3 September 2009: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) and UN Foundation organized an Expert Panel on Ocean Acidification to increase awareness and highlight options to avoid adverse impacts of ocean acidification on marine life and ecosystems.

The event, which took place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 3 September 2009, brought together key stakeholders working on oceans and seas, climate change and sustainable development. The panel included senior officials and experts, and the panel’s presentations were followed by an interactive discussion focused on potential international cooperation, possible policies and actions by the international community, and steps to raise public awareness. The event was scheduled just weeks before the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Event on Climate Change and also in the lead-up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. [IISDRS Report on Expert Panel on Ocean Acidification]