Ocean Institute – The WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute is the new announcement by the World Maritime University (WMU) and the Nippon Foundation, during the 71st Session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), held at the headquarters of the IMO.
The creation of the Ocean Institute is a response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and especially goal 14, the Oceanographic Objective, where governments are committed to the proper use of marine resources for sustainable development.
In addition, the main goal of this institute is the interaction between the ocean, science, politics, law and industry to discuss the use and management of ocean resources and spaces for sustainable development.
The Ocean Institute will work hand in hand with IMO and other United Nations organizations including UNESCO. In this regard, the Secretary General of IMO assured that the establishment of this Institute for Ocean Research will provide the IMO with the opportunity to strengthen the Sustainable Development Goals.
On the other hand, the president of the WMU, Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henrry, said that the creation of this Institute is important for the impulse of the adoption of urgent measures, also declared that it is a call to action for “Multi-stakeholder partnerships, more ocean-related education, and greater resources for scientific research.”
The creation of this institute together with the support of the Nippon Foundation, the WMU and IMO represents a breakthrough in the promotion of ocean research, education and the promotion of global policies. It is an initiative that will make a significant contribution to the future of the oceans.
In this regard, the Executive Director of the Nippon Foundation, Mitsuyuki Unno, stated that “the world community is beginning to accept the undeniable fact that the ocean is in crisis and that a holistic approach to the governance of the oceans, that is to say an orientation that in turn is intergovernmental and trans-disciplinary “.
It also ensures that through this alliance opens a wider range of fields related to the ocean, making this institution the most appropriate partnership to initiate new efforts, to build human capacity to meet the growing challenges of sustainability in the oceans of the world.
In short, the Ocean Institute is an advance in the scientific and academic research of the oceans, as well as contributing to the promotion of global policies and a holistic approach that allows the proper orientation of the use of ocean resources to be developed in a sustainable way. It is a major initiative involving the Nippon Foundation, IMO and WMU.