COP 29 Virtual Ocean Pavillion

Towards greater engagement of regional research, academic, environment, and economic institutions in addressing climate change challenges

Good governance of the ocean cannot be achieved by States acting individually.

Regional organizations, mechanisms, and instruments involving a wide range of stakeholders play a crucial role in delivering ocean sustainability by enabling cooperation and coordination across territorial and sectoral boundaries. Collaborative efforts are needed to address major ocean issues at the national and regional levels that include, among others, IUU fishing and bycatch, seabed disturbance, marine and land-based pollution, climate change, and piracy and people smuggling. 

In addition to reducing their own carbon footprint, educating future leaders, and contributing valuable research and expertise to the global effort to combat climate change, regional research and academic institutions can provide policy-relevant scientific information to decision makers and stakeholders to address ocean, climate, biodiversity, and sustainable use issues in their respective regions. Regional environment organizations such as the UNEP Regional Seas Programme implement region-specific activities, bringing together stakeholders including governments, scientific communities, civil societies, local communities and indigenous peoples to address environmental issues. Regional economic forums such as the Pacific Islands Forum are instrumental in shaping global trade, fostering cooperation, and driving economic growth in the regions. 

This event convenes a panel of leaders from various regional research, academic, and action-oriented institutions to provide their perspectives on their organizations’ critical role in promoting the development and adoption of strategies to combat climate change. Panelists will also explore how to leverage their comparative advantage in supporting the development of collaborative ocean-based solutions in their regions that take into consideration ocean-climate-biodiversity interlinkages. 

AGENDA

01:00 Moderator: Dr. Peter Ricketts, Welcome and brief introduction of the event, its objectives, the format of the event (panel discussion) and the questions that panelists will be responding to

01:10 Panel discussion Part 1 

Question: What is the nature of your organization's engagement in ocean-climate action and the extent to which it is contributing towards addressing the many problems associated with it in your region?

01:35 Panel discussion Part 2

Question: What measures should your organization take to leverage the ocean-climate-biodiversity interlinkages to maximize its contribution towards addressing the challenges associated with a changing climate in your region?

02:00 Q&A

02:20 Dr. Peter Ricketts, Wrap-up and closing remarks

Duration: 1.5 hours

ORGANIZERS: Global Ocean Forum, University of the West Indies (Cave Hill and St. Augustine), and University of the South Pacific

SPEAKERS

Dr. Peter J. Ricketts

Professor of Earth and Environmental Science

Acadia University, Canada

Dr. Peter J. Ricketts is Professor of Earth and Environmental Science at Acadia University, where he has just completed a six-year term as Acadia’s 16th President and Vice-Chancellor. Born in Harrogate, Yorkshire and raised in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, Dr. Ricketts earned his BA (Honours) degree in Geography at the University of Nottingham in 1974 and his PhD from the University of Southampton in 1982.

Prior to his appointment as President at Acadia, Dr. Ricketts served as Provost and Vice-President Academic at Carleton University in Ottawa from 2009 to 2017 and has over 25 years of experience as a senior university administrator in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Ontario. He has now returned to teaching students at Acadia University about natural disasters, applied geomorphology, climate change, and maritime security.

peter.ricketts@acadiau.ca

Dr. La Daana Kanhai

Lecturer

Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, 

The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

La Daana teaches undergraduate students enrolled in the BSc. Biology and BSc. Environmental Science and Sustainable Technology degree programs. She supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing research on coastal and marine ecosystems. As a scientist, her multidisciplinary research is focused on understanding human impact on coastal/marine ecosystems, to advance the development of context-specific interventions that will contribute to ecosystem health and human well-being. La Daana has conducted research in Trinidad and Tobago, the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. La Daana serves on several local, regional and international working groups and committees focused on marine conservation and pollution.

ladaana.kanhai@uwi.edu

Dr. Julian Walcott

Lecturer, Tropical Coastal and Marine Resource Management, University of the West Indies (Cave Hill)

Julian Walcott is a highly motivated, self-driven, scientist with a passion for the conservation of the environment and natural resources. His work in this field began as a Research Assistant and has evolved to the Coordinator of the Tropical Coastal and Resource Management specialisation stream at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), University of the West Indies (UWI: Cave Hill Campus). At present, he champions the role of enhancing capacities among young scientist across the region, to aid in the quest for sustainable development. Some of his key roles include providing graduate students with training, conducting research in pertinent environmental areas, public awareness and outreach and providing professional services.

julian.walcott@cavehill.uwi.edu

Dr. Jack Dyer

Lecturer, School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences, USP

Dr. Jack Dyer, a specialist on climate change and development and blue/ocean economist, has over 10 years global/African consultancy, lecturing and entrepreneurship experience with a BSC Hons in Economics from the University of Kent, a Master of Commerce (Maritime Economics/Law) and PhD in climate change impact on the future of Pacific and global blue economies/marine resources, ecosystems, communities and individuals. His climate change, circular green and blue economy experience ranges from cruise and marine tourism to education, MSP, marine protected areas, natural disasters business, drones, ship repair, finance and psychology space economy, maritime law, ocean governance, logistics. sustainable, climate change, environment, green and blue economy experience extends to the legal, laws, policies, socioeconomic, events and latest technological/

knowledge updates with work experience in a variety of ocean/blue economy areas. 

jack.dyer@usp.ac.fj

Mr. Christopher Corbin

Coordinator, UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat and Caribbean Environment Programme

Mr. Christopher Corbin is the Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Cartagena Convention Secretariat based in Kingston, Jamaica. He assumed these duties as of 2022. Chris has been with UNEP since 2004 and prior to assuming the role of Coordinator, was the Programme Manager for its Marine Pollution Programme. 

Mr. Corbin, a Saint Lucian national, has over 30 years of national and regional programme and project management experience and has been involved in several intergovernmental processes and discussions for improving ocean governance, marine pollution, and water resources management in the Wider Caribbean Region. 

christopher.corbin@un.org

Mr. Peni Suveinakama

Oceans Analyst and Manager, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Since 2018 up to the present, Peni has been Oceans Analyst and Manager at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat focusing on leveraging the economic, financial and social bargaining power of the Pacific Ocean and its resources. Prior to joining the PIF Secretariat, Peni was a Principal Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji in 2017-2018 and for four years before that held the position of Second Secretary at the Parment Mission of Fiji to the United Nations in New York where he was generally responsible for administrative and managerial responsibilities as Head of Chancery. While in that position, he was also involved in the crafting of National Statements and liaising with relevant stakeholders to progress national issues on the broader global front.

Penibs@forumsec.org