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EAF-Nansen Programme

Nansen Programme showcases scientific leadership and Ocean partnerships at Global Conferences

13/06/2025

13 June 2025, Nice, France – The EAF-Nansen Programme has once again demonstrated its leadership in ocean science and international cooperation through active participation in two major global events: the One Ocean Science Congress, and the third UN Ocean Conference, both held in Nice, France.

Across both forums, the Programme showcased its scientific expertise, emphasized the importance of sustainable ocean governance, demonstrated the role of fisheries management, and marked 50 years of contributions to improved food and nutrition security. Notably, youth engagement played a prominent role, with early-career professionals helping to spotlight the Programme’s achievements and future potential.

At the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC), the Programme supported seven early-career ocean professionals – including scientists and researchers from partner countries such as Senegal, Benin, Mauritania, Morocco and Tanzania – providing them with a platform to share their work, exchange knowledge, and engage with the global scientific community through engagements and dedicated roles in various events.

Hasnaa Nait Hammou
Hasnaa Nait Hammou, a PhD student from the University of Casablanca and the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) in Morocco, in front of her poster on Geochemical and Grain Size Characterization of Surface Sediments on the Southern Continental Shelf of Morocco. © FAO
Bouya Mbengue
Bouya Mbengue, a PhD student from the Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic and Fisheries Research (IMROP) in Mauritania, in front of his poster on Spatio-temporal variability of hypoxic events in the Mauritanian upwelling system. © FAO

Chaima Jamal and fellow speakersChaima Jamal (second from right), one of the EAF-Nansen Programme supported PhD students, from the University of Casablanca and the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) in Morocco, alongside fellow speakers at the FAO-led town hall event “Managing in a Shifting World: How to Incorporate Climate Change Projections into Fisheries Management © FAO.

“The EAF-Nansen Programme plays a crucial role in supporting developing African countries to sustainably manage their marine resources through science and capacity building. As an early-career researcher, I’ve greatly benefited from their support—particularly through my participation in the One Ocean Science Congress, where I was able to collaborate with fellow young scientists and engage in meaningful dialogue,” said Mandé Ndiaye, a PhD student in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the Oceanographic Research Center of Dakar-Thiaroye (CRODT), Senegal.

In addition to its youth-focused engagement, the Programme contributed to the OOSC through the presentation of scientific papers and active participation in two high-level town hall events led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR). These sessions further underscored the Programme’s central role in shaping science-based solutions for sustainable fisheries and resilient ocean ecosystems in a changing climate.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl in the port of NiceNikos Nikoliodakis, EAF-Nansen Programme Research Coordinator, Mackrina Patrick Nombo, a PhD student from the University of Dar Es Salam, Tanzania, Mandé Ndiaye, a PhD candidate in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at CRODT, Senegal, and Merete Tandstad, EAF-Nansen Programme Coordinator, in the port of Nice, with the historic Norwegian training vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl in the background. © FAO

Building on the momentum of the OOSC, the EAF-Nansen Programme took center stage at the UN Ocean Conference by co-organizing a high-level mini conference in partnership with the Government of Norway. Held as a side event aboard the historic Norwegian training vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl, docked in the heart of Nice, the event celebrated longstanding international partnerships and underscored the power of collective action in securing a sustainable future for the ocean.

The mini conference The Ocean We Depend On – Achieving SDG14 Through Sustainable Ocean Governance focused on key challenges such as sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, ocean governance, food security, and the development of a resilient blue economy. Speakers highlighted the critical role of science-based policy and cross-sectoral collaboration across national, regional, and global levels. It also served as a platform to honour the 50th anniversary of the Nansen Programme, reflecting on five decades of transformative work in marine science, capacity building, and fisheries management.

HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, at the opening ceremony of the mini conference The Ocean We Depend On – Achieving SDG14 Through Sustainable Ocean Governance. © The Royal House of Norway

“50 years of success is truly worth celebrating. Thanks to the EAF-Nansen Programme we now have stories of hope and progress from all over the world,” said HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway at the opening of the event. He was joined by Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, Minister for International Development of Norway, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Minister of Fisheries and the Ocean of Norway, Carmen Sacramento Neto dos Santos, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Angola, and QU Dongyu, the FAO Director-General.

“We are grateful to Norway for their commitment and support, including our long-time partnership with the Institute of Marine Research,” said QU Dongyu. “Let us continue to work together in an efficient, effective and coherent manner, to move forward together, with a shared sense of purpose, to ensure sustainability across all three dimensions: environmental, economic and social, “ he added.

The Nansen Programme showcased its role in linking science and innovation for sustainable fisheries through contributions from partner countries, including the Gambia, Mozambique, and Mauritania. Key voices included Anna MBenga Cham, Director of Fisheries in the Gambia, Bernardino Sérgio Malauene, Researcher at the Institute of Oceanography of Mozambique (representing Mozambique’s former Permanent Secretary Maria Ascensão Pinto), and Bouya Mbengue, a PhD student and research engineer at Mauritania’s IMROP.  

A storytelling segment led by Houangninan Emmanuel Calèbe Midinoudewa, a PhD student in Oceanography and Limnology at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana (originally from Benin), explored the future of aquatic food systems through the lens of ocean literacy. He emphasized the power of inclusive dialogue and shared narratives in advancing sustainable fisheries and resilient ocean ecosystems. 

Additional sessions featured valuable contributions from Nansen Programme partners, including Khallahi Brahim, Permanent Secretary of the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (CSRP), and Maria de Lourdes de Sardinha, Executive Secretary of the Benguela Current Commission (BCC), who underscored the importance of regional cooperation. Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, along with Mackrina Patrick Nombo, a PhD student from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, further emphasized ocean governance as essential for nourishing nations and ensuring long-term sustainability. 

FAO Director-General QU DongyuFAO Director-General QU Dongyu delivers his opening remarks during The Ocean We Depend On: Achieving SDG 14 Through Sustainable Governance event. © FAO/Alessandra Benedetti

At the close of the event, four key messages were symbolically placed in a “budstikke” – a traditional Norwegian message stick that historically carried important communications between communities, and today represents unity and shared responsibility. The takeaways captured the spirit of the Conference and called for continued global cooperation and sustainable ocean governance. They emphasized the importance of international and regional cooperation, the need for reliable, science-based data to guide policy, the value of investing in capacity building, especially for youth and women, and the critical role of nutrient-rich aquatic foods in public health and nutrition strategies.

As climate change, overfishing, and pollution continue to threaten marine ecosystems, the Nansen Programme’s active role in both the OOSC and the UN Ocean Conference reinforced its relevance and leadership. Through a combination of scientific research, inclusive partnerships, and long-standing capacity development, the Programme continues to play a vital role in ensuring the ocean remains central to global food security, sustainable development, and planetary health.

About the Programme

The Nansen Programme is a dedicated partnership between FAO, Norway, executed in close collaboration with IMR, regional organizations and partner countries, to promote sustainable fisheries management to achieve food and nutrition security.

It is also one of the endorsed 'Decade Actions' under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and aligned with FAO's vision for the Blue Transformation of aquatic food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all.

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