United Nations(UN) World Oceans Day is annually observed across the globe on 8th June to create awareness about the importance of the oceans, a life source which supports the sustenance of humanity and every other organism on earth.
- The theme of World Oceans Day 2023 is “Planet Ocean: tides are changing”.
Background:
i.The concept of a ‘World Oceans Day’ was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit 1992, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a parallel event at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/63/111 on 5th December 2008 and proclaimed the 8th June of every year, starting from 2009, as World Oceans Day.
- The first-ever World Oceans Day was observed on 8th June 2009.
Note:Since 2002, the World Ocean Network sponsored by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), has been instrumental in building support towards ocean awareness.
- The IOC of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(IOC-UNESCO) is the only UN body specialized in ocean science and services.
Significance:
The World Oceans Day 2023 is observed within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021 – 2030, which was launched in 2021 and coordinated by IOC-UNESCO.
- Ocean Decade Conference: in 2024, UNESCO and government of Spain will co-host the Ocean Decade Conference in 2024 to celebrate achievements and set joint priorities.
Importance of Oceans:
i.Around 50% of the world’s oxygen (O2) is produced by the ocean and it also absorb around 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.
ii.More than a billion people across the globe depend on oceans’s produce as their main source of protein.
iii.It is estimated that around 40 million people will be employed by Ocean based industries by 2030.
Events:
The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, hosts the hybrid celebration of the annual event on 8th June 2023 at UN Headquarters in New York, the United States of America(USA).
- The event is hosted in partnership with non-profit organization Oceanic Global, and supported by Panerai.
Events in India:
As a part of the observance of the World Oceans Day 2023, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research(CSIR)-National Institute of Oceanography(NIO) organised a event presided over by Chief Minister(CM) of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant.
- During the event, goa CM felicitated the winners of national competitions held at CSIR-NIO for the World Oceans Day on the theme “Revitalisation: Collective Action for the Ocean”.
- He also released a Magazine on ‘Samudramanthan’, a compilation in the form of splendid scientific works, Rhythms in Poetry & Essay and Ingenuity in Photography and Drawing.
