agulhas-Somali Current LME). Credit: Lucy Scott

Silky sharks near oil rig, Gulf of Mexico LME. credit: Jake LevensonMarine Photobank

Artisanal fish trap, Malaysia. Credit: Yvonne Sadovy, APEC

GEF IW:LEARN and LME:LEARN are projects funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).

For further information about the services provided by IW:LEARN and LME:LEARN, please visit our websites: IW:LEARN & LME:LEARN and follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Footnotes

Header photo: School of tuna. credit: FAO

FootNotes

Header photo: School of tuna. credit: FAO

© 2026 IW:LEARN

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