Seaweeds are a powerhouse for advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including those currently under review. By boosting nutrition, enhancing food security, and driving pharmaceutical innovation, seaweeds can significantly improve health outcomes (SDG 3). In coastal communities, seaweed farming and processing present significant opportunities for women's economic empowerment (SDG 5). Having tripled from $5 billion in 2000 to $17 billion in 2021, the seaweed market presents a chance for countries to foster sustainable growth, create decent jobs, and support smallholders (SDG 8).
Seaweeds also play a critical role in mitigating ocean acidification, reducing marine pollution, and preserving marine ecosystems; a Seaweed Breakthrough is being developed to guide conservation and preservation efforts (SDG14). At UNOC-3, a group of founding partners agreed to create the UN Global Seaweed Initiative (UNGSI), an important step in fostering a global partnership around seaweed and strengthening policy coordination in the sector, under the leadership of the Republic of France, the Republic of Indonesia, and the Republic of Madagascar, with support from several UN entities together with scientific, private sector, and civil society actors (SDG 17). It is to be formally launched at the 2025 UN General Assembly.
This official HLPF side event will showcase seaweeds’ multifaceted contributions to the SDGs and present the UNGSI as a concrete multistakeholder partnership.
Tentative Agenda:
Opening
- Ms. Nichola Dyer, Global Seaweed Coalition (GSC), Moderator
Welcoming remarks
- Mr. Juan José Martinez Badillo, Chief, UNCTAD NY office
- Mr. Ike Levine, International Seaweed Association
Opening keynote
- Mr. Paubert Mahatante Tsimanaoraty, Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Republic of Madagascar (virtual)
Panel presentations on SDGs under review:
- Ms. Shakuntala Thilsted, CGIAR, World Food Prize Laureate (virtual). SDG3
- Ms. Runa Ray, Founder KelpTex. SDG5
- Mr. Harrison Charo Karisa, Senior Fisheries Officer, World Bank (virtual). SDG8
- Ms. Juliet Brodie, Co-lead for GCBC GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR, and lead for UKRI BBSRC GlobalSeaweed-PROTECT. SDG14
- Ms. Chantal Line Carpentier or Mr. David Vivas Eugui, UNCTAD (virtual) / Mr. Jan Matas, CNRS (tbc). SDG14
Reflections on seaweed and the SDGs
- Ms. Anoushka Concepcion, Chair, Global Seaweed Coalition Strategic Advisory Council
Q & A, audience interaction
The road to UNGA and beyond
- Mr. Charles Tellier, Deputy Ambassador for the Ocean and the Poles of France
Closing by Moderator
Co-organisers: Republic of France, International Seaweed Association, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), World Bank, African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, Global Seaweed Coalition, French National Research Center (CNRS), Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and Aquatic Blue Food Coalition.
Nichola Dyer, Senior Advisor to the Global Seaweed Coalition, brings experience across multilateral institutions and the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors to her sustainability work.
She has designed and led strategic global initiatives across a wide range of sectors and themes, including seaweed and aquaculture, food systems and food security, governance, and engagement of marginalized and vulnerable groups. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board of GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR and several other non-profits and chairs an education grant program for women from developing countries.
During 26 years of World Bank Group service, Nichola managed the $1.5b Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, developed greenfield operational engagements on excluded minorities and disability, led the ethics office, and established the Gabon office.
She obtained her MSc in Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Chantal Line Carpentier joined UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)'s Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC) in 2014, after serving as Chief, UNCTAD New York Office of the Secretary-General. She brings to the Branch over 25 years of work experience in international trade, and environmental and agro-economics.
Prior to working with UNCTAD, she supported the Commission on Sustainable Development and served as Major Groups (of non-State actors) coordinator for the UN Rio+20 Conference and the SDGs negotiations at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). She also supported the sustainable consumption and production and sustainable agriculture negotiations.
As Head of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission for Environmental Cooperations, she lead work on the nexus of environment, economy, and trade. She also served as Agro-environmental Policy Analyst for Winrock International, and post-Doctoral fellow/Brazil office manager for the International Food Policy Research Institute.
She has an extensive list of publications on sustainable agriculture, trade and environment, sustainable consumption and production, financing for sustainable development, stakeholder engagement, global value chains, micro, small and medium enterprises, and economic empowerment of women.
She obtained a PhD. in Agro-Environmental Economics from Virginia Technology and MSc. and BSc. from McGill University.
Professor Juliet Brodie is one of the world’s leading experts on seaweeds with research leadership in biodiversity, conservation, community science and seaweed aquaculture and has contributed new ideas and knowledge for more than 35 years.
Her work focuses on seaweeds in a time of rapid environmental change and how seaweed conservation and aquaculture can be integrated to improve livelihoods around the world.
She was a co-lead in GlobalSeaweed-STAR, lead for DEFRA-funded GCBC programmes in Innovative Seaweed Aquaculture and is now co-lead for GCBC GlobalSeaweed-SUPERSTAR and lead for UKRI BBSRC GlobalSeaweed-PROTECT.
She has received several awards, including the 2020 Linnean Medal for Botany, and has served as Presidents of the British Phycological Society, Systematics Association, International Phycological Society and Phycological Society of America.
