Co-organised by the Government of Colombia, UNESCO, and partners, and focused on the central concept of “Science that dialogues” in its fourth edition, the CILAC 2024 Forum will be a space in which governments, universities, companies, researchers, civil society and the media will be able to debate, plan and monitor the integration of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

What is CILAC?

The Latin American and Caribbean Open Science Forum is a regional space for debate and exchange. On an itinerant basis in different cities of the region, the Forum’s face-to-face meeting is held every two years for 3 days. The CILAC Forum is “the hub” of science in Latin America and the Caribbean, constituting a regional platform to debate how to strengthen and implement effective science, technology and innovation (STI) policies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030.

Alison Clausen, Ocean Decade Deputy Coordinator, will be on-site in San Andrés to take part in the Forum as follows:

2 December 2024: High-level session – South by South Seaside – Latin America and Caribbean Edition: Co-creating transformative strategies for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (14:40-15:55, Room B – Decameron Isleño)

Organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the event will explore and share insights from Global South experiences related to initiatives that advance the intersection of science and policy, and facilitate knowledge exchange in support of the Ocean Decade through ocean science and literacy. This event will catalyze international and cross-sector collaboration and co-creation aimed at addressing key challenges, while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within ocean-related affairs, in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region.

The event will (1) convene representatives from LAC States, including National Decade Committees, to showcase local success stories in the implementation of Ocean Decade Actions; (2) integrate inclusive and diverse perspectives on ocean initiatives, including cultural and artistic approaches; and (3) open venues for facilitating thematic discussions and collaboration on pertinent topics. It will offer diverse perspectives from various Global South initiatives, covering areas such as early-career ocean professionals, gender balance, ocean literacy, and ocean observation.

3 December 2024: Side event – Ocean Decade Roadmap for the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region (10:00-11:30, Casa de la Cultura)

The Tropical Americas and Caribbean (TAC) region, which encompasses the Western Tropical Americas (Western Tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean) and the Eastern Tropical Pacific, is regarded as one of the most geopolitically diverse and complex regions in the world due to its geographical location, natural resources, and the region’s associated environmental challenges. Yet, across the region the importance of the ocean and coastal resources are a common blue thread. In the framework of the Ocean Decade, a roadmap has been developed under the leadership of the TAC Ocean Decade Taskforce. The Roadmap identifies priorities for ocean knowledge and capacity that are essential to underpin human health and wellbeing, sustainable economic development, and ocean health. This event will present the Roadmap, seek feedback from participants on the identified priorities, and discuss concrete actions and resources that are needed to ensure its effective implementation.

4 December 2024: Plenary session – The Ocean Decade (9:00-10:00, Auditorium – Decameron Isleño)

The Ocean Decade has the vision of the ‘ocean science and knowledge we need for the ocean we want’. This session will showcase how the Ocean Decade is working in the TAC region – including through its TAC Ocean Decade Roadmap and Decade Actions – and globally to generate relevant and timely knowledge to inform science, policy, and technology. It will also explore perspectives for the Ocean Decade in the second half of its implementation, in particular through national-level engagement.

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