The event, in whose organization participates the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), will take place at the Barcelona International Convention Centre from April 8 to 12.
Coinciding with the World Ocean Day, and only ten months away from the celebration of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, which will take place at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) from April 8 to 12 next year, the pre-registration of the event and the call for proposals for the satellite event program are now open.
The Conference, which seeks to "deliver the science we need for the ocean we want", will be part of the “Ocean Decade Week”, which will take place from 8 to 12 April 2024 in Barcelona, a coastal city that is committed to the blue economy and understands this sector as a driver of competitiveness and job creation. This makes the Catalan capital a perfect place to hold this meeting in which research, sustainability and innovation related to the ocean will be discussed.
"At the ICM we strongly believe in the social commitment of research, and we perceive the organization of the Decade of the Ocean Conference and the multiple events that will take place as a great opportunity to show the public the vital importance of marine research for the planetary welfare", highlights the ICM-CSIC director, Valentí Sallarès.
The event, promoted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO), involves also the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Barcelona City Council through the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation, and the Spanish National Committee of the Ocean Decade, which is led by the Ministry of Science and Innovation through the CSIC. The aim is to bring together in this meeting actors as different as the public administration, the maritime sector, philanthropy, academia, the private sector or civil society.
About the program
The conference program is based on the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges and will have a collaborative, inclusive and interactive character to offer participants the time and space to learn, network and build ties. The ultimate goal is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of the outcomes of the Decade, which should offer solutions to address global challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation, sustainable ocean economy, pollution and natural hazards.
The Conference will be structured around three key moments: a high-level opening session (April 10 morning) with the presence of heads of state, leaders of UN agencies and representatives of industry and philanthropy; four thematic sessions inspired by the challenges of the Decade of the Ocean in which scientific solutions contributing to sustainable development will be proposed; and a closing session (April 12) in which the roadmap for the Decade from now until 2030 will be defined.
Registration and satellite events
Registration for the 2024 Decade of the Ocean Conference will be made in two steps: a pre-registration step, which will run from June 8 to September 30, 2023; and a registration step, which will begin on September 30 and will be open until October 30, 2023. It should be noted that there is no registration fee, although anyone who wishes to can contribute financially by contributing money to a fund to pay for travel for participants from small island developing states, least developed countries and early career ocean professionals.
In order to complement the main program, a call for proposals has been opened for activities that will be part of the parallel program of satellite events before and during the Conference. These activities will take place at the Conference venue (CCIB) on April 10,11 and 12, 2024 during the lunch break. There will also be activities outside the CCIB at various locations in Barcelona starting on April 8.
The satellite events can vary in format from workshops and symposiums to dinners and art exhibitions. These events will be led by the entities that apply, among them the ICM-CSIC.
In addition, in order to offer the partners the opportunity to present their activities, encourage knowledge sharing and strengthen collaboration, there will be a small number of booths available at the conference venue. Finally, there will be poster sessions and presentations during the parallel sessions of the Conference.