UN Sustainable Development Goals

Summary and Expectations

This session will focus on the role of ocean observations and associated research and application development in implementation, monitoring, and reporting in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG14 – Life Below Water, as codified in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given the urgency of a changing ocean and increasing national data needs to ensure the sustainable management of ocean resources, the challenge is to increase significantly the availability and delivery of high-quality, timely, reliable and sustained data that provides fit-for-purpose SDG information. Mechanisms and solutions to facilitate the delivery of this information will be discussed, likewise the role of the upcoming UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in support of this and other global initiatives.

Expected Outcomes/Recommendations

• Capacity building for students and early career professionals to understand the Agenda 2030, the SDGs and the international momentum of the oceans in a more holistic and integrated way considering the oceans as a socio-ecological system.
• Increase the capacity of developing countries to produce continued observations that are fit-for-purpose of their policy concerns but at the same time useful to inform at the global level.
• Enforce national and international efforts to connect scientists and statistical offices to ensure that the best available data and information are reported to support the achievement of the SDG targets.