The Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) is a multi-stakeholder initiative involving governments, international agencies, NGOs, scientific institutions, private sector, and subnational authorities to advance the oceans and climate agenda (especially in the UNFCCC, the UN Ocean Conference, and in other United Nations fora), and at the national level in all countries. ROCA was launched at the UNFCCC COP 22 in Marrakech, Morocco. The ROCA works to implement the Strategic Action Roadmap on Oceans and Climate: 2016-2021, first discussed at the Oceans Day at COP 21 in Paris 2015, and then prepared in detail by 37 international experts throughout 2016 and highlighted at the Oceans Action Day at COP 22 Marrakech (November 12, 2016).
The ROCA partners held their first Working Meeting on 22-23 May 2017 at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France. The purpose of this Working Meeting was to operationalize the five-year ROCA initiative together with partners and other interested parties, and to discuss and move forward on priority actions to advance the oceans and climate agenda in the next five years. A more detailed description of the ROCA initiative is found later in this post.
The intent of the Working Meeting is to move forward on the oceans and climate agenda, with special emphasis on the low carbon Blue Economy, at the national level and in all relevant UN fora, especially the UNFCCC, contributing as well to advancing the oceans and climate issues through the forthcoming Our Ocean Conferences (Malta 2017, European Commission; Indonesia 2018, Government of Indonesia; Norway 2019, Government of Norway).
Type of Partners involved
Governments, international agencies, provincial and local governments, civil society (NGOs, private sector, academic/scientific institutions)
ROCA Leadership
Global Ocean Forum * Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO * Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan * Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal
Initial Partners
Coastal Zone Canada Association * Conservation International * Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative * Duke University * EUCC * Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations * Future Ocean Alliance * IUCN * Global Ocean Forum * Government of Grenada * Government of Palau * Government of Seychelles * Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO * International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification* Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan * Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal * Ocean Recovery Alliance, Hong Kong* Pacific Community * Plymouth Marine Laboratory * Scripps Institution of Oceanography * South Pacific Regional Environment Programme * The Nature Conservancy * University of Delaware * UN Environment * World Ocean Network * World Ocean Observatory *
Formal Registration of ROCA
ROCA is being registered as an initiative in the UNFCCC context and as a voluntary commitment in the UN Ocean Conference, June 2017
Expressions of Interest in ROCA
Expressions of interest to participate in the ROCA initiative will be considered by the ROCA leadership. Please send a note regarding your interest to Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Global Ocean Forum, bilianacicin-sain@globaloceans.org
Implementing the Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action
ROCA works to implement the recommendations the Roadmap presents in six major areas: 1. Central of role of oceans in regulating climate, 2. Mitigation, 3. Adaptation and Blue Economy, 4. Displacement, 5. Financing, and 6. Capacity development, for implementation in the next 5 years.
For each of these issues, the Roadmap addresses:
1) the current status of the issue (and, as relevant, the science related to the issue)
2) the current state of play of the issue within the UNFCCC
3) the opportunities and pathways that may be available within the UNFCCC to advance the issue in the next five years
4) the opportunities and pathways that may be available outside of the UNFCCC to advance the issue
5) financial considerations regarding each issue
The Roadmap report features a Foreword by H.E. Ambassador Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues, Republic of Seychelles; H.E. Ambassador Caleb Otto, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations; and H.E. Ambassador Angus Friday, Ambassador to the Unites States of America, the United Mexican States, and the Organization of American States, Embassy of Grenada, Washington DC.
Resources:
Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action Initiative (ROCA) (brochure)
Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action Report: https://globaloceanforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/strategic-action-roadmap-on-oceans-and-climate-november-2016.pdf
Summary of Roadmap: https://globaloceanforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/final-roadmap-summary-nov-7-2016.pdf
Final Program with Detailed Times Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action May 22-23, 2017 UNESCO
Advancing the Oceans and Climate Agenda for the Next Five Years
Outcomes and List of Participants ROCA Meeting May 22-23, 2017 UNESCO