Date: Saturday, 8 June 2024; 15th Anniversary.
Sponsor: United Nations
Coordinator: UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
Objectives:
World Oceans Day is annually observed for the following purposes:
- to recognize the crucial role the oceans and seas play in our lives and their importance to the achievement of sustainable development goals,
- to raise awareness of the adverse impacts of human activities and climate change on the marine environment, habitats, biodiversity, and ecosystems, and
- to promote sustainable development, management, and use of the resources of the oceans and seas.
Inception:
World Oceans Day was first officially held on 8 June 2009
History:
World Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
On 5 December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated 8 June of each year as World Oceans Day, by its resolution A/RES/63/111.
How to celebrate the Day
Learn, share, and action!
Since 2009, many organizations and communities have annually a range of educational and promotional events on the Day, including seminars, lectures, conferences, forums, and social media campaigns, to raise and spread awareness of ocean-related issues.
Each year a particular theme is proposed by the United Nations for World Oceans Day to focus on a pressing issue related to oceans.
Annual theme in recent years:
2023 theme: “Planet Ocean: Tides Are Changing.”
2022 theme: “Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean.”
2021 theme: “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”.
2020 theme: “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.”
2019 theme: “Gender and Oceans.”
2018 theme: “Clean our Ocean!”
2017 theme: “Our Oceans, Our Future!”
2016 theme: “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet.”
Official websites:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/oceans-day
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