UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024: Outcome – The Barcelona Statement.
The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, held in Barcelona in April rallied over 1,500 participants from 124 countries as well as more than 3,000 online viewers. The Conference’s main outcome was the Barcelona Statement which identifies priority areas for action for the Ocean Decade in the coming years.
Barcelona Statement
The Barcelona statement was unveiled during the closing session of the conference by Vidar Helgesen, (Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO). The Barcelona Statement is a crucial roadmap for the coming years which identifies the areas where ocean solutions must be accelerated.
The Barcelona Statement identifies the future priorities for ocean knowledge and science generation within the framework of the Ocean Decade, including the co-design and co-delivery of science and knowledge to understand global distribution, human health, ecosystem impacts of marine pollution; and to strengthen sustainable aquatic food production and encourage sustainable and climate resilient ocean economy projects.
The Barcelona Statement also places an emphasis on cross-cutting issues that must be addressed to ensure the success of the Ocean Decade. These include new policy frameworks such as the Cities with the Ocean Platform, launched during the conference in order to enhance the use of science for policy and decision making by coastal cities. The first Ocean Decade Coastal Cities Conference will be hosted by China, in 2025.