UiB returns for second UN Ocean Conference

The University of Bergen is ready for the second UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, June 2022. We will present two voluntary commitments and are co-sponsoring two side events with partners.

• This page will provide updates on our #UNOC2022 activities.

The University of Bergen (UiB) will send a delegation led by Rector Margareth Hagen to the second United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC2022), taking place in Lisbon 27 June-1 July. UNOC2022 is co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya and brings together policy makers, diplomats, industry, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders to discuss progress on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. There will be discussions on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14), Life below water, at the conference with a special focus on progress towards its targets and subgoals.

• Read more about our main side event.

The university wants to highlight the important role of traditional and local knowledge as well as the role of social sciences and the humanities in planning, decision-making and implementation at UNOC2022. Bringing knowledge of a broad and interdisciplinary nature is key to reaching the targets set in SDG14 to reach the 2030 Agenda for a sustainable ocean.

The university will co-sponsor two side events at the conference. UiB has co-sponsored events with Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before, including at the 2019 UN High-level Political Forum. With the International Assocation of Universities (IAU) and other partners, the University of Bergen will co-sponsor the official UNOC2022 side event “Scaling up action and building effective partnerships for SDG14: The essential roles of higher education and industry” on Monday 27 June 16:00-17.15 (local Lisbon time) in side event room 2 at the Altice Arena. We are also co-sponsors of this virtual event on “Oceans and Human Health: the importance of SDG14 to other SDGs” taking place Wednesday 29 June 18:00-19:15 (local Lisbon time).

UiB had a strong presence at the inaugural UNOC in New York, June 2017, and aims to follow up on the two voluntary commitments made then with two new commitments with global partners at UNOC2022. These will include science diplomacy efforts to shape public policy to strengthen ocean literacy and promote education in ocean sciences.

We also look forward to presenting UiB's official Ocean Decade Action – the interdisciplinary Norway-Pacific Ocean Climate Scholarship Programme (N-POC), the only such action currently at a Norwegian university.

This article was first published on 25 June by UiB.