The first edition of the “One Ocean Summit” announced by French President Emmanuel Macron during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, will be held in Brest on 9, 10 and 11 February 2022. This international event is also part of the agenda of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Objectives of One Ocean Summit
The One Ocean Summit aims to unite and mobilise the international community, particularly political decision-makers from around the world, to act as quickly as possible to save our oceans. The challenges facing the oceans, and therefore the entire planet, do not concern only a few coastal inhabitants: biodiversity and ecosystems under threat, climate change, sustainability of the blue economy. These challenges concern all of us regardless of where we live, whether we live in the mountains or in lowland areas. They are affecting many regions worldwide, with the most vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Workshops and thematic forums led by leading experts from more than 65 countries will take place on 9 and 10 February to discuss and propose concrete actions. The European Union (EU) is particularly at the forefront of addressing these issues and the Summit will be an opportunity to showcase major initiatives, notably in the framework of the EU mission “Restore the Oceans and Aquatic Environments by 2030”.
A high-level segment will conclude the summit on the morning of 11 February. It will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron who has invited many heads of government as well as the European Commission. The summit will therefore be an opportunity to announce major political commitments shared by many countries for the health of the oceans.
Participation of Mercator Ocean International
The Director General of Mercator Ocean International , Pierre Bahurel, is honoured to have been invited to speak on Thursday morning, 10 February, in the workshop co-organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and IFREMER. Entitled “the science we need for the ocean we want“, the workshop echoes the motto of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, a unique initiative spearheaded by IOC-UNESCO. This major global initiative aims to drive transformative ocean science solutions to restore and preserve our oceans within the decade (2021-2030) so that they are healthy, clean, resilient, productive, safe, accessible, inspiring and engaging. Ocean forecasting and the digital twin ocean, i.e. the ability to provide a coherent digital representation of the state of the oceans, are today essential scientific services to achieve all these goals. Pierre Bahurel will have the opportunity to explain why and how these services serve the efforts led by policy makers, scientists and civil society for the sustainable use of ocean resources and to support international ocean governance.
How to follow the event?
The event will take place in a hybrid format to meet the requirements of the current health situation. The entire summit will be broadcast and accessible live via an event platform and all discussions will be available in French and English.
Replay of One Ocean Summit Kick-off Conference 28 January 2022
Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of the Sea, and Ms. Bérangère Abba, Secretary of State to the Minister of Ecological Transition, in charge of Biodiversity, presented the challenges of the “One Ocean Summit” during a press conference on 28 January 2022.