Ocean cultural heritage and ocean literacy programs in the UN decade of ocean science for sustainable development(2021-2030)

Abstract

The United Nations set up Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the international agenda for the period of 2016 to 2030 in which the role and benefit of the ocean for human well-being and prosperity is appreciated. The goal of conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources is stated as a separate article in SDG14. Recognizing the importance of interphase between marine science and policy and thus societal outcomes for achievement of the SDGs, especially ofSDG14, the United Nations adopted the initiative of UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and mandated Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO to formulate the implementation plan of the initiative. Ocean cultural heritage and ocean literacy programs find link to the Decade and become integral parts of the Decade’s objectives, themes and priorities. At the first global planning meeting of the UN Decade (Copenhagen Denmark, May13-15 2019) the ocean decade heritage network was proposed and at the Korea-ASEAN forum on ocean literacy and ocean heritage (Busan Korea, Nov. 22-23, 2019) an Asian Society on this subject was initiated.