7 October 2011: Several divisions of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are supporting the Multi One Attitude Foundation in developing an awareness programme on water scarcity and ocean conservation.

The collaboration agreement among the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the Man and the Biosphere programme (UNESCO-MAB), the International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP), the Sectors for Education and Culture, and the Multi One Attitude Foundation was signed during the first event of the Multi One Design circuit, on 7 October 2011, at La Trinité sur Mer, France. The Multi One Championship, a programme combining several transatlantic sailing races, will serve as a communication platform for the Multi One Attitude Foundation to promote the awareness programme “Race for Water,” which will be presented to the public in a Water Pavilion at each port of call. The Foundation aims to use sailing as a means for education, innovation and action on water scarcity and ocean conservation.

According to UNESCO, ocean science and monitoring can improve climate projections, reduce storms and floods risks, and enhance governmental climate change mitigation policies.

The Multi One Attitude Foundation and UNESCO also are evaluating the possibility of engaging some of the ships in the race in the ARGO programme as a contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The ARGO programme, which is coordinated by IOC, is a network of 3,000 autonomous floats that collect temperature, salinity and current data in real time. [UNESCO Press Release]