On Tuesday 3 September 2024, Her Majesty the Queen visited the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). The visit was framed within the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which the international community aims to address major global challenges such as poverty, climate change, or increasing inequalities.
From left to right: General Director of VLIZ Jan Mees, H.M. Queen Mathilde, Mayor of Ostend Bart Tommelein, Governor of West Flanders and Chairman of VLIZ Carl Decaluwé.
In particular, the Sustainable Development Goal ‘Life Under Water’ (SDG 14), aimed at the protection and sustainable use of seas and the ocean by 2030, was the focus of the visit. As Ambassador of the United Nations Agenda 2030, H.M. the Queen briefed on the increasing negative impacts of climate change on the ocean, and the state of marine biodiversity in the world's largest ecosystem. VLIZ is providing a special contribution to the Ocean Decade (2021-2030), the global agenda for the ocean-related SDGs.
The visit took place in two parts: first, the Queen was given a substantive explanation of the operation of the research institute by General Director Jan Mees, a visit to various lab facilities in the Marine Station Ostend, and a tour of the interactive and digital experience lab. Her Majesty then boarded the Flemish research vessel Simon Stevin (Vloot dab - Agentschap Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust MDK) for a tour of the docks, interpretation on the VLIZ's marine science research and a demo with the work boat Abbé Mann and the autonomous robot USV Adhemar. Adhemar will be used, among other things, for CO2 measurements in the atmosphere and water as part of the global carbon budget.
