The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will be part of an entire Ocean Decade Week in Barcelona that will run from 8 to 12 April 2024. The official Conference will run for three days from 10 to 12 April at the Barcelona International Convention Centre.
The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will commence with a high-level opening segment on the 10 April 2024, at which Heads of State, leaders of UN agencies, industry and philanthropic leaders will be present. The high-level opening segment will be followed by a plenary session focusing on the conditions of success for the Ocean Decade including inclusivity, equity and diversity across gender, generations and geographies.
Between the afternoon of the 10 April and the morning of the 12 April, the Conference will be structured into four thematic sessions based around groupings of the Ocean Decade Challenges. These sessions will comprise a mix of plenary and parallel sessions to present the results of the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 process, to showcase innovative science-solutions initiatives and to develop recommendations for the validation and finalisation of a common strategic ambition for each Ocean Decade Challenge.
The final closing session of the Conference on the 12 April 2024 will commence with a plenary on resources and partnerships in the Ocean Decade that will also provide an opportunity for announcements and commitments by partners. This will be followed by a high-level closing segment that will report the main outcomes of the event, including a Conference Outcomes Statement that will synthesize the vision to 2030 for the Ocean Decade.
All plenary sessions will be streamed live:
Click on the session titles for more details
Plenary: High Level Opening Segment
Plenary: Conditions of Success for the Ocean Decade
Session 1: Science and Solutions for a Clean, Healthy and Resilient Ocean
(Challenges 1, 2 and 5 – Pollution, Ecosystems and Climate)
Plenary and Parallel Sessions
Session 2: Science and Solutions for a Sustainable and Resilient Ocean Economy
(Challenges 3 and 4 – Sustainable Ocean Economy and Sustainable Blue Food)
Plenary and Parallel Sessions
Session 3: Science and Solutions for a Safe and Predicted Ocean
(Challenges 6, 7 and 8 – Coastal Resilience, Observations, Data and Predictions)
Plenary and Parallel Sessions
Session 4: An Inspiring and Engaging Ocean for All
(Challenges 9 and 10 – Capacity Development, Ocean Literacy, Indigenous and Local Knowledge and Cultural Heritage)
Plenary and Parallel Sessions
Plenary: Resources and Partnerships for the Ocean Decade
Plenary: Announcements and Commitments for the Ocean Decade
Plenary: Closing Segment - Charting a Vision to 2030
09:30 - 10:20 | Plenary: High Level Opening Segment
Subject to last-minute change
Opening words from UNESCO:
Message from Heads of State and Ocean Decade Alliance Patrons, and from Heads of Government:
Welcome from Hosts:
Official Photo
10:20 - 10:45 | COFFEE BREAK
10:45 - 11:10 | Plenary: High Level Opening Segment
National and international perspectives:
Message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations:
11:10 - 12:50 | Plenary: Conditions of Success for the Ocean Decade
The Ocean Decade – Status and Perspectives:
Moderator of Panel 1:
Panelists:
Moderator of Panel 2:
Panelists:
12:50 - 13:00 | Special interventions
Each of these sessions will comprise a plenary session taking place in the One Ocean Room (plenary room), followed by parallel sessions. The plenary sessions will commence with a keynote speaker followed by a moderated roundtable discussion providing an overview of achievements, future opportunities and remaining challenges for the issues in question, thus setting the scene for the discussions in the parallel sessions.
The following parallel sessions, entitled ‘Science Solutions Forums’, will start with a presentation of the key elements of the Vision 2030 White Paper for the relevant Challenge and be followed by a series of oral presentations from Decade and non-Decade partners on innovative science-society solutions that are contributing to or aligned with the Challenge. The parallel sessions will close with a moderated interactive dialogue to develop key recommendations from the session for reporting back to plenary.
The Vision 2030 process presents a unique opportunity for stakeholders to actively engage in shaping the future of the Ocean Decade. Whether you attend the Conference in person or follow the plenary sessions via livestream, you will have the opportunity to share your comments and feedback on the draft recommendations presented in the Outcomes Report, Outcomes Report Executive Summary and associated White Papers – click here for more information.
15:00 - 16:00 | Plenary session
Keynote speaker: Kestutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Moderator: Jessica Brown, Back to Blue Initiative
Panelists:
16:30 - 18:00 | Parallel sessions
Browse the oral presentations here.
10:00 - 11:00 | Plenary session
Keynote speaker: Steven Thur, Director of Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Moderator: Claire Jolly, Head of Innovation Policies for Space and Oceans Unit, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Panelists:
11:30 - 13:00 | Parallel sessions
Browse the oral presentations here.
15:00 - 16:00 | Plenary session
Keynote speaker: Dwikorita Karnawati, Head, Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG)
Moderator: Mark Heine, CEO, Fugro
Panelists:
16:30 - 18:00 | Parallel sessions
Browse the oral presentations here.
10:00 - 11:00 | Plenary session
Keynote speaker: Ken Paul, Principal / Owner, Pokiok Associates
Moderator: Jacqueline Uku, Senior Research Scientist and Research Coordinator, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)
Panelists:
11:30 - 13:00 | Parallel sessions
Browse the oral presentations here.
15:00 - 16:00 | Plenary: Resources and Partnerships for the Ocean Decade
Moderator: Alfredo Giron, Head of Ocean Action Agenda, World Economic Forum
Panelists:
16:30 - 17:00 | Plenary: Special Event – The Statsraad Lehmkuhl
17:00 - 18:00 | Plenary: Announcements and Conference Closing
This session will feature a series of new announcements and commitments by partners to the Ocean Decade and the launch of the Barcelona Conference Statement.
Remarks by: