Ocean Futures 2030: the state of our common ocean governance – perspectives across sectors

• Watch a recording of the event here.

In December 2022 the COP 15 meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed on the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). In June 2023 the member states of the United Nations adopted the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, after 19 years of negotiations.

In this special event we will look at the status for these two global frameworks-agreements. With the COP 16 CBD taking place in Cali, Colombia in October followed by the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku in November, where the role of the ocean in climate change will be key in discussions, there is a lot at stake this autumn. This in turn leads to the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025.

One of the main challenges of both BBNJ and the GBF is reaching the 30 by 30 goal: the pledge to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s land and inland waters as well as of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

To discuss these topics broadly we bring together researchers, diplomats, policymakers, civil society, and young voices to look at what ocean governance mechanisms and entities exist or are emerging to secure proper implementation of these frameworks-agreements on the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus. The aim is to provide scientific answers to ongoing policy issues and debates.

We ask:

• How can research-based knowledge and other forms of knowledge contribute to enhance ocean governance?
• How can we make different mechanisms work together in a geopolitically challenging situation?
• What is the status of 30 by 30 in different UN member states? And how can science contribute?
• What are the issues/topics in BBNJ and CBD/GBF of particular relevance to science?

This discussion on the ocean/climate/biodiversity nexus will highlight UiB’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, Life Below Water, where the university holds leading positions for both the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).

PROGRAMME

18:00-18:01     Welcome from the event organisers

18:01-18:04     Opening note by Vice-rector for Innovation, Projects and Knowledge Clusters Gottfried Greve, University of Bergen

18:04-18:44     Conversation on the state of ocean governance with IPOS founder and oceanographer Françoise Gaill and Peter Haugan, Project Director at the Institute of Marine Research and Professor at UiB’s Geophysical Institute and former Chair of IOC-UNESCO, who will discuss the status for BBNJ, CBD and other global ocean agreements. Moderated by Professor Lise Øvreås, Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen and President of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA).

18:44-19:27     Panel discussion on ocean governance with perspectives from across sectors (science, civil society, industry and young voices), moderated by Postdoctoral Fellow João Bettencourt, SEAS programme and Geophysical Institute at the University of Bergen. On the panel:

• Professor Françoise Gaill, co-initiator of International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS) and Scientific Advisor at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) More on Gaill at Wikipedia (in French)
• Mr Fredrik Myhre, marine biologist and Senior Adviser for Fisheries and Marine Conservation at WWF Norway
• Ms Hege Hammersland, Business Development Manager, Deep Vision
• Ms Ingeborg Rønning, Masters degree in marine sustainability and member of the One Ocean Youth Panel

19:27-19:30  Closing remarks by Ms Florence Robine, France’s ambassador in Norway.

The event is organised by Senior Adviser Sverre Ole Drønen. at UiB's Division of Research and Innovation.