This Thursday, July 4th, the Ocean & Climate Platform (POC) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) gather ocean community stakeholders to celebrate 10 years of action for ocean, climate, and biodiversity.
Ten years ago, on June 8, 2014, POC was founded with the support of IOC-UNESCO and a group of research and civil society actors at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. On the eve of the signing of the Paris Agreement, with the ocean notably absent from climate change discussions, the goal was clear: to amplify the voice of the ocean to ensure its recognition and inclusion in national climate strategies.
This initial mobilization effort under the POC banner, initiated by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Tara Ocean Foundation, Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), French Committee of the IUCN, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I, Monaco Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Europe, Nausicaá, French Maritime Cluster, French Shipowners’ Association, and French Institute for the Sea, bore fruit. In 2015, following joint advocacy of POC’s initial policy recommendations « for a healthy ocean and protected climate, » the ocean was finally integrated into the preamble of the Paris Agreement.
This collective victory marked the beginning of a decade-long commitment to protect the ocean, climate, and biodiversity. Ten years of uniting the ocean community around a common message: a healthy ocean is a source of solutions to climate and biodiversity crises. Ten years of sharing and making accessible the latest scientific knowledge on the links between the ocean, climate, and biodiversity to policymakers and the general public. Ten years of mobilizing expertise to produce recommendations and inform policy-making at all levels, both nationally and internationally. Starting with around fifteen organizations in 2014, POC now boasts over 110 members, all driven by the same determination and conviction: a healthy ocean is essential for our resilience and is our best ally in facing current challenges.
To mark the impact of this decade of collective action, POC and IOC-UNESCO have chosen to convene today, July 4th, this community of committed actors to review actions taken for the ocean, climate, and biodiversity. This event will also provide an opportunity to discuss future priorities, notably within the framework of the 3rd United Nations Conference on the Ocean scheduled for 2025, and beyond, within the context of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) implemented by IOC-UNESCO, and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
