On January 2-3, 2025, the 2024 Annual Workshop to Advance Implementation of the UN Ocean Decade and the Ocean Decade Campus Alliance Member Unit Meeting were held at Southern University of Science and Technology. The meeting, themed "Deeply Participate in International Processes and Effectively Build Chinese Achievements," summarized the latest progress of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development （2021-2030）， exchanged information and experiences, and planned future work directions, injecting new vitality into the implementation of the Ocean Decade in China.
Jointly organized by the UN Ocean Decade Ocean and Climate Cooperation Center, the Southern University of Science and Technology Advanced Institute of Ocean Sciences （SUSTech AIO）/Shenzhen University of Oceans Preparatory Office, and the First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, the meeting brought together 140 experts and representatives from 75 units, including domestic Ocean Decade action lead units, as well as management departments, universities, primary and secondary schools, enterprises, international organizations, and non-profit organizations that support the Ocean Decade initiative.
Zheng Rui, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qiao Fangli, Vice President of the First Institute of Oceanography and Director of the UN Ocean Decade Ocean and Climate Cooperation Center, and Lin Jian, Dean of SUSTech AIO and Preparatory Head of Shenzhen University of Oceans, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Zheng Rui briefly reviewed the international dynamics of the UN Ocean Decade under the UN framework in 2024 and the latest progress of China's participation in related work. She expressed that China attaches great importance to and will actively participate in the follow-up actions of the relevant process, and called on all relevant parties to better summarize experiences, build consensus, make plans, highlight highlights, and promote orderly progress. Qiao Fangli expressed welcome and thanks to the participants for attending the meeting on the first working day of the new year, emphasizing the important role played by the Ocean and Climate Cooperation Center, led by China, and related Ocean Decade large-scale scientific plans and projects in promoting China's deep participation in global ocean governance, and welcomed the active participation of the ocean science popularization field and enterprises in the Ocean Decade. Lin Jian pointed out the importance of cross-field and cross-departmental cooperation for the implementation of the Ocean Decade, especially emphasizing the important contribution of enterprises and industrial sectors to the development of the ocean cause, and called on all parties to issue more "Chinese voices" and propose more "Chinese solutions" under the framework of the Ocean Decade.
The meeting announced the establishment of the Ocean Decade Shenzhen Enterprise Alliance and the Ocean Decade Shenzhen Education Alliance, and awarded certificates to more than 20 units, including Shenzhen-based enterprises, primary and secondary schools, and non-profit organizations. Initiated by Lin Jian, the lead implementer of the UN Ocean Decade partnership of the Southern University of Science and Technology-Shenzhen University of Oceans Preparatory Office, this alliance aims to unite multiple forces to accelerate the improvement of Shenzhen citizens' ocean literacy, promote the integration and innovation of ocean and education, and industry, encourage enterprises to integrate ocean culture into their own development, promote the high-quality growth of the ocean economy, and help Shenzhen build a global ocean center city. This is an innovative measure for Shenzhen as a pilot demonstration zone, and will strive to be promoted on a larger scale in the future.
The keynote report session was chaired by Zhang Sai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Guangdong Provincial Laboratory for Marine Science and Engineering （Guangzhou）。 Zhang Zhanhai, former chief engineer of the Ministry of Natural Resources and chairman of the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, Tang Xu, former director of the World Meteorological Organization and professor of Fudan University, Yu Weidong, scientific executive director of the UN Ocean Decade Ocean and Climate Cooperation Center and professor of Sun Yat-sen University, and Lin Jian, dean of SUSTech AIO and preparatory head of Shenzhen University of Oceans, respectively delivered keynote speeches. Zhang Zhanhai comprehensively introduced and in-depth analyzed the important progress of the UN Ocean Decade and its impact on global ocean governance, and put forward suggestions on China's deep participation strategies and measures. Taking his long-term experience in international organizations as a starting point, Tang Xu introduced and analyzed the practices and suggestions for promoting the coordinated governance of climate change adaptation and mitigation of marine disasters through multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. Yu Weidong introduced the main achievements of the UN Ocean Decade Ocean and Climate Cooperation Center in 2024, as well as the priority areas and regions for future work. Lin Jian shared the contributions made by SUSTech AIO as an Ocean Decade implementer in terms of cultivating high-end marine talents and improving citizens' ocean literacy.
During the meeting, the lead units of Ocean Decade large-scale scientific plans, projects, and implementation partners introduced the main progress and highlights, challenges faced, and future implementation plans of the Ocean Decade actions in 2024. In the strategic research session, the participants spoke actively and offered many suggestions. They had heated discussions on issues such as establishing China's Ocean Decade action contact person mechanism, compiling and promoting the China Progress Report of the Ocean Decade, enhancing the international influence of China's Ocean Decade actions, promoting the implementation of the achievements of the Ocean Decade actions, and improving ocean literacy, and reached a number of consensus.
At the Ocean Decade Campus Alliance Member Unit Meeting, representatives of member units actively shared their successful practices in ocean science popularization education and put forward many valuable suggestions for improving ocean literacy under the framework of the Ocean Decade. They discussed and formed the "Ocean Decade Campus Alliance Charter", which provides a mechanism guarantee for the future development of Ocean Decade campus activities and plans a beautiful blueprint.
As one of the achievements of the Ocean Decade campus activities, the meeting also held an exhibition of entries for the UN Ocean Decade Implementation Partner LOGO Design Competition organized by the Southern University of Science and Technology-Shenzhen University of Oceans Preparatory Office. This design competition effectively improved local middle school students' understanding of marine science and technology and sustainable development, and enhanced students' sense of responsibility for marine protection.
The meeting had a very warm atmosphere, and the participants expressed their high enthusiasm for China's deep participation in the Ocean Decade work. In the future, all parties will continue to deepen cooperation, continue to ride the east wind of the Ocean Decade to promote the development and innovation of China's marine cause, serve the country's marine power strategy, help build a marine community with a shared future, and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to global ocean sustainable development.
The DCC-OCC, headed by our institute, has successfully held the workshop to advance the implementation of the Ocean Decade for three consecutive years, playing an important role in planning, assisting, and mobilizing Ocean Decade actions, and promoting China's deep participation in the Ocean Decade and global ocean governance. Previously, at the 2023 annual meeting, a number of Ocean Decade action plans proposed by China were in-depth discussed and successfully approved in 2024; many suggestions for promoting the implementation of the Ocean Decade formed during the meeting were also implemented in 2024 and achieved significant results. This fully demonstrates that the workshop to advance the implementation of the Ocean Decade has become an important platform for all parties to conduct in-depth communication, build consensus, and integrate resources, providing key support for China's deep participation in global ocean governance activities.
