News

New UNESCO data highlight the accelerated melting of glaciers in World Heritage sites, with glaciers in a third of sites set to disappear by 2050. But it is still possible to save the other two thirds, if the rise in global temperatures does not exceed 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period. This will be a major challenge for COP27.

Leaders of the five major tsunami early warning centres in the Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean came together in France to review and celebrate a decade of progress in making the region’s vulnerable communities prepared to respond effectively to tsunamis and related ocean hazards.

IOC-UNESCO and Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources organized major consultation to assess the specific needs and requirements for establishing an early warning system for harmful algal blooms in the Southern African country.

The Ocean Decade launched on 15 October 2022 Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022, soliciting transformative Decade Programmes that address Ocean Decade Challenge 6 – Coastal Resilience, and Ocean Decade Challenge 8 – Digital Representation of the Ocean.

The Climate COP27 summit will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh and bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Following the January 15 Tsunami Emergency resulting from the eruption of the Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha'apai Volcano, and within the framework of activities of the Regional Working Group on Tsunami Warning and Mitigation in the Southeast Pacific Region (WG-SEP), the training workshop was organized with the support of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).

It is with greatest sadness that the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO announces the passing on 11 October 2022 in Santiago, Chile, of Dr. Patricio Bernal, its former Executive Secretary.

For the first time ever, an ocean-focused pavilion will be built inside the formal negotiations area (Blue Zone) of the upcoming UN Climate Summit (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh. The result of joint efforts by global leaders in ocean science and philanthropy, the Ocean Pavilion will host events and discussions aimed at ensuring the ocean is central to climate negotiations and promoting ocean-based climate solutions.

The SEA BEYOND Project by UNESCO and the Prada Group, combining ocean literacy and sustainable fashion, received the Oceans Award at the Sustainability Fashion Awards 2022.