SEO Riders:
– UNESCO‑IOC and African stakeholders call for continent‑wide ocean literacy in policy and education.
– Aim to integrate scientific data and local knowledge to bolster the blue economy and climate resilience.
– Initiative seeks to involve schools, teachers, private sector, and communities in ocean stewardship.
During the ongoing 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (June 9–13, 2025, Nice, France), coordinated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and African partners, a proposal was unveiled for establishing a Pan‑African Ocean Literacy Network. The network aims to embed ocean science and education into national policies, school curricula, and community outreach across African nations. With only about 26% of the seafloor mapped and global investments in ocean literacy still lagging, the initiative emphasizes scaling up data collection, teacher training, and sea‑floor mapping to inform climate-smart policymaking and marine protection.
African ocean advocates urge that local communities, including youth and coastal women, be central to this effort—combining scientific insights with traditional ecological knowledge . Supported by programs like UNESCO’s SEA BEYOND trust fund and the Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), the network plans to mobilize commercial and research vessels for data gathering and to weave ocean themes into education systems and public awareness campaigns.This strategy is key to Africa’s push for a sustainable blue economy, stronger climate resilience, and equitable ocean governance aligned with SDG 14 and the UN Ocean Decade goals.
