The AANChOR CSA Partners and the 6 All-Atlantic Joint Pilot Actions leaders recently convened in Brasilia for the fifth and final meeting of the AANChOR CSA Steering Committee. The meeting, which was hosted by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Brazil, marked the last gathering of the AANChOR CSA consortium and provided an opportunity for participants to share achievements and lessons learned from their various initiatives and projects.
One of the initiatives discussed was the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors, jointly led by JPI Oceans and KDM under the AANChOR project. The aim of this initiative is to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to act as effective ocean ambassadors, driving positive change and sustainable development in the Atlantic Ocean region. At the meeting, Lavinia Giulia Pomarico (JPI Oceans) and Wendy Namisnik (KDM) presented the activities and lessons learned from two years of running the program, and provided their recommendations for the future of the initiative. More information on the activities of the Youth Ambassadors can be found on the All Atlantic Portal.
As the new All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) Declaration was signed last July in Washington DC, and in light of the European Year of Youth in 2022, the European Commission stressed the importance of ensuring the continuation of such efforts. The Commission therefore welcomed the recommendations for the future of the Youth Ambassadors initiative, and stressed the need to foster a positive and enabling environment for early-career ocean professionals to collaborate and play an active role in the Alliance.
In addition to the Youth Ambassadors initiative, the meeting saw presentations on the achievements and lessons learned from the six Joint Pilot Actions and all project partners, which built on important synergies with many other initiatives and projects from across the Atlantic. The outcomes of the AANChOR project and Joint Pilot Action activities pave the way for the All-Atlantic community to sustain and improve their ocean science cooperation for the Atlantic, to the benefit of Atlantic communities.
Overall, the meeting in Brasilia provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on past achievements and plan for future collaboration, with the AANChOR project serving as a key milestone in the continued efforts towards creating an All-Atlantic community and achieving a sustainable Atlantic Ocean.