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 NWP Expert Group on Oceans

  

The NWP expert group on the ocean aims to strengthen action on ocean and climate adaptation under the UNFCCC process. Building on the momentum to-date, the NWP expert group on the ocean can help address key ocean-climate gaps through collaboration among expert group members, and with the UNFCCC constituted bodies, other thematic experts groups of the NWP and relevant communities of practice and with the following principles: 

  • Be demand driven to ensure that the collaborative actions are meaningful and responsive to the needs of Parties and constituted bodies. 
  • Have a long-term strategy that facilitate/support implementation of adaptation and resilience actions in an inclusive and participatory manner. 
  • Enhance the exchange of information, experience, challenges and best practices to a broad range of adaptation and mitigation stakeholders. 
  • Increase the role of the expert group by engaging with expert communities and other relevant processes outside the UNFCCC processes

Composition of the expert group

The secretariat followed an approach, similar to that used in some constituted bodies, based on criteria to ensure regional and gender balance, balance in expertise and perspective on thematic areas, and ensure that the group is multi-disciplinary and inclusive:
  • Type of organization (NGO, CSO, INGO, UN, IPO, etc.) 
  • Technical experience and area of specialization 
  • Diversity of experts also representing the least developed countries, SIDS, African countries, gender representation (female/male makeup of the expert group). 
There are 23 members (including IPCC) in expert group on oceans. 

Organization Name of Expert
Food and Agriculture Organization Florence Poulain
UNESCO/IOC
Denis Chang Seng
UNESCO Khalissa Ikhlef
IUCN Ali Raza Rizvi
Dorothée Herr
UN Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Valentina Germani
SLYCAN Trust Vositha Wijenayake
Griffith University Johanna Nalau
Ocean Climate Loreley Picourt
Caribbean Natural Resources Institute Nicole Leotaud
University of Pennsylvania Michael Weisberg
SPREP Espen Ronneberg
UNDP Andrew Hudson
World Bank Charlotte De Fontaubert
The European MSP Platform​ Patrycja Enet
World Resources Institute Kristian Teleki
Rare Lisa Schindler Murray
UN Environment Programme Gabriel Grimsditch
Syracuse University College of Law Mark P. Nevitt
The Nature Conservancy Emily Landis
IPCC
Hans-O. Poertner
Elvira Poloczanska
World Ocean Council; Africa Marine Environment Sustainability Initiative Ibukun Jacob Adewumi
Future Ocean Alliance Isabel Torres de Noronha

Scope of the work

  • Provide feedback on the scoping paper 
  • Engage in designing and organizing the focal point forums 
  • Implement actions and produce usable knowledge products in response to identified knowledge gaps, including in collaboration with constituted bodies 
  • Engage with the secretariat in organizing and/participating in relevant events in disseminating the outcomes and progress to-date 
Information on the virtual expert group meetings of the expert group on oceans: 

​Engagement with Parties and UNFCCC national focal points

The secretariat has undertaken following activities in collaboration with the thematic expert groups: 
  • Share the progress and outcomes of the work in thematic areas through NWP quarterly newsletters, annual progress reports, news articles 
  • Organize events to exchange knowledge and information and discuss actions in closing knowledge gaps (in partnership with the thematic expert groups): 
    • Climate dialogue event on scaling up adaptation actions through partnerships (click here
    • 13th NWP focal point forum on oceans (click here
  • Planned 14th NWP focal point forum on biodiversity and climate change adaptation at COP26

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