As part of a global consultation process in preparation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), two Arctic workshops are being held to provide opportunities to further discuss, prioritize and formulate proposals for Arctic initiatives to be framed under the UN Decade. This workshop is the was the first Arctic Ocean Decade Workshop. (It is still possible to participate in the 2nd Arctic Ocean Decade Workshop 29 April to 1 May. Copenhagen, Denmark).
The aim was to discuss what are the key ocean policy and sustainable development actions. Upon introduction talks to the three main themes the work shop participants were split into break out groups (approx. 5 groups of each 20 participants) to dentify how business, policy and science can work together on Arctic issues, focusing on:
- Identifying knowledge gaps and Arctic ocean science priorities for the 2030 Agenda;
- Defining possible common regional ocean policy priorities;
- Leveraging existing Arctic partnerships/networks/initiatives and identifying those lacking;
- Involving local and indigenous communities and knowledge, and contributing to further development of regional ocean literacy;
- Selecting priority themes and topics to be addressed by the Decade from a sustainable development perspective.
Maria Lund Paulsen, 2019 IASC MWG Fellow, participated on behalf of IASC (funded by a cross-cutting activity), and contributed input based on her research experience within marine monitoring networks in Greenland and Norwegian and Danish Arctic programs running during the past decade.
The inputs from the workshop will result in a report. The report will both be sent to IOC of UNESCO to inform the planning and to the organizers of the second Arctic Ocean Decade Workshop. The final report will be available at the Ocean Decade web site. Also Norwegian newspapers have covered the event: Klassekampen.