Ocean Decade UK Blog

July 2024: News from the first Ocean Literacy World Conference in Venice

by Natalie Fox

Ocean literacy is the bridge that connects ocean science and society. It is a relatively new field that has evolved from an educational framework at the beginning of the 2000's to today, where ocean literacy is recognised as being foundational to restoring humanity's relationship with the ocean.

Within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development framework, building an ocean-literate society - one where the ocean is understood, valued, and cared for - is at the heart of Challenge 10: Changing humanity's relationship with the ocean.

Tackling Challenge 10 and subsequently engaging the whole of humanity in the ocean agenda is imperative for the full success of the UN Ocean Decade, across all seven proposed outcomes, and this challenge is really two-fold: Learn, value and care about the ocean - and help create a future that benefits both humanity and the ocean.

Delegates from UNESCO Member States attend the Ocean Literacy World Conference, Venice.

With this in mind, 7-8 June 2024 marked the very first Ocean Literacy Conference, held, fittingly, in the city of Venice, a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the most unique places on Earth where the ocean is literally on the doorstep of citizens. It is an incredible example of the human-ocean relationship, that has existed for thousands of years.

Delegates and experts from UNESCO Member States gathered to collectively develop a flagship document: the 'Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action', which includes concrete recommendations for the development of policy options and strategies that can enhance ocean literacy initiatives worldwide.

The Conference was one of the first initiatives of the Ocean Decade Coordination Office (DCO) for Connecting People and Ocean, which was recently established at the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, to promote a more equitable, just, and harmonious relationship between humans and the ocean. The event was hosted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, in collaboration with the Government of Italy, the Municipality of Venice, and the Prada Group. Francesca Santoro, Senior Programme Officer at IOC-UNESCO, Coordinator of the Ocean Literacy With All (Ocean Decade) Programme and Coordinator of the DCO for Connecting People and Ocean expertly hosted the event.

The UK's Nicola Bridge, who is Head of Ocean Advocacy and Engagement at the Ocean Conservation Trust, Plymouth, UK, as well as co-chair for working group on Challenge 10 delivered an engaging keynote talk, exploring the emergence of ocean literacy, how it has evolved and future perspectives. She unveiled the 2030 Vision Paper and gave reasoning behind the revised Challenge 10 strapline: Restoring Society's relationship with the ocean. She shared that:

"Ocean literacy is an outcome - and the ocean community needs to inspire and generate the motivation, capability, and opportunity for people across society to make decisions and behave in ways that ensure a healthy ocean, to sustain all life - current and future. Information sharing alone is not enough to drive the societal transformations required at scale. We need to provide opportunities for society to discover meaningful connections with the ocean, build knowledge and understanding of its impact on our lives, and mobilise pro-ocean behaviour".

Throughout the two days, conference attendees were invited to work collaboratively on the Declaration, with several interactive sessions facilitated by Cristina Gabetti from the Venice-IOC-UNESCO team. The final version of the Declaration was released on Sunday 9 June 2024 and it is conceived as a living document that will evolve through continuous dialogue among stakeholders everywhere. As such, the Declaration belongs to no single individual or institution, but to everyone. It states:

"Ocean Literacy is more than understanding ocean science: it means recognising the far-reaching consequences of our actions. By cultivating a global culture of ocean stewardship, we can facilitate a future where we thrive in harmony with the ocean. It is our collective will and responsibility to foster a more just and literate society that advocates for policies that respect the ocean's inherent right to exist, flourish and regenerate".

Ocean Decade UK member Natalie Fox attended the event and said:

"It's been 20 years since ocean literacy emerged and the concept has changed so much, even since I studied my Masters programme in 2019. Hearing about how indigenous knowledge, emotional connection and community resilience are all considered to be part of the framework these days, and that it's evolving in a way that actively promotes inclusivity and accessibility is extremely encouraging".

Read the full Declaration here: Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy in Action

Watch the livestream recordings here: YouTube | UNESCO Venice Office