14 - 15 May 2018, Brussels, Belgium

Programme

REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT

If you still want to participate or you are obliged to cancel your participation, please send an email to: fustocean@iode.org. Once you receive a reply, the participation or cancellation is confirmed.

Celebrating 20 years of cooperation between the Government of Flanders and UNESCO

In 1998 the Government of Flanders signed a general cooperation agreement with UNESCO to achieve common global objectives. A year later Flanders approved the first 5-year agreement on the UNESCO/Flanders Fund-in-Trust for the support of UNESCO's activities in the field of Science (FUST). Since then 3 additional agreements have been signed. Under these agreements Flanders has provided support for projects by UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP), Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

The FUST Ocean event, including a guided exhibition and four seminars, will present a remarkable opportunity to highlight achievements which were enabled through FUST, in the presence of guests from our partner countries and international organisations involved. The event will focus on the recent results and impacts of on-going key projects related to oceans and coastal areas.

The Programme and Timetable is shown below.

Projects

OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA)

The OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) Project aims at building equitable capacity related to ocean research, observations and services in all IOC Member States. The regional implementation strategy makes training programmes self-driven with great attention to local requirements, language and culture. OTGA is based on local ownership as the Regional Training Centres (RTCs) are supported by the host countries. In addition the OceanTeacher Global Academy validates the expertise available in developing regions and promotes their self-reliance in terms of specialized technical training and higher education related to ocean science, observation and data/information management.

Caribbean Marine Atlas (CMA)

The CMA is an online digital platform that supports the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and ecosystem-based management for Large Marine Ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean region - mainly Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (the CLME+ Region). The Atlas is supporting the implementation of the CLME+ Strategic Action Programme. Special attention is paid to coastal hazards, climate change and biodiversity, as well as habitats, fisheries and pollution – the three main transboundary problems identified in the CLME+ Region. CMA brings together 25 countries, 7 of which are actively providing ICZM national information and data for regional indicators. CMA currently holds more than 800 GIS layers. The Atlas is addressed to professionals in charge of planning and development, ministries and national and regional authorities, decision and policy makers.

Development of Information Products and Services for Ocean Assessments (DIPS-4-Ocean Assessments)

DIPS develops information products and services based on the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and the Harmful Algae Event Database (HAEDAT) with the aim to support major global assessments on the state of the marine environment, such as the UN World Ocean Assessment and those that are planned as part of the Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the IOC-UNESCO Global Harmful Algal Bloom Status Report.

Southeast Pacific data and information network in support to integrated coastal area management (SPINCAM)

SPINCAM was designed to establish an integrated coastal area management (ICAM) indicator framework at national and regional level in the countries of the Southeast Pacific region focusing on the state of the coastal and marine environment, including socio-economic conditions. SPINCAM is providing the right tools (data, information, indicators, atlases, decision-support tools) to apply the ecosystem-based approaches such as marine spatial planning in their national waters, while also providing a foundation for planning sustainable economic development (blue growth) through inter-institutional capacity-building. The project results will translate into concrete recommendations and strategies at the regional level in line with Agenda 2030.

Biosphere Reserves as a Tool for Coastal and Island Management in the South- East Pacific Region (BRESEP)

The objective of the BRESEP Project is to create and strengthen existing biosphere reserves, as a tool of sound innovative practices from a social, cultural and environmental viewpoint, in coastal zones and islands in the Pacific region in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. This project brings added value to local socio-economic activities and in this way, improve livelihoods of the region's population.

BRESEP aims to build the capacities of the actors involved and create a collaborative network between the five participating countries to compare information, knowledge and experience on themes such as the loss of biodiversity, marine and coastal management, and improvement in the standard of living of the population through local, sustainable socio-economic activities.

Programme

Monday, 14 May 2018

10:00 - 11:00Registration and coffee
11:00 - 12:00

Opening FUST Ocean Event

Venue: auditorium

  • Mr Vladimir Ryabinin, IOC Executive Secretary, on behalf of the UNESCO Director-General
  • Mr Mark Andries, chief of cabinet of Flanders Minister President, Geert Bourgeois
  • Mr Johan Hanssens, Secretary-general Flanders Department Economy Science and Innovation (EWI)
  • Ambassador Mentor Patricio Villagómez Merino, Secretary General Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS)
12:00 - 13:00

Opening of the Trade Fair

Venue: ground flour

  • Presentation of all FUST Ocean projects and IOC programmes
12:30 - 14:00Buffet Lunch
14:00 - 15:00

Seminar 1 - Brief presentations on experiences and challenges for FUST Ocean projects

Venue: auditorium

  • Dr Miguel Clüsener-Godt on behalf of BRESEP
  • Capt. Francisco Arias Isaza on behalf of CMA
  • Dr Adriana Zingone on behalf of DIPS
  • Assoc. Prof Dr Aidy @ Mohamed Shawal Bin M Muslim on behalf of OTGA
  • Dr Fernando Félix on behalf of SPINCAM
15:00 - 16:00Coffee

During the afternoon there will be guided tours through the Trade Fair as well as networking opportunities.

Tuesday, 15 May 2018

09:30 - 10:30Registration, coffee and possibility to visit the Trade Fair
10:30 - 13:00

Seminar 2 - FUST Ocean meets Flanders Academia

Venue: auditorium. Moderator Mr Gert Verreet, EWI-Flanders.

  • Brief Overview of the 5 FUST Ocean projects (BRESEP, CMA, DIPS, OTGA, SPINCAM)
  • Flanders FWO international programmes - Ms Tinne Jacobs, FWO
  • Flanders VLIR-UOS programme - Ms Kristien Verbrugghen, VLIR-UOS
  • Scientific baseline coordinated by CPPS in the Southeast Pacific - Dr Mentor Patricio Villagómez Merino, Secretary General of the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS)
  • International Cooperation Programmes at Universities in Flanders: Interactive Questions & Panel Discussion
    • KU Leuven - Prof Dr Peter Lievens, Vice-rector International Policy and LERU
    • University Antwerp - Prof Dr Ronny Blust, Vice-rector Research
    • University Ghent - Prof Dr Marleen De Troch, CESAM and Ocean Research programme
    • University Hasselt - Prof Ir Ann Peters, Director Research
    • Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Prof Dr Nico Koedam, Dept. Oceans and Lakes
13:00 - 14:30Buffet lunch
13:00 - 14:30Continuation of Trade Fair
14:30 - 15:30

Seminar 3 - Flanders International cooperation in ocean affairs

Venue: auditorium. Moderator tbc.

  • Marine Research Capacity in Flanders - Dr Hans Pirlet, VLIZ
  • Marine Data Systems at VMDC and international collaboration - Mr Francisco Hernandez, VMDC-VLIZ
  • Terrascope, the Belgian/Flanders portal to remote sensing data - Dr Bart Deronde, VITO
  • JPI Oceans projects on environmental effects of deep sea mining - Prof Dr Ann Vanreusel, Ghent University
15:30 - 16:00Coffee
16:00 - 17:00

Seminar 4 - Partner initiatives

Venue: auditorium. Moderator tbc.

  • UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development - Mr Julian Barbière, IOC-UNESCO
  • OBIS, a Global Ocean Biodiversity Information System hosted in Flanders - Mr Ward Appeltans, IOC-UNESCO
  • Forging an Ocean Literate society through actions at global and regional level – Dr Francesca Santoro, IOC-UNESCO
  • VLIZ and Public Engagement to Open Science - Dr Nancy Fockedey & Dr Jan Seys, VLIZ

The Trade Fair can be visited Monday 14 May to Thursday 17 May during office hours.

Venue

Herman Teirlinck Building, Havenlaan 88, 1000 Brussels, Belgium