From 1998 – ongoing
The Acquario di Genova Onlus Foundation has been conducting a continuous awareness campaign on the major problems of the Ocean for years, which concerns the following topics:
realize that the Ocean is one, because all ocean waters are interconnected;
need to increase knowledge about the ocean (knowledge of species and mapping of the seabed);
problems created by climate change and global warming;
decrease in ice;
sea level rise;
alterations of some important ocean currents;
overexploitation of marine resources;
alteration of biodiversity;
pollution from: persistent contaminants, plastics, radionuclides, mining activities, water acidification, noise pollution, fumes.
need to comply with international treaties (Law of the Oceans, BBNJ);
promote a new framework standard (Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights).
In this area, the Foundation has undertaken a complex path, collaborating with many institutions.
In 1988, the first international meeting “For the future of the Blue Planet” took place at Nausicaà in Boulogne sur Mer (France), in which the Genoa Aquarium – Costa Edutainment SpA took part.
In 2006, the World Ocean Network ( https://www.worldoceannetwork.org/ ) was created, always promoted by Nausicaà - Centre National de la Mer, also founded by the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus and by the Acquario di Genova – Costa Edutainment SpA, which are part of the Board, to promote the culture of ocean protection and education and awareness-raising actions in this area. Aquariums, Science Centers and NGOs from all over the world participate in the WOA.
In 2009, the UN General Assembly, responding to a petition signed by the WON Board, decided to proclaim June 8 of each year as World Oceans Day, a great success.
In 2017, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was called by the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea DOALOS/OLA, United Nation Headquarters in New York to be part of the Group of international experts for the drafting of the Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects (WOA II), then presented in 2021 to the UN General Assembly ( https://www.un.org/regularprocess/woa2launch ).
In 2018, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited by DOALOS/OLA of the UN to a coordination meeting in Accra (Ghana), where he was appointed Chair of Chapter 31 (Development in the understanding of overall benefits from the ocean to humans) and team leader of Chapter 24 (Developments in tourism and recreation activities), for the World Ocean Assessment II.
In 2019, the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus participated as a speaker at the event organized by Focus/Mondadori at Porto Antico, on the theme “Buried by waste” (thanks to the support of Porto Antico di Genova SpA). Furthermore, we participated as experts at the meeting of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, to improve the legislation on interference between Cetaceans and Fishing in European seas and then as speakers at the conference organized by the Mareamico Association in Terrasini and at the Circular Ocean Forum organized by the Municipality of Genoa.
In 2020 we became co-founders of the European initiative EU4Ocean, which includes numerous institutions from 17 EU countries and 3 non-EU countries.
Also in 2020 we coordinated the web table “Pianeta” as part of the Sustainability Forum organized by the Liguria Region together with EticLab.
In 2021, once again, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was called by the Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea DOALOS/OLA, United Nation Headquarters in New York to be part of the Group of international experts for the drafting of the third cycle of the Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects (WOA III) ( https://www.un.org/regularprocess/woa3 ), with the task of coordinating the chapter “Scientific Understanding of the Ocean”, which will be published in 2025, after the presentation to the UN General Assembly.
Also in 2021, the Acquario di Genova Onlus Foundation was invited as a speaker by the Vatican's Dicastery for the Promotion of Integrated Human Development to the international conference “Caring for the Ocean”, as part of the “Aqua Fons Vitae” initiative, receiving official compliments from the Vatican.
Furthermore, in the same year, the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited as a speaker at the Stati Generali Mondo Lavoro del Mare in Genoa, and in particular at the round table “Welfare, Sustainability and Environment: Challenges and Proposals in the Sea Sector”. Also in 2021, the Foundation was co-organizer, together with the Aquarium and Porto Antico di Genova SpA, of an event promoted by the French ecological cosmetics company Umaï on the terrace of the Porto Antico Pool, on the need to preserve the biodiversity of the Mediterranean. Umaï made videos regarding the various initiatives in the different Mediterranean locations.
In 2022, the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was called to hold the final conference of the presentation event of The Ocean Race, on the themes of ocean protection, at the request of the Mayor of Genoa. The conference was a great success, also with the public.
In 2022, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited by DOALOS/OLA of the UN to a coordination meeting in The Hague (Netherlands), for the World Ocean Assessment III.
In 2023, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited to give a conference on the protection of the Ocean at Casa Méditerraneo (a facility of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), in Alicante.
In the same year, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus participated in the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, as an expert within the Delegation of the Government of Sweden.
Also in 2023, an awareness and education campaign was launched in several villages on many islands of Indonesia, using a color comic written in Indonesian. The project, certainly innovative in that area, was coordinated by the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus and conducted by PT Dafin Mutiara (Nusantara Group), using ECOCREST© funds.
Again in 2023, the Acquario di Genova Onlus Foundation was included among the signatories of the EU Mission Chart – Restore Our Ocean and Waters.
In 2023, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited by the UN DOALOS/OLA to a coordination meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, where he was appointed Coordinating Author for the chapter “Scientific Understanding of the Ocean” for the World Ocean Assessment III. The Foundation was also invited to the DOALOS/OLA meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, again for WOA III.
Also in December 2023, Dr. Di Natale was invited by the UN as an expert, to participate in the International Symposium on strengthening the ocean science-policy interface under the United Nations Regular Process, held in Paris jointly with the IOC of UNESCO.
The Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus has been specifically cited in the very recent UNESCO publication on the best practices of the UN Decade of the Ocean ( https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385533 ), which was also referenced in the Italian national poster at the UN Decade of the Ocean Days in Barcelona in April 2024. Furthermore, since 2023, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus has been called to be part of the National Committee for the Decade of the Ocean (at the CNR) and actively participates in all meetings.
In 2024, the Acquario di Genova Onlus Foundation was invited by the European Union (DG Research) to the meeting in Brussels to present the projects accepted under the EU Missions – Restore Our Ocean and Waters.
In 2024, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited by DOALOS/OLA of the UN to a coordination meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, for the World Ocean Assessment III.
In 2024, a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited to hold a conference on the “Health of the Sea” at the ARETE “Genova Bene Comune” conference.
In 2024 (July 26), a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus was invited to hold a Lectio magistralis on the Ocean at the inauguration of the Blue Festival in La Spezia.
In 2024 (September 4), a representative of the Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus is called to hold a Lectio magistralis on the Ocean and the Blue Economy at the inauguration of the Jornadas de Economia Azul in Puerto Madryn (Patagonia, Argentina).
Partner:
World Ocean Network, Aquarium of Genoa – Costa Edutainment SpA, UN (DOALOS/OLA), Municipality of Genoa, The Ocean Race, Umaï, Porto Antico di Genova SpA.
Sponsors:
UN (DOALOS/OLA), Casa Mediterraneo-Alicante, PT Dafin Mutiara (Nusantara Group); CERISMAS – Center for Research and Studies in Health Management Onlus.
