An Ocean Dialogue Online Event (G20/ O20), scheduled for August 22, 2024, at 10:00 AM local time in Brazil (3:00 PM CEST). Interpretation available (Portuguese/English)

The event aimed to gather insights on strengthening Ocean Knowledge-Policy Interfaces (OKPIs) at both national and international levels. By highlighting case studies from Brazil, South Africa, and globally, we intended to inform a Policy Brief on the pathways for enhancing these interfaces within the context of Ocean sustainability.

Introduction

Ocean interfaces are socio-political arenas where multiple actors interact, sharing evidence to influence decision-making in Coastal and Ocean governance systems. Recent studies and experiences have highlighted that current global OKPIs, despite the solid work of existing Global Environmental Assessments such as the World Ocean Assessment (WOA), the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), among others, still fall short in fostering action-oriented, holistic, and inclusive dialogues.

This Ocean Dialogue hybrid event aimed to gather insights about the status and pathways for strengthening OKPIs at national and international levels. The webinar aligned with the overarching topics of the G20 Brazilian Presidency: social inclusion, sustainable development, and reform of global governance institutions. By highlighting study cases from Brazil, South Africa, and globally, the panel will inform a Policy Brief on the challenges and opportunities for strengthening science-policy-society interactions in the interface with decision-making for ocean sustainability.

Key recommendations

The final recommendations which emerged from the Ocean Dialogue are the following:

1. Strengthen ocean knowledge-policy-society interfaces, including establishing an International Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS) to enhance multilateral agreements, inclusivity, and sustainability

2. Institutionalize and fund transdisciplinary, mission-oriented ocean science for adaptive governance

3. Promote the adoption and implementation of Ocean Accounting Frameworks (economic, environmental, social and governance) for enhanced governance and sustainability

4.  Protect, sustain, and account for critical marine ecosystems in national policies, with emphasis on Kelp Forests as providers of blue carbon

5. Enhance capacity-building for policymakers through targeted communication and international collaboration.

Co-Hosts

• Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
• EC DG MARE
• Ocean Sustainability Foundation
• Brazilian Future Ocean Panel (PainelMar)
• GT-MAR

Contributors

• Nelson Mandela University - Coastal & Marine Research (CMR)
• AfriSeas
• Sea Change Project
• BPBES
• Decade Coordination Office on Connecting People and the Ocean, UNESCO-IOC
• International Science Council
• Instituto Linha D'Água