OSLO, Norway has pledged 11.5 million Norwegian Kroner (approximately USD 1.1 million) to UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to support ocean scientific research and knowledge-based solutions. Announced at the UN Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai, this funding aims to advance the UN 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a focus on capacity development in regions.

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Norway, through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), will provide funding to support the UN Ocean Decade 2021-2030 and core programmatic activities of IOC-UNESCO. This includes initiatives like the Ocean Decade Africa Roadmap Implementation, enhanced engagement in the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, capacity development for Decade Actions in Africa and Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), support for Early Career Ocean Professionals, and the operationalization of the Sustainable Ocean Planning Flagship Program.

Norad’s support extends to IOC-UNESCO’s core programmes, focusing on increasing the number of “Tsunami Ready” SIDS communities and developing a pilot in the Caribbean region of the IOC-UNESCO Ocean Best Practices project.

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the IOC and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, expressed gratitude for Norway’s commitment to UNESCO’s ocean programs and its crucial role in advancing ocean research and knowledge-based action.

The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (MoER) also renewed its contribution for the fifth consecutive year, strengthening IOC’s core programs based on Member States’ priorities.

Norway’s Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, highlighted Norway’s commitment to supporting IOC-UNESCO’s role in climate and food security issues, emphasizing the importance of scientific cooperation between developing countries.

Norway’s ongoing support plays a pivotal role in UNESCO’s ocean initiatives, reflecting its commitment to international cooperation in addressing marine environment challenges.