From language to text: Science diplomacy with the Pacific Island states at the United Nations Headquarter, New York.

From language to text: Science diplomacy with the Pacific Island states at the United Nations Headquarter, New York.

Since 2010, Professor Edvard Hviding at the Department of Social Anthropology has regularly carried out fieldwork at the UN Headquarters in New York, usually as an accredited scientific adviser for the Pacific Island states, but sometimes also as a Pacific adviser to Norway’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. In this conversation, Hviding will discuss direct science advice in the UN diplomacy through his work during 2018-2022 for the Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations in the long negotiations towards a treaty text for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (see BBNJ Agreement | Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction). In this process, the job of the Pacific anthropologist was to work in a team of diplomats and advisers to bring “traditional knowledge”, the deep knowledge of the ocean held by Pacific Islanders, into the final text of the treaty. This work also included meetings with other states (including Norway) on behalf of Palau and the other Pacific states to build alliances in support of traditional ocean knowledge. This comprehensive work took place as part of Hviding’s project “Island Lives, Ocean States”, funded by the Toppforsk programme of the Research Council of Norway: Island Lives, Ocean States | University of Bergen.

Every Wednesday, the faculty of social sciences invites employees and students to interesting talks in the Social Sciences Building.  Academic Morning Coffee is an informal arena where on of the researchers at the faculty is invited to present their work in conversation with the dean and the audience. We can promise you a good start to your day with a cup of hot coffee or tea, academic updates and discussions. Academic Morning Coffee is the perfect oportunity to familiarize yourself with the research being conducted at the faculty, and to spark conversations across different departments. 

Coffee is served at 09:00, and the conversation starts 09:15.

Read more about Academic Morning Coffee and see upcoming events here.