Advancing Caribbean Blue Economy through Deep Sea Research

26 Nov 2024 - 28 Nov 2024

AGENDA | 

Background

In 2021 Antigua and Barbuda, the University of the West Indies and the Commonwealth Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Centre aims to advance intellectual progress and strengthen institutional capacity in the areas of marine science and the blue economy while benefitting from the societal, economic and environmental opportunities for the Caribbean within this emerging sector and is expected to boost marine science and blue economy research across the Caribbean.

As a key factor in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – and particularly SDG 14, Life Below Water – the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is willing to contribute to the development of institutional and technical capacity in the region by focusing on three main areas: strengthening deep-sea research in the Caribbean region, advancing technology and innovation to support sustainable development of deep-sea mineral resources and empowering Caribbean women in deep-sea research.

At its meeting in January 2024, the Board of the ISA Partnership Fund, a multidonor trust fund established by the ISA Assembly at its 27th session,^[1] decided to allocate a grant for a project on “Advancing Caribbean Blue Economy through the Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy”.

With a view to implement the project, on 24 June 2024 ISA and the University of West Indies – Five Island Campus signed a letter of cooperation which envisaged, inter alia, cooperation among the institutions in the field of marine scientific research.

Objectives

In partnership with the University of West Indies, Five Islands Campus, ISA is planning to organize two workshops in the Caribbean region with a focus on capacity development in the field of marine scientific research.

The first workshop will take place from 26 to 28 November 2024.

Ahead of the workshop, a survey was circulated amongst ISA Caribbean Member States to identify critical needs in deep-sea research and capacity development. The workshop will therefore constitute a platform to discuss the outcomes of such assessment and develop a roadmap dedicated to ISA Caribbean Members States to advance marine scientific research in the Area and meet the capacity development needs to this end.

Through this exercise, it is expected that the workshops will stimulate and advance the conduct of marine scientific research by Caribbean BOS in line with the ISA MSR Action Plan, the ISA Capacity Development Strategy and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) ; foster cooperation in marine scientific research and technological development, including, where feasible and appropriate, the transfer of marine technology;  increase the participation of developing States in activities in the Area; and develop and implement specific activities and programmes to advance women’s empowerment and leadership in deep-sea research.

Programme highlights

The programme will feature lectures from experts in the field of capacity development and marine scientific research, including the Chair of the Legal and Technical Commission, the Head of Marine Policy Officer of the National Oceanography Center (UK) and the Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer/ Vice Chair of the National Ocean Governance Committee, Antigua and Barbuda.

Expected results

The workshop will be an opportunity to further the understanding of potential benefits for different stakeholders in the Caribbean region to increase participation in activities undertaken in the Area, advance technical capacities and map out the priority capacity development needs in the context of activities in the Area.

Participating countries are expected to endorse a roadmap of priority capacity development needs in the field of marine scientific research.

Implementation

The workshop is jointly organized by the ISA Secretariat and the University of West Indies – Five Island Campus.

For further information, contact:

• International Seabed Authority Giovanni Ardito, Associate Policy officer Email: gardito@isa.org.jm
• University of West Indies – Five Island Campus  Branson Belle, Director Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy Email: branson.belle@uwi.edu

[1] See ISBA/27/A/10.