The 2022 UN Ocean Conference will be held in the Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal from 27 June – 1 July 2022. The Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, comes at a critical time as the world is seeking to address many of the deep-rooted problems of our societies laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and which will require major structural transformations and common shared solutions that are anchored in the SDGs. To mobilize action, the Conference will seek to propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action. To mark this occasion, SCAR is organising two side events in collaboration with our partners.

From The Southern Ocean To The Arctic – A Call To Action Via The UN Ocean Decade

Date: Monday, 27th June 2022, 13:00-15:00 UTC
Location: Zoom, click here to register

This is the first time the two Polar Ocean initiatives will come together in one session, and discuss cross cutting issues from both the Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

Based on the recommendations in the Implementation Plan of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the Southern Ocean community engaged in a stakeholder-oriented process to develop the Southern Ocean Action Plan, similar to the Arctic Community. Both the Southern Ocean and Arctic processes engaged a broad community, which includes the scientific research community, the business and industry sector, and governance and management bodies, and for the Arctic, Indigenous stakeholders.

This will bring together leading experts on both polar regions that will participate in the UN Ocean Decade. The Session will provide direct calls to Actions that have been identified in the Southern Ocean and Arctic Action Plan contributions towards the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Cross-cutting issues from both polar regions will be identified and will provide a direct call to action that has come through from polar organisations, policy makers, business and industry, and all other relevant stakeholders through their participation in the polar processes towards the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The event will be held 13:00 – 15:00 UTC+1 on Monday 27th June 2022, and will feature presentations followed by a panel discussion. To register, please click here.

The side event is organised by the European Polar Board (EPB), the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), Climate and Ocean – Variability, Predictability, and Change (CLIVAR), and the Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean (ICED).

Polar Oceans: Engine to the Global Ocean

Date: Tuesday, 28 June, 6-8pm WEST
Location: Oceanário de Lisboa – Auditorium “Mar da Palha”, Mar da Palha Auditorium Oceanário de Lisboa Esplanada D. Carlos, 1990-005 Lisbon – Portugal

The Polar Initiative, an initiative launched by the Prince Albert II Foundation, in partnership with SCAR, IASC, European Polart Board and ICCI, is running the UN Ocean Conference side-event “Polar Oceans: engine to the global ocean”.

Join HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, polar scientists and advocates for a discussion and cocktail to raise attention to the role of the Southern and Arctic Oceans in driving ocean and climate changes.

 Programme