Summary

During a high-level side event on 17 November, during the 41st session of the General Conference, UNESCO will launch a roadmap that identifies the key scientific gaps as well as the obstacles (financial, capacity, technology) that impede the sustainable conservation of UNESCO marine World Heritage sites. The roadmap is a joint initiative from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Culture Sector, in the framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Please register here for the light lunch in the Mall (13:00 - 13:30) (participants to the side event only).
Follow the event (13:30 - 15:00): http://webcast.unesco.org/events/2021-11-MWH/   
Questions can be asked here: https://app.sli.do/event/apg50opc/live/questions

English and French interpretation will be available.

From drone wildlife tracking in Russia’s Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve to the use of artificial intelligence at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO marine World Heritage sites are spearheading scientific innovation in ways that are rapidly transforming the future of ocean conservation. Yet despite their iconic status, many marine World Heritage sites lack scientific understanding of trends in ecosystem change and the impact of human activities, including climate change.

In response, UNESCO will launch a roadmap that identifies the key scientific gaps as well as the obstacles (financial, capacity, technology) that impede the sustainable conservation of UNESCO marine World Heritage sites. The roadmap will be launched on 17 November and aims to mobilize the international ocean science community, investors and philanthropy to address the key scientific gaps that impede the sustainable conservation of marine World Heritage sites.

The side event will equally highlight the recently launched global eDNA project to study vulnerability of species to climate change at marine World Heritage sites, a tangible example of transversal cooperation among UNESCO Programmes on ocean science and Marine World Heritage. Finally, the side event will feature a view from the field with a testimonial from the local management authority of the Aldabra Atoll World Heritage site (Seychelles).

More information on the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission is available at http://ioc-unesco.org/
More information on the World Heritage Marine Programme is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/marine-programme/
More information on the recent UNESCO Conference: Identifying Critical Science Gaps at Marine World Heritage Sites is available athttps://whc.unesco.org/en/events/1613/More

information on the Ocean Decade is available at www.oceandecade.org 

The event and roadmap are made possible with the support of the governments of Flanders (Kingdom of Belgium), the Principality of Monaco, and the French Biodiversity Agency. 

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Picture Credit: Shaun Wolfe/ Ocean Image Bank