Seychelles former President James Michel has been invited to serve as member of the Advisory Board of the Group on Earth Observations Oceans and Society: Blue Planet Initiative (GEO Blue Planet).

“Seychelles is a small nation but our mature response to the great challenge of promoting the Blue Economy, adapting and reducing the impact of Climate Change, and achieving the United Nation’s goals for Sustainable Development, is highly regarded. Of course, there is so much more to be done; serving on the Advisory Board of the GEO Blue Planet Initiative, alongside so many eminent scientists, scholars and personalities, will be of considerable help to me in that process. I also hope that, in this new capacity, I can make my own modest contribution in furtherance of the aims and objectives of GEO Blue Planet,” said President Michel in his letter of acceptance. 

Blue Planet is an initiative of the Group of Earth Observations (GEO). GEO aims to address global challenges and improve decision making by coordinating and developing Earth observation efforts among participating governments and organizations. It’s secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland. The Group on Earth Observations, GEO, is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, GEOSS, over the next 10 years. GEO includes over 65 member countries, the European Commission, and more than 40 participating organizations.

GEO Blue Planet envisions an informed society that recognizes the oceans’ crucial role in Earth’s life-support system and is committed to the stewardship of the oceans for a healthy, safe and prosperous future for all. GEO Blue Planet facilitates coordination within and across the numerous and diverse communities of ocean data providers and end users, working to advance the value chain from ocean observations to data to products to information to knowledge.

The GEO Blue Planet mission is to advance and exploit synergies across the many observational programmes devoted to ocean and coastal waters; to improve engagement with a variety of users for enhancing the timeliness, quality and range of services delivered; and to raise awareness of the societal benefits of ocean observations and derived products at public, private and policy levels. Functionally, GEO Blue Planet is a network of networks comprised of stakeholders from a variety of existing international, regional, and national organizations, agencies, academic institutions, program groups et al., spanning the governmental, non-governmental, industrial and education sectors. The overall goal of Blue Planet Initiative is to ensure the sustained development and use of ocean and coastal observations for the benefit of society.

The GEO Blue Planet is organising 3rd Blue Planet Symposium this year. This symposium will convene in May at the conference center of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, Maryland, USA.