Who we are

The central hub of the Ocean Decade

What is the Decade Coordination Unit?

The Decade Coordination Unit (DCU) is responsible for global coordination of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), the ‘Ocean Decade’. It is located within the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and made up of 16 professional and support staff.

The DCU coordinates efforts across diverse stakeholders, including governments, scientific communities, the private sector, and civil society, and liaises with the Decade decentralized coordination structures, partners, and groups to ensure the cohesive and successful implementation of the initiative’s strategic priorities. It also acts as the Secretariat for the Ocean Decade Advisory Board and Ocean Decade Alliance.

DCU operations – staff and activities – are primarily funded through voluntary contributions by Member States and partners.

What does it do?

Coordinating action for sustainable development in more than 60 countries, the DCU manages the day-to-day operations and implementation of the Ocean Decade through:

Vision 2030

The DCU coordinates a strategic ambition setting process to identify a common measure of success for each of the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges on the road to 2030.

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Decade Actions

The DCU provides guidelines for the endorsement process, reviews and decides requests for endorsement of Ocean Decade Programmes, Projects, Activities, and Contributions.

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Capacity development

The DCU identifies and fulfills capacity development needs of partners and facilitates connections between Decade Action proponents and resource providers.

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Stakeholder engagement

The DCU facilitates key stakeholder groups’ involvement in co-designing and co-delivering ocean science, sharing knowledge, and fostering innovative interdisciplinary partnerships.

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Communications and outreach

The DCU coordinates communication activities and encourages Ocean Decade stakeholders at all levels to become advocates of the Ocean Decade.

Resource mobilization

The DCU develops targeted engagement strategies to encourage partners to align their funding and support strategies with identified Decade priorities. Please note that while it aims to support resource mobilization, the Decade itself is not a funding mechanism.