World Maritime University (WMU) & Nippon Foundation Launch New Ocean Institute

Today, during the 71st Session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, the World Maritime University (WMU) and The Nippon Foundation announced the commencement of operations of the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (the “Ocean Institute”).

The Board of Governors of WMU, at its 35th Session (May 31 to June 1, 2017), approved the establishment of the Ocean Institute within the framework of WMU and authorized the signing of the agreement with The Nippon Foundation.

The Ocean Institute is a concrete response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; in particular Goal 14 - the Ocean Goal. This goal commits governments to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.”

The Ocean Institute will be the independent focal point for legal- and industry-related aspects of ocean science policy, bringing together policy makers, scientists, regulators, industry representatives, academics, and social leaders, to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources for sustainable development over present and future generations, supported by evidence-based research, educational programs, and capacity building. Research produced by the Ocean Institute will enhance the capacity of all stakeholders to implement legal requirements and policies. A special emphasis will be placed on working closely with the IMO and other relevant UN organizations, including UNESCO.

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of WMU, stated: “This Announcement with The Nippon Foundation is both timely and historic. The UN Ocean Conference held in June gave significant impetus for urgent action. The outcome ‘Our Ocean, Our Future - Call for Action’ highlights, inter alia, the need for ‘strengthened multi-stakeholder partnerships, more ocean-related education and greater resources for marine scientific research.’ WMU, established by the IMO, is the preeminent postgraduate academic institution in maritime and ocean-related fields. It is therefore well placed as a centre of excellence to advance ocean research, education, and capacity-building on global ocean policies that are cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and trans-regional in scope. WMU is most grateful to the longstanding partnership with The Nippon Foundation. This new initiative will enable the two parties to make a significant contribution to the future of Our Ocean.”

Mitsuyuki Unno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation added:
“I sense that the greater global community is starting to accept the undeniable fact that our ocean is indeed in a crisis. To address this, we need to take a holistic approach to ocean governance; an approach that is both intergovernmental and trans-disciplinary. Against this backdrop, The Nippon Foundation welcomes WMU’s timely transformation from a maritime institution to one that covers a wider range of ocean-related fields, making it the most appropriate partnering institution to start this new endeavor. I thank the IMO, member States, and all other stakeholders for their support. As WMU and the Foundation move forward into a new phase of partnership, the Foundation reaffirms its continued commitment to building human capacities to address the growing sustainability challenges in the world’s oceans.”

Nippon Foundation

The ocean is essential to human life.

Today, however, the world's seas and oceans face a variety of problems, including pollution, kidnapping and piracy, and the depletion of marine food resources.

Resolving these problems requires human resources to tackle these issues.
Even if there are people and organizations who share this sense of crisis for the future of our ocean, they are not able to work together and effectively realize their full potential.

We are cultivating people to clear the future for the world's oceans, while at the same time building a foundation that connects these people and organizations, to pass on the ocean's riches to future generations.

The Nippon Foundation
The Nippon Zaidan Building 1-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8404, Japan
Tel. 03-6229-5131 / email: cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp

This release was published on openPR.