Date: 15th of April
Time: 10.00-15.00 CET
Location: Håkonshallen, Bergenhus 10, 5003 Bergen
Breakfast is served from 09.00 (CET).
Hosted by The City of Bergen and Vestland County Council.
On Monday 15 April 2024, the One Ocean Summit will take place in Bergen, Norway. The summit will bring together high-level representatives from around the world to discuss and address opportunities and challenges facing the ocean. The summit is in line with the important mission of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and will focus on the need to find sustainable solutions through connecting people and our ocean.
The One Ocean Summit will be attended by the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Cecilie Myrseth, high level participants and representatives from research, industry, and youth.
The first part of the summit will highlight global responses to ocean challenges that impact people around the world, and opportunities such as presented by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and the UN Ocean Decade. The second part of the summit will take a deep dive into the North Sea as a microcosm of global oceanic challenges and opportunities. Key actors within decision-making, research, industry, and regional partnerships will discuss regional collaboration and interaction between countries surrounding and supporting activities in a common and shared North Sea. The experiences of the region offer important insights of relevance to the world at large.
The ocean is a resource that provides food, energy, transportation, and plays a critical role in regulating the climate. The One Ocean Summit aims to develop the shared knowledge and partnerships needed to accelerate action and understanding of the ocean as a key to human wellbeing and sustainable development.
Moderator: David Eades
Program Editor: Camilla Borrevik
Programme:
09.00-10.00 Breakfast for participants, Håkonshallen
10.00-10.25 Official Opening of One Ocean Summit
Norwegian naval forces band: “Fanfare from La Peri”
Welcome by Mayor of Bergen, Marit Warncke, and County Mayor of Vestland, Jon Askeland
Greeting from United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry
Opening keynote by Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre
10.25-11.45 PART 1: One Ocean
The ocean we need
The ocean is of crucial importance for human and planetary health. International cooperation and responsible stewardship of the world's ocean is key to securing the ocean we need for the future we want. Recent breakthroughs have been made on the global level on ocean governance within areas such as plastic pollution, illegal fisheries, and protection of biological diversity in areas both beyond and within national jurisdiction. How can we ensure that these are successfully implemented nationally and locally? What is needed to ensure equitable prosperity for all in a sustainable ocean economy?
- Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre
- Alison Clausen, Deputy Global Coordinator UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
- Nils Gunnar Kvamstø, CEO of the Institute of Marine Research, Norway
- Ianira Vieira and Amber LeBlanc, One Ocean Youth Panel
Greeting from UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson
Greeting from Palau Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ilana Seid
Ocean health and human wellbeing
The ocean is a resource that provides food, jobs, economic growth, transportation, and cultural significance for people around the world. The overall health of the ocean is at risk due to multiple stressors, including warming and pollution. This affects not only marine life but also the livelihoods of coastal communities and many others, highlighting the need to sustainably use, manage and protect ocean resources. What are the potential consequences of a decline in ocean health on the livelihoods of people who depend on it? How can we ensure that the benefits of a healthy ocean are distributed equally?
- Professor Karyn Morrissey, Ocean Panel Lead Author, DTU - Technical University of Denmark
- Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation
- Camilla Stoltenberg, CEO, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
- Mira Santos, One Ocean Youth Panel
11:45-13:15 LUNCH: High-level lunch on board the tallship Statsraad Lehmkul
13.15-15.00 PART 2: The North Sea
“Never Turn Your Back on a Sea”
- Michael Pye, Author
Facing the future: Is sustainable ocean management possible?
Climate change will have impacts on the marine environments and ecosystems of the North Sea. The North Sea is also a region with diverse interests and competing priorities, some of which will be affected by future changes in the ocean and climate. This panel will discuss complexities of the North Sea's contentious issue; Is it possible to achieve sustainable ocean planning and management? Can we align the interests of industries with global and regional environmental protection regulations?
- Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Cecilie Myrseth
- Karoline Andaur, General Secretary of WWF Norway
- Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui, Associate Professor, University of Bergen
- Corinna Schrum, Director, Institute of Coastal Systems - Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
- Siri Espedal Kindem, Head of Equinor Renewables Norway
Video from the Deep Sea by University of Bergen and OceanX Expedition
North Sea Collaboration: Navigating Shared Opportunities
The North Sea provides a valuable example of developing regional cooperation and partnerships for the sustainable management of ecosystems and resources. The success is largely due to cooperation between states, agreement to protect common and shared resources, political commitments, and a broad stakeholder involvement. Building on best practices, how can we further develop and make use of an integrated ecosystem-based approach in the management of the North Sea? What are key take aways North Sea collaboration can provide other regions? What are the challenges that lie ahead
- Councillor Ann Bell, Chair of North Sea Commission Marine Resources Working Group
- Margareth Hagen, Rector of the University of Bergen
- John Hanus, Policy Officer, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
- Vice Admiral Louise K. Dedichen, Norwegian Military Representative to NATO
Closing remarks by One Ocean Youth Panel
Performance by Myrtoula Røe
15.00 End of programme
Practical information
- Closed event, by invitation only
- Watch the One Ocean Summit live here