On the occasion of the 76th United Nations Day, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the Malmö Technology and Maritime Museum (Teknikens och Sjöfartens hus) jointly hosted the “Sustainable Development Goals Social Dialogue Series: WMU Advancing a Sustainable Ocean in Support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda” held on 25 October at the museum. The event was the first in-person gathering and inauguration of the WMU contribution to the Dangers at Sea exhibition that was launched in April 2021 when pandemic restrictions prevented an on-site gathering.
Malmö Museum Director, Dr Biljana Topolova Casadiego, formally launched the exhibit with Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of WMU. President Doumbia-Henry emphasized the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) for a future sustainable blue economy. “Environmental pressures are threatening the health and safety in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities from which WMU students come, including those located in Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. These island states are surrounded by maritime and ocean culture where fishing, tourism, and the shipping industry are the predominant sectors providing jobs and employment for the community”, she said.
The inauguration was attended by WMU faculty, staff, and students – in particular students from island States – to advance discussions and initiate conversations regarding UN SDG linkages for a sustainable ocean. Interactive round table exercises focused on ocean-related issues including ensuring that island workforces take into account the importance of preservation of the oceans, coastal fisheries, and the tourism sector; and the creation of a sustainable future for Small Island Developing States (SIDs) with a particular focus on SDG target 14.7 – promoting and implementing safe and decent working conditions for fishers and supporting sustainable tourism.
Mr. Zaidy Afrin, Ph.D. A candidate in the WMU Land-to-Ocean Leadership Programme, facilitated the dialogue and commented, “I am happy to see this platform evolve with two important policy domains – ocean sustainability, and decent work including safe and secure workplaces – being merged and improved upon”.
The participants visited the “Dangers at Sea” exhibition which focuses on both the past and the future with historic aspects highlighting dramatic events linked to extreme weather events in the Malmö area. It spotlights Malmö as a coastal city of the future and its designation as an Ocean Action Hub. The exhibition also features a WMU collaboration with the Malmö Museum Science Centre, Water Scientists (Vattenvetarna), and students from a local secondary school that prepared a series of podcasts on the topics of overfertilization, environmental toxins & pollutants, sea-level rise, clean drinking water, and stormwater. Information to support the manuscript and podcasts was provided by WMU topic experts during a workshop with secondary school students.
The “Dangers at Sea” exhibition is expected to be available until spring of 2023 and can be visited in person, or virtually.
To learn more about the WMU contributions to the exhibit, click here.
To learn more about the overall exhibit and the various contributions, click here.
