North Atlantic Regional Workshop Summary Report (English)
North Atlantic Regional Workshop Summary Report (French)
The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver scientific knowledge, foster technological innovation, and build capacity to achieve the 2030 Agenda and reverse the decline of ocean health. This will be a truly global effort based on inclusive partnerships flourishing in a global research and innovation ecosystem. Following the First Global Planning Meeting held last May in Denmark, a North Atlantic Workshop will be convened 6-10 January 2020, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This event, hosted by Ocean Frontier Institute, is made possible by the financial contribution from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and co-organized with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) as coordinating body for the Decade. The workshop is aligned with the activities of the trilateral Canada-EU-USA Galway Statement and its Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance that will help support the UN Decade.
This event will provide a forum to gather approximately 100 ocean leaders/champions/key stakeholders to further discuss and prioritize the issues identified at the First Global Planning Meeting. Plenary and working groups will facilitate regional, interdisciplinary discussions across sectors, such as ocean science and technology, ocean policy and sustainable development, business and industry, NGOs and civil society, and donors and foundations, to identify concrete deliverables and partnerships to meet the Decade's six societal objectives:
The North Atlantic Workshop offers a crucial opportunity to co-design mission-oriented research strategies in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Plan of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas in the North Atlantic, focusing on the needs and priorities of Northern Atlantic countries in terms of transforming knowledge systems; accelerating transfer of technology; enabling training and education; and fostering science-policy dialogues.
The North Atlantic Workshop will aim to identify:
The Expression of Interest process is now closed.