World Oceans Day is an international day that takes place annually on the 8th of June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans. Last year it was closed the first cycle of the UN 2030 Agenda implementation and one of the main conclusions of the evaluation process is that the natural environment is still deteriorating at an alarming rate: sea levels are rising; ocean acidification is accelerating; the past four years have been the warmest on record; one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction; and land degradation continues unchecked. On the 8th of June during the entire World Ocean Week, we have to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the oceans and seas. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe, a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. All around the World, subsequent events are taking place and will explore innovations across categories including technology, systems infrastructure, resource management, consumer products, finance and scientific exploration — and will outline how these innovations can be applied, their potential impact, and the resources needed to transform them into long- lasting solutions. This year's theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen international cooperation to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.

United Nations - "Our ocean is our future"

https://www.un.org/en/observances/oceans-day

United Nations - Secretary General António Guterres, "Remarks on World Oceans Day"

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2020-06-08/remarks-world-oceans-day

BSUN Activities

 
 
09
Mar
10
Mar

1st International Conference on Blue Growth in the Black Sea Region:„Ecosystem Services on River-Sea Macro-ecosystems”

Venue: 
“Ovidius” University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania
Dates: 09/03/2020 to 10/03/2020
Abstract
 
Restoring and maintaining the resilience of the Black Sea ecosystem, while enabling a sustainable exploitation of its natural resources is vital. A better coordination and alignment of research and innovation efforts alongside developing improved knowledge base and joint infrastructures could substantially support this timely challenge. Towards this end the Burgas Vision Paper was produced, by an initiative supported by EC, as the key framework document for a shared vision for a productive, healthy, resilient, sustainable and better-valued Black Sea by 2030. It addresses the four key pillars on which a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and its Implementation Plan can be built on:
(1) Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges,
(2) Developing products, solutions and clusters underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth,
(3) Building of critical support systems and innovative Infrastructures,
(4) Education and capacity building. Building on this recently emerging policy framework, the core contribution of the Black Sea CONNECT CSA will be to scientifically, technically and logistically support the Black Sea Blue Growth Initiative towards the implementation of the Burgas Vision paper, with a view on boosting the blue economy in the region.
The overall objective is to coordinate the development of the SRIA and its implementation plan both at national and regional level. The SRIA and its implementation plan will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The project will support the design of synergistic activities such as developing an operational network of funders, new transnational joint activities and achieving the knowledge transfer.

Participants
1. Middle East Technical University TR
2. Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation TR
3. Institutul National de Cercetare - Dezvoltare pentru Geologie si Geoecologie Marina- GEOECOMAR RO
4. Institutul National de Cercetare - Dezvoltare Marina Grigore Antipa RO
5. Institue of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences BG
6. Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu TR
7. Institut Francais de Recherche pour l`Exploitation de la Mer FR
8. Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum fur Material- Und Kustenforschung GMBH DE
9. Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea UA
10. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, North-West Institute of Management RU
11. P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of Russian Academy of Sciences RU
12. Universitatea de Stat din Tiraspol MD
13. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University GE
14. Secretariatul National Roman al Retelei Universitatilor de la Marea Neagra RO

    Black Sea Universities Network Executive Board Meeting, October 24th and 26th, 2018- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

   

   International Conference on: "Implementation of the UN 2030 SDGs in the Black Sea Region", October 4th and 5th, 2019- Bucharest, Romania

  Invitation
Concept
Agenda 
Practical information 
Media

 

 

    Jeffrey Sachs- Keynote speech at the ICSDG 2019, Bucharest

  Keynote speech

 

 
 

    Establishing a SDSN Chapter for the countries of the Black Sea Region

  Black Sea Regional SDSN Concept note

 

 
 
04
Oct
05
Oct

International Conference on: „Implementation of the UN 2030 SDGs in the Black Sea Region”

Venue: 
Romanian Parliament Palace,Bucharest, Romania
Dates: 
04/10/2019 to 05/10/2019
Concept
Minutes
Agenda 
Media
The Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea is set as a follow-up to the commitment of the 2018 Burgas Ministerial Declaration “Towards a Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea”. The agenda focuses on activities related to “blue economy”, targeting a sustainable economic development of the region.
The participating countries will pursue three goals:
- Healthy marine and coastal ecosystems
- A competitive, innovative and sustainable blue economy for the Black Sea
- Fostering Investment in the Black Sea blue economy
The collaboration with the Black Sea Universities Network (BSUN) is encouraged in the vision of promoting blue skills and blue careers as an engine for innovation and competitiveness, as part of the second goal.
The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) will guide stakeholders from academia, funding agencies, industry, policy and society to address together the fundamental Black Sea challenges, to promote blue growth and economic prosperity of the Black Sea region, to build critical support systems and innovative research infrastructure and to improve education and capacity building. The Initiative has identified four main pillars on which a new set of research and innovation actions can be developed:
- Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges – Black Sea Knowledge Bridge
- Developing products, solutions and clusters underpinning Black Sea Blue Growth – Black Sea Blue Economy
- Building of critical support systems and innovative Infrastructures – Key Joint Infrastructure and Policy Enablers
- Education and capacity building – Empowered Citizens and Enhanced Blue Workforce.
The BSUN is among the main actors mentioned in the Black Sea SRIA, with the role of developing innovative multi-disciplinary research, building on existing initiatives, including data sharing mechanisms that will generate the knowledge needed to increase ecosystems resilience, as part of the Pillar 1.

The Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea:
https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/press/black-sea-ministers-endorse-common-maritime-agenda_en>
Black Sea Research and Innovation Agenda:
http://www.sust-black.ro/Black%20Sea%20Strategic%20Research%20and%20Innovation%20Agenda.pdf