The Ocean Decade Heritage Network was established in 2019 with the broad purpose of raising awareness in the cultural heritage community about the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 and coordinating a targeted global response from the community to improve the integration of archaeology and cultural heritage management within the marine sciences during the Decade’s Preparatory (2018-2020) and Implementation Phases (2021-2030).
Our contention is not just “how can cultural heritage help deliver the Decade?” but “without cultural heritage, how can you deliver the Decade?”
The Foundation has been supporting the ODHN as part of their activities with the Steering Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage.
In June 2021 the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP) proposed by ODHN as a ‘Decade Programme’ was formally endorsed. The CHFP provides a framework within which Decade Actions relating to cultural heritage can be encouraged, shared and supported, so that the impacts of such actions in delivering sustainable development are greater together than they would be individually. The CHFP offers an efficient interface between heritage and the Ocean Decade, providing advice and assistance to other programmes, projects and activities in key areas such as: showcasing integration of heritage and ocean science; facilitating co-design; managing data and knowledge; developing capacity; enabling greater diversity and representation; encouraging ocean literacy and public engagement and outreach; and evaluating impact.
The ODHN is chaired by Athena Trakadas – Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science National Museum of Denmark.