AvÐÔ°®

What will you be doing at the conference?

"We will both participate in the conference, where many policymakers from around the world will be present, and organise the side event "From the surface to the seabed - can BBNJ and the ISA coexist?". It concerns the connection between the new agreement to manage biodiversity in international waters (BBNJ), and the discussions about opening the seabed for deep-sea mining," says Alexander Ahl.

Why are you doing this?

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"We noticed that the youth and student perspectives often were missing in these contexts, so we decided to change that. Everyone attending the conference has the opportunity to organise side events, so we decided to organise one on a topic that needs more attention. We also wanted the event to be organised and moderated by students. We have received accreditation to the conference through the Centre for Sea and Society and the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, both of which actively work to disseminate research in society and politics," says Alexander Ahl.

"For me, it is impossible to separate my studies from social engagement. Research has little effect if we don't succeed in communicating it to politicians and the public," says Lydia Rysavy.

Why is the discussion about the seabed important?

"The negotiations where decisions about these extremely large areas are made often take place behind closed doors. Negotiations are often accelerated by industries and companies that quickly want to access new profit opportunities. It's important that the negotiations are guided by research, but also that more people gain the knowledge to understand and influence the decisions being made," says Lydia Rysavy.

"It's about fundamental democratic principles of transparency and the management of humanity's common heritage. The open sea belongs to everyone and at the same time to no one. Therefore, more people need to hear about what is actually happening in the oceans and negotiation rooms," says Alexander Ahl.

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What results do you want to see?

"We primarily want to build knowledge around these complex issues and provide a clearer picture of how they are interconnected, ecologically, legally, and politically. Another goal is to directly address policymakers and question whether it is possible to support the BBNJ agreement while allowing deep-sea mining, and vice versa. We want to emphasise that commitment to these issues is widespread, and that policymakers therefore bear an extra responsibility to consider both ecological and social perspectives," says Lydia Rysavy.

What else do you hope to gain from the conference?

"The most interesting things often happen outside the conference room, in meetings with other engaged activists and academics, at side events, and in demonstrations. There is a lot of knowledge, engagement, and momentum gathered in one place, which can be channeled to create change," says Alexander Ahl.

Why are you going by train?

"We are living in an escalating climate crisis. Why choose to fly when there are alternatives? Those of us living in the part of the world that consumes and emits the most need to question what is considered normal by our society," says Lydia Rysavy.

"Replacing flights with trains where possible, is one of the easiest ways to reduce emissions. It's far from the only solution, but it's an important step along the way. Additionally, travelling by train is a very enjoyable way to travel and experience the world," says Alexander Ahl.

AvÐÔ°®

Alexander Ahl, 070-564 02 12, gusalexaah@student.gu.se

Lydia Rysavy, 073-694 00 06, gusrysly@student.gu.se

Text: Mikael Andersson