2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) Offsite Side-Event From Strategy to Action: Mobilizing Partnerships for Ocean Capacity Development

Conference

11 June 2025

Location

Quai Ille de Beauté
Nice
France


Organiser(s) & Staff
Participation

By invitation only.

2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) Offsite Side-Event From Strategy to Action: Mobilizing Partnerships for Ocean Capacity Development
Summary

Event purpose:

  1. Present overarching recommendations from the draft Implementation Plan of the UNESCO IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2023-2030
  2. Gain buy-in and engagement with partners willing to contribute initiatives to advance global Capacity Development targeted outputs
  3. Obtain insights and further feedback to improve the delivery of accessible and equitable capacity development for Member States

Summary:

Equitable capacity is key to accelerating global progress in sustainable management and use of the ocean, functioning as a baseline for nations to overcome current and future crises and share benefits fairly. In this context, this side event is a Call for Global Ocean Capacity Development action, opening the opportunity for ongoing multi-stakeholder collaborative initiatives to showcase solutions and discuss integration of a joint roadmap towards the implementation of the UNESCO IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2023-2030. The event builds on UNESCO IOC Capacity Development cross-cutting initiatives, led by its Global Programmes and Regional Subsidiary Bodies, and implemented by integrated action with the ocean community. In light of the work of the IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development in developing an implementation plan for the IOC Capacity Development Strategy, the discussions will focus on: (1) the critical global and regional needs on ocean science capacity development; (2) ways on how progress is being assessed and approached by various initiatives; and (3) recent efforts of existing and potential partners such as other UN agencies, intergovernmental institutions, and international initiatives leading capacity development in marine and maritime space, in a call to a jointly coordinated to share and commit to supporting global collaboration in ocean science capacity development.

Format:

Presentations + Panel DiscussionsAbout 75 pax (Only open to conference participants)

Event organizers and partners: UNESCO-IOC/Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Notes

 

Agenda

Time

 

From 9:45

 

Registration and onboarding

SEGMENT 1

 Welcome

 

10:10 – 10:15

Opening

Johanna Diwa-Acallar

UNESCO-IOC Deputy Capacity Development Coordinator

 

10:15 – 10:20

Welcome Remarks

Juan Camilo Forero Hauzeur

IOC Vice-Chair on Capacity Development

Executive Secretary of the Colombian Ocean Commission

10:20 – 10:25

Keynote Address

Paubert Mahatante

Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy of the Republic of Madagascar

SEGMENT 2

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion: A Call for Ocean Capacity Development

 

10:25-11:00

 

 

Moderator:

Rebecca Lahl

Head of the Office for Knowledge Exchange at Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) and Director of IOI Center Germany

 

Panelists:

1. Paubert Mahatante

Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy of the Republic of Madagascar

2. Karina Higa

Marine Ethnobiologist and Educator | ECOP Programme | Empathea Blue Ltda

3. Antonella Vassallo

Managing Director, International Ocean Institute (IOI)

4. Ibukun Adewumi

Head, UNESCO IOC Sub Commission for Africa & the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) Secretariat

5. Johanna Diwa-Acallar

UNESCO-IOC Deputy Capacity Development Coordinator

 

SEGMENT 3

 

Presentations:

Collaborative Capacity Development Initiatives

11:00-11.07

Gabriela Kossmann, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

NORAD Capacity Development and Traineeship

11:07 – 11: 14

 

Melyne Tarer

Director Blue Economy, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

IORA-UNESCO IOC joint regional capacity development for the Indian Ocean

 11:14 – 11: 21

 

Suzan El-Gharabawy

Vice President, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF)

Empowering Africa: Egypt's Regional Centers for Sustainable Capacity Building

11:21 – 11: 28

 

David O’Sullivan

Program Manager. Marine Science Institute

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Project Awards

11:28 – 11:35

Summary and Closing

 

Ana Carolina Mazzuco

Training Coordinator

OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA)

11:36 -12:00

Networking & Snacks

 

 

 

There are 0 participants associated with 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) Offsite Side-Event From Strategy to Action: Mobilizing Partnerships for Ocean Capacity Development .

Participant Stats:
Total Invited: 0
Confirmed: 0
Not confirmed: 0
Unapproved: 0
Not-participating: 0
Rejected: 0
Group(s): CD - Capacity Development Section, IOC - Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, IOCAfrica, IOCARIBE, IOCINDIO, IODE - International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange, OTGA - OceanTeacher Global Academy.
 Label(s): CD - Capacity Development Section Priority 1 , OTGA - OceanTeacher Global Academy Priority 1
Created at 09:20 on 05 Jun 2025 by Sofie de Baenst
Last Updated at 12:18 on 06 Jun 2025 by Sofie de Baenst