Ocean & Human Health Conference
There is increasing evidence, supporting long held indigenous knowledge, on how Ocean and Human Health are intrinsically linked. Linda Faulkner, Natural Sciences Commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, on behalf of the New Zealand National Decade Committee (Kāhui Manaaki Tangaroa) partnered with other National Decade Committees at this international conference in Lisbon, 11-12 December 2025, to look closely at the connections between ocean health and human health.
National Decade Committees join forces
This conference, organised by the Portuguese National Decade Committee (NDC), with the collaboration of the NDCs from Belgium, Cape Verde, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, and USA, together with a diverse group of national and international institutions, brought together experts in ocean natural and social sciences, medicine, representatives from the health sector, law, indigenous and other practitioners, and civil society, to jointly discuss common interests around action concerning current and emerging issues on the connections between the Ocean and Human Health.
Linda Faulkner, Natural Sciences Commissioner for the NZ National Commission for UNESCO, Chief Scientist - Te Kūwaha, Earth Sciences NZ, and Chair of Kāhui Manaaki Tangaroa, was invited to collaborate with organisers and was able to present and join working sessions with other National Decade Committees remotely. Her presentation was titled "Weaving knowledge to restore a relational ocean connection - an Aotearoa New Zealand perspective".
Ocean & Human Health Conference Statement
The strong collaboration between the partner NDCs demonstrates a shared commitment to improve our understanding of the connection and relationship between the Ocean and Human Health and its integration into national, regional and global frameworks. As a follow-up to this conference, these NDCs will jointly develop an updated Policy Brief on Ocean and Human Health, addressing key opportunities for action at global, national, regional, and community levels.