Brazil in the Ocean Decade: how to strengthen international cooperation in the area of research, technological development and innovation focused on the SDG14?

Result of Service Knowledge and analysis will be made available on Brazilian public policies for oceans, existing norms and rules and international cooperation on this topic, as well as recommendations for cooperation and policies based on the goals of SDG14.

Work Location Brasília

Expected duration 210 days

Duties and Responsibilities Everything about the Ocean is named blue: blue agenda, blue economy, blue acceleration, blue risks, blue justice, Blue Amazon, blue school, among others. This fact corresponds to a growing and accelerated interest in marine resources, particularly if one considers the enormous potential of the still unknown “Deep Ocean”. In summary, the ocean is regarded by many countries as a new Eldorado, more specifically the high seas, labeled as the "common heritage of humanity" by the United Nations. The UN also reinforced its understanding of the importance of the oceans with the approval of the 2030 Agenda in 2015. In the Agenda, the SDG 14 is exclusively dedicated to the "Life below Water". Still within the scope of the United Nations, and two years later, the UN declared the “Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development”, in order to guarantee the sustainable and cooperative development of the oceans.

However, the ocean is not a recent topic in international cooperation, much less in the public policies of developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and China. Historically, geopolitics has supported doctrines about how the "lords of the seas" would have advantages in projecting power and defending their interests, both from the point of view of national security, as well as that of trade, navigation and exploitation of biological resources (including the fishing) and minerals. Great "intercontinental empires" were established due to the dominance of the ocean, such as Portuguese, Spanish, French and British. What is certain is that there is currently a huge asymmetry between States that, on the one hand, have built a sophisticated agenda on the subject, expanding the list above with the European Union, Japan, Canada, Germany, the Nordic countries and South Korea, to name but a few. Some of whom became global players in the last century. Likewise, the European Union and the OECD are examples of excellent arrangements on the subject, presenting seminal reports on the future of ocean governance. The enormous interest of the developed countries is justified by the estimates of the growth potential of the so-called “ocean economy” between 2010 and 2030. In a pioneering study, the OECD estimated the size of the ocean economy at USD 1.5 trillion in 2010, directly creating 31 million jobs worldwide. The Organization's forecast is that by 2030 the ocean economy will double in its size, to USD 3.0 billion, generating about 40 million direct jobs in the most varied activities.

On the other hand, the majority of developing countries, Brazil included, still lack a more sophisticated view on the subject. The same occurs within the scope of most multilateral blocs promoted by the countries of the Global South. The BRICS – for example – is not a case of cooperation and articulation in the Oceans agenda, although it has an ambitious portfolio of development projects. In the Brazilian case, the need to produce consistent statistics on the oceans and the country's insertion in international cooperation networks in maritime ST&I is essential to explore the full potential of its enormous "blue economy", given the size of its coastal area. The construction of a consistent agenda for oceans in Brazil essentially involves mapping and generating evidence on the resources and knowledge that already exist in the country and the prospects of cooperation with foreign countries.

The COBRADI survey annually collects and produces databases on central themes related to International Development Cooperation, such as for the areas of higher education and science, technology and innovation. In addition to the central government institutions, the research expanded the target population to collect data from all Higher Education Institutions and other institutions directly linked to ST&I. The expansion of the target population and the methodological improvement seem to present unique opportunities for topics to the Oceans and the SDG 14 in Brazil. Data on scholarships and investment from the main funding institutions, as well as higher and technical education from Higher Education Institutions and Federal Institutes will allow us to understand the gaps in knowledge and financial resources needed to promote the integration of Brazil into international ST&I networks on oceans. The crossing of data between the selected federal databases and the COBRADI research base could be of great value in generating recommendations for Brazil's international cooperation to achieve the goals related to the SDG 14. CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVE: - Primary Objective: o Map Brazil's international research networks to strengthen international cooperation in the area of research, technological development and innovation focused on SDG 14 (Conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development).

• Secondary Objectives: o Consolidate the structure, variables and the general knowledge about the COBRADI research; o Increase the level of knowledge about the Brazilian Cooperation for International Development among Universities, Federal Institutes and Research and Innovation Centers; o Produce evidence to guide foreign and domestiv policy decisions on the issue-area of Oceans.

  Qualifications/special skills doctorate in humanities and/or social sciences - minimum of 10 years in research and development (R&D) activities on topics related to the environment, sustainable development, ocean governance and/or related topics. - Articles published or not in the consulting area

  Languages- Fluency in Portuguese and English

  Additional Information Outputs/ Works Assignment: Product 1. Technical Note: Systematic Literature Review. To be submitted 120 days after start date. Product 2 - Study on Policy and International Cooperation of Brazil in the Oceans, in Text for Discussion format. To be submitted 210 days after start

  No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.