Meeting Highlights

Ocean Dialogues Meeting Highlights

Farewell from Virtual Ocean Dialogues 2020

It's not the end – it's only the beginning.

Image: Sebastian Gabriel/Unsplash

As the Virtual Ocean Dialogues liveblogging team disappears to mix a stiff drink and ponder a sustainable fish-and-chip supper, we'd like to thank everyone who has followed proceedings in video, tweet or blog form.

As many of the speakers have reminded us, without a healthy ocean, our goals on climate change, human rights, gender equality and food security are doomed to failure. But with a healthy ocean, the future of human life on this planet looks bright.

The purpose of Virtual Ocean Dialogues has been to maintain global momentum on ocean action as we seek to "build back better" from the coronavirus pandemic. It will only have fulfilled its aims if you continue the conversation. So please don't stop reading, tweeting and campaigning for ocean health.

That's it from us! Until next time – so long, and thanks for joining us.

Communities Taking Ocean Action

And now, the end is near...

That's right – from 8pm-9pm CET we'll be waving goodbye to Virtual Ocean Dialogues 2020 with a final panel discussion, which will highlight key messages from the event and point the way forward for global action on ocean health.

Image: Uhuru Kenyatta. Reuters/Baz Ratner

Joining us are:

Alifa Haque, Graduate Degree Candidate, Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford

M Sanjayan, Chief Executive Officer, Conservation International

Eimear Manning, Coordinator, Environmental Education and Youth, UNESCO

Mialy Zanah Andriamahefazafy, Marine Social Scientist, University of Lausanne

Chairing the discussion is the World Economic Forum's very own Dominic Waughray, while opening remarks will come from Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya, and Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Portugal. Friends of Ocean Action Co-Chair and UN Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson will deliver a closing address.

And we're off! The final panel event of Virtual Ocean Dialogues 2020 is underway.

Dominic Waughray delivers his introduction. Welcoming participants from the US, he condemns all form of racism. He says “marine life comes in all colours of the rainbow” and this “precious diversity is a blessing”. “As with our ocean, so with our humanity,” he says.

Image: Dominic Waughray

He says this event's 630,000 livestream views and 3.5m Instagram views mean the event has enjoyed the biggest outreach for an ocean event ever.

There are some poll questions available on slido – event code #OceanDialogues – but now it's time for Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya.

For the last two years, says Kenyatta, he has had the pleasure of participating on the UN’s high-level panel on ocean health.

“We look forward to integrating the findings into the UN Ocean Conference agenda,” he says. The issue of sustainability is taking centre stage in the discussion of our blue economy. “We hold our natural assets in custody for our future generations, and we therefore need today to jealously guard them from unsustainable exploitation,” he says.

Image: Uhuru Kenyatta

Young people around the world are challenging leaders to protect our ocean environment, he says, and by doing so help build resilience against climate change.

He assures us of a “very warm welcome” when we meet again at the UN Ocean Conference.

Now it’s time for Augusto Santos Silva, the Portuguese foreign minister.

“Preserving the oceans is one of the key goals of our common agenda for sustainable development,” he says.

The Ocean Conference is postponed – not cancelled, he says. “We shall see each other soon in Lisbon.” In the meantime, “it is important to keep all our efforts together”.

Image: Augusto Santos Silva

The three important areas for our agenda, he says, are communication, partnerships and solutions.

This is “not only an affair of governments”, Silva says. This issue “needs the engagement of all humanity”. Words are important, but solutions and an action plan are more so.

Waughray takes a glance at the slido survey results. It seems that the possibility for government action is giving viewers hope in our recovery towards a healthy ocean.

How optimistic are viewers that we can improve the health of the ocean? A heartening 55% have rated themselves 5 on a scale of 1-5. Great news!

It’s time for UNESCO youth coordinator Eimear Manning. How can we successfully engage the youth? asks Waughray.

She says young people are often considered immature because they aren’t experts in a field. But they are experts: they’re experts in their own priorities and their own lives.

She says we shouldn’t look down on youth. Don’t test an idea or initiative and then involve the youth: instead, they should be at the table right from the start.

Image: Eimear Manning

Manning says we shouldn’t be scared to get creative about how to engage youth – coffee mornings and film screenings are ways to get more young people involved.

The bottom line is: “Just talk to us and ask us to be involved. We want to see the changes that you want as well.”

Waughray brings in Mialy Zanah Andriamahefazafy of the University of Lausanne. What can we learn from fishing communities to help us bridge divides with the science?

She says that sometimes science can seem remote or difficult to reach, but the world of science also learns a lot from fishers.

“Fishing communities teach us that we can adapt to a changing climate and external pressure,” she says.

Image: Mialy Zanah Andriamahefazafy

They’ve shown us how to fight back and evolve. “Even if you are marginalized, even if you’re a minority, when you’re faced with an injustice you can stand for yourself, and you have to,” she says. This resilience of fishing communities is something we can learn from.

In the future, “we will probably need to make difficult decisions that affect political or economic interests," she says. Governments have now embraced a blue agenda around the world. She says we have reason for optimism but there is also still some work to do.

Has she seen any examples of initiatives that give cause for hope, asks Waughray. Andriamahefazafy flags up something called locally managed marine areas, where fishing communities organize themselves to protect marine ecosystems in their regions.

Next, here’s Alifa Haque of the University of Oxford.

She says that 99% of the inhabitants of marine areas lack official data and knowledge on how to manage those areas. But they have what she calls “water wisdom” – they can tell, for instance, by the behaviour of fish whether a storm is coming.

Image: Alifa Haque

She says that traditional knowledge is extremely important and can be formally incorporated into UN frameworks. If you involve these traditional communities in the data-gathering process, then sustainability improves at the same time as inclusion and compliance. She says these “eyes in the sea” are “extremely important in mending the data gap”.

Waughray brings in M Sanjayan, the CEO of Conservation International.

He says he’s hugely impressed with the form that Virtual Ocean Dialogues has taken, and how it has enabled us to bring in voices that usually he wouldn’t have the opportunity to hear from. The passion, knowledge, maturity, sensitivity and thoughtfulness of this young panel “in an area I’ve worked in all my life” has bowled him over.

Image: M Sanjayan

He says he was heartened to see so many people on the survey putting their trust in policy and government. He agrees that “we have to have the inclusion of government”, and says he’s seen too many cases where the lack of law, or bad law, can “turn upside down” the efforts of other players to become sustainable.

But one other hugely important area is resources. We need to be honest about the resources we need, he says. Often the funding that conservation efforts get is tiny compared with the size of the problem.

To close the session – and Virtual Ocean Dialogues – Waughray hands over to Peter Thomson, the UN’s Special Envoy for the Ocean.

“Wow, the world’s got talent!” Thomson says that has been his response to what he has seen this week. He says he comes out of the event “full of hope”, and that his head is buzzing with ideas and solutions.

Image: Peter Thomson

The Virtual Ocean Dialogues “left no pearly shell unturned” in its search for a way forward, he says, and adds that he was was inspired by the inclusivity of the dialogues.

He reminds us that each of the main sessions can continue to be watched via this website – where he intends to catch up on every one. “What a treasure trove,” he says.

Thomson says he gives "heartfelt thanks" to everyone who participated in the dialogues.

“We still have some very bad habits to correct,” he says. But once the dust has settled and the findings of the Virtual Ocean Dialogues are summed up and presented at the UN Ocean Conference, the clear winner will be SDG14: Life Below Water.

“See you in Lisbon!” he says.

And that’s it. Waughray declares the event closed. “Thank you all so much for listening,” he says. “Goodbye.”

Beyond Ocean

Taking place from 5pm-6.15pm CET, this keynote session considers the interconnectedness of the ocean and the climate, along with human rights, gender equality and food and job security. The speakers will discuss how to further the sustainable development agenda in a way that benefits people and nature alike.

Image: Jacinda Ardern. Reuters/Martin Hunter

Appearing will be:

Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Kitlang Kabua, Minister of Education, Sports, and Training, Marshall Islands

Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, International Transport Workers' Federation

Bridget Seegers, Oceanographer and Research Scientist at NASA

Dona Bertarelli, Co-Chair, Bertarelli Foundation

Chairing the discussion is Sarah Kelly, Anchor-at-Large at Deutsche Welle, while opening remarks will be delivered by none other than Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand – whose nation is, miraculously, on the verge of being able to declare itself COVID-free.

Sarah Kelly welcome us to the discussion. “Taking ocean action goes way beyond ocean-specific issues,” she says. How can we make the links between ocean issues and those beyond the ocean more explicit?

Image: Sarah Kelly

She invites viewers to submit questions on slido.com, and enter the code #OceanDialogues. Also she wants you to answer a question: Which other SDGs do you think ocean protection will help achieve?

It’s time for Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who greets us in Maori and then English.

“We are all in this together,” she says. And as we build our way our of the COVID-19 crisis, “there’s an opportunity to build back better”.

“A healthy, productive ocean provides benefits across all dimensions of sustainable development,” she says. In her nation, they know this: New Zealand and the Pacific islands were instrumental in getting SDG14 onto Agenda 2030 in the first place.

As coasts erode, sea-levels rise and fish stocks move. "This is not a hypothetical," she says. She’s seen it with her own eyes, in places like Samoa.

Along with Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland and a number of other countries, New Zealand is working on a multilateral agreement on trade, climate change and sustainability to protect the ocean, she tells us.

"We will emerge from this crisis, but we must emerge a stronger, more sustainable global community that looks out for each other and for future generations," she says.

Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is up next. She reminds us that hundreds of millions of people depend on the ocean for their livelihoods: 10-12% of the world’s population.

Image: Michelle Bachelet

The ocean is the “foundation for a vibrant economy”, she says, and also provides a buffer against climate change by absorbing heat energy – shielding vulnerable communities from human rights impacts. The linkages between ocean health and human health are therefore manifold and complex.

Kitlang Kabua of the Marshall Islands is speaking now.

“The ocean is our lifeline,” she says of her nation's relationship with the sea. “It’s the bringer of wealth and life, and the bringer of doom.”

“What we fail to understand is that us human beings are just a minute part of this massive ecosystem," she says. "We need to discover and find our place within this broader scheme of things.” She thanks her government for stressing the importance of her ancestors' culture, which “reminds us of our unique position in life”.

Image: Kitlang Kabua

The ocean has always been her nation's pharmacy, its supermarket and its highway to the rest of the world, she says. Looking back is as important as looking forward, she says, to remind ourselves of the importance of the ocean in their lives.

For the last 60 years, since colonization, Marshall Islanders have been immersed in an education system that removes them from their heritage. Thankfully, that has recently been changing. She says she commends the government’s drive to recover old cultural narratives that position the ocean at the centre of their culture, and not as the enemy.

Stephen Cotton of the International Transport Workers' Federation is up now.

He comes at the blue economy from a human rights and labour perspective. He says that because of the pandemic, there have been serious challenges getting sea workers on and off vessels.

Image: Stephen Cotton

A key factor in guaranteeing the human rights of sea workers will be building partnerships, he says. UN bodies have a critical responsibility to work together in a mature and accountable way, and the focus should be on building a sustainable society on the platform of the UN goals.

NASA scientist Bridget Seegers has helpfully brought her own slideshow.

We’ve talked a lot about the economy, she says, but we need to consider human health first and foremost – especially mental health. A healthy ocean is a place for us to go to take a swim, to "catch a few waves". “It’s important for us to have these places on the planet where we can go and take a few deep breaths,” she says. Good point.

She works with harmful algal blooms. Along with changing the colour of water, these toxic growths can badly impact coastal ecosystems and tourism. There are ways we can solve the problem of toxic blooms, she says. But these microscopic organisms can achieve big things. If they can do it, think what we can do!

Image: Bridget Seegers's slideshow

We’re back with Michelle Bachelet. She says the protection of oceans can support all of the SDGs: if we only focus on profitability in the blue economy, we'll end up damaging the pursuit of other goals, such as human rights and an equitable society for all.

With rising sea levels, people in coastal areas may be forced to leave their homes, she says. Their displacement could create problems with international security. In this way, we see that many issues of human and ocean health are connected.

Kabua agrees. “It’s a reality we’re facing now,” she says. On the Marshall Islands, she says can they look to their traditions for more sustainable means of harvesting fish.

She says her nation recognizes the importance of gender equality: of empowering women economically and bringing the jobs that the ocean can provide to women who would otherwise be trapped in domestic lives. She says it is also seeking to provide “opportunities to young girls in the education sector” – to “ensure that no one is left behind in this fight against climate change”.

She says the Marshall Islands, as a small nation, can only do so much and shout so loud. So she’s grateful for the partnership of larger nations and also other Pacific island countries. The migration that Bachelet mentioned is “a sad reality” for the Marshall Islands. These are people whom they would like to stay in the nation, to help it grow, but equally they don’t want to hold back who see their futures elsewhere. In these cases, the government's focus is on preparing people to “migrate with dignity”.

Seegers is speaking again. To address ocean health comprehensively, she says, we need to work in partnerships. “We also need to expand our vision and what we think of as scientists.” In an age of widely available technology, citizens can provide vital streams of information and data. There’s much to be gained by working with citizens on the ground who feel their communities are being affected.

Image: Bridget Seegers

All voices need to be heard, she says, because none of us are alone in this – that includes academics, governments and industries too.

Cotton reiterates that all players can make a difference, and take part in the discussion. Ultimately consumers have to have a conversation about what our responsibility is, he says. We happily eat seafood produce from local stores. But we need to think more closely about the provenance of the products we enjoy.

“We all know that migrant workers are the most vulnerable,” he says. For labour organizations, "it’s about how we use modern technology” to ensure their safety. He mentions that blockchain could be employed to guarantee payment of wages and ensure health and safety standards.

Power is key, he says. It doesn’t work if the intergovernmental organizations you’re working with don’t have the power to hold governments accountable.

Kelly chimes in, saying this would be a perfect time to mention World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab’s pronouncement earlier this week: “The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world,” he wrote. You can read more about the Great Reset here.

Bachelet says that, unfortunately, nobody knows what the "blue economy" means just yet: nobody has an exact definition. What is true is that people have identified a growth area with a lot of opportunity.

Whatever happens, “we know that human beings are important, and that is the main issue”, she says. “Profitability should not be the main goal.”

During lockdown, some companies – including the big violators of human rights – have already been calling for a relaxation of regulations. We cannot allow this to happen.

We must agree on a number of points, Bachelet says. Firstly that equity, human rights and sustainability should be our top priorities, and we should emphasize people over profits. Secondly, that the SDGs should be the drivers of growth, and thirdly, that no industry should be excluded. She believes we need an agency for developing best practices and international guidelines for the blue economy.

Governments need to develop legislation to protect coastal communities, and to ensure wealth is shared with these communities. We also need measures to enhance environmental protection. This is “preventative medicine for the planet”, she says.

One of the big lessons of COVID-19 is that we need to recognize risks and plan for them before they arrive – not simply dismiss them until they become a reality.

Kelly quotes from the floor. The ocean, says a viewer, links together so many sustainability issues to the point where the ideas become so big that it’s hard to know how to start to influence them. What does Cotton think about this?

He replies that young people and women should stand at the centre of the discussion.

Cotton thinks there’s a conversation to be had about corporate social responsibility and businesses’ part in creating a better future. He says we have to deal with debt as we understand it today, but also be committed to building in best practices in the future.

“For us, it’s how to we hold each other accountable,” he says. Labour organizations are prepared to take part and to sit at any table, but the process needs strong governance. And perhaps the lesson of COVID-19 is that corporations need to be more accountable, and to reinvest their profits in a non-polluting way that doesn’t further hinder biodiversity and human rights progress. Technology is part of the answer, Cotton says, but it needs to be handled very carefully.

Kelly puts a viewer's question to Kabua: how does the Marshall Islands educate its citizens to be ocean-friendly?

“We’re wired differently,” she says. Marshall Islanders came from ancestors that "used our hands", she says. She says the focus has switched to place-based learning, instead of teaching their kids in classrooms, in languages that are not their own. The government is aiming make education "real-time", relating it to what students can see with their own eyes: coral bleaching and coastal erosion as a physical reality in front of them.

It's time for some closing remarks from the panellists.

“Knowledge is power,” says Seegers. We need to caution people about the costs of inaction. The challenge facing us is immense. “It can be done and it will only be done if we all work together. It is hard, and it is overwhelming,” she says, but humanity has faced challenges before and overcome them. “We can do it,” she says. “Every little bit helps and we’ll get it done.”

Cotton’s takeaway is that we need to build trust. We need “honesty, integrity, responsibility and accountability”, and everybody has to play their part.

Marshallese culture is founded on respect, care for others and loving each other, Kabua says. “These are the fundamental values that we need to inculcate.” The pandemic is a glimpse of what we can expect – a sign of what is on the horizon and what we can expect from climate change. Like COVID-19, it a challenge we can only overcome successfully together.

We cannot take the SDGs in isolation, Bachelet cautions. The problem we have now is that countries have diverted their Agenda 2030 funding away from sustainability. But we need to never give up, to work together, and it can be done.

It’s time for a closing address from Dona Bertarelli of the Bertarelli foundation, which works on marine conservation.

“The world has come to realise two things," she says. First: "the fate of humanity is linked to the health of the natural world, and more particularly the health of the ocean". Secondly, it's clear that the pandemic has led to a temporary reprieve for our ecosystems.

Image: Dona Bertarelli

We knew that limiting CO2 emissions would require drastic limiting – and now we have it, she says. She repeats the words of Peter Thomson, the Friends of Ocean Action Co-Chair, that we stand at a crossroads.

“I firmly believe that we can combine production and protection,” she says. “We need to find a new financial language for conservation that resonates with all stakeholders.”

She calls for the introduction of circular economy practices and a diversification of ocean management methods, and a greater use of data.

Consumers – particularly young people – are more aware than ever of the importance of sustainable food.

“We have clear targets and we know what needs to be done,” she says. “By achieving SDG14: Life Below Water, we will achieve the majority of other SDGs.”

“A pandemic knows no borders. Climate change knows no borders. Fish, birds and other species know no borders,” she says. “So we have no choice but to come together.”

Ocean-related reads

Unsure how to expand your ocean learning once once Virtual Ocean Dialogues is done?

You could do worse than pick up these four must-read books about the sea:

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The view on Twitter

Time for a snoop into what the #OceanDialogues hashtag is picking up on Twitter.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has emptied the emojis drawer to remind everyone it's the final day of Virtual Ocean Dialogues 2020. Thanks, guys!

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Joseph Hing points out that meeting our target of 30% marine protection will provide a happy home for millions of creatures like this cute baby Hawksbill turtle:

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Meanwhile, it looks like we've managed to tempt marine conservationist Fiona Llewellyn out of her month-long social media ban. Result! Glad you could join us, Fiona.

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