PRADA and UNESCO postpone start of the Sea Beyond project on ocean sustainability as a precautionary measure in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic
Milan and Paris, March 24th 2020 – As a precautionary measure in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prada and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) have decided to postpone the start of activities of the Sea Beyond project to September 2020.
According to data released by UNESCO, and as of today, the COVID-19 outbreak is now impacting 1,254,315,203 learners worldwide, from the pre-primary to tertiary level, and including the higher education one. 72.9% of total enrolled learners worldwide is staying away from school due to the COVID-19 crisis. 124 countries have ordered nationwide school closures, spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America.
The Sea Beyond project is designed for students all around the world, to help them understand the importance of the ocean for the future of our planet and guide their energy and creativity towards actions for a more sustainable society.
With the closing of educational establishments across the world, particularly in the ten countries participating in the Sea Beyond project, Prada and UNESCO’s IOC are currently unable to effectively deliver the main educational elements of the initiative, particularly with regards to fostering group work among students in participating schools.
PRADA and IOC will renew this activity without delay once the crisis is finished.
PRADA Group
Prada S.p.A. is a global leader in the luxury goods industry. The Group, which owns the Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s and Car Shoe brands, produces and distributes luxury leather goods, footwear and apparel benefitting from a supply chain which includes 22 company-owned industrial sites. It also operates in the food sector with Marchesi 1824 and in the eyewear and fragrance industries under licensing agreements.
The Group employs nearly 14,000 people and its products are sold in 70 countries worldwide through 641 directly operated stores as of December 31, 2019 and in a selected network of multi-brand stores and department stores.
The Prada Group is synonymous with innovation, transformation and independence and it is committed to promote a business culture oriented towards sustainability. These principles offer its brands a shared vision in which they are able to express their essence.
The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as 1913.HK.
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system. The purpose of the Commission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity-building, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States. In addition, IOC is recognized through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the competent international organization in the fields of Marine Scientific Research (Part XIII) and Transfer of Marine Technology (Part XIV).