Two months ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the Decade Advisory Board convened for its annual in-person meeting from 25 to 27 March 2025 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London, UK. With the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030 (‘Ocean Decade’) at its halfway point, the discussion centered on its progress and strategic orientation for the coming years, guided by the findings of the independent mid-term evaluation of the Ocean Decade.
The Decade Advisory Board plays a crucial role in shaping priorities and steering the Ocean Decade’s strategic direction. Made up of 15 experts from science, policy, and civil society, as well as representatives of UN agencies working on ocean issues, the Board offers advice on implementation, coordination, and the endorsement of Decade Actions at Programme level.
During the three-day meeting, the Decade Coordination Unit provided updates and forward-looking perspectives on the Ocean Decade.
A large part of the discussions was dedicated to taking stock of progress and integrating key recommendations from the mid-term evaluation process, that was initiated in October 2024, into the strategy for the second half of the Decade.
The Board explored ways to strengthen the Decade’s impact, refine governance models, reinforce collaboration across the UN system, and increase coordination and collective impact across the portfolio of Decade programmes and projects. Strengthening National Decade Committees (NDCs) and creating Small Island Developing States (SIDS) hubs, to help bridge Global North – Global South gaps and boost partner engagement in underrepresented regions, were discussed as priorities. The Board also commenced discussions on the high-level objectives and structure of the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference.
“We are at a critical juncture to assess progress and refine the next steps for the Ocean Decade’s remaining years. Key priorities include leveraging upcoming events – like the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and the IOC Assembly – to continue to raise the contribution of the Decade’s outcomes to the global ocean agenda,” said Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the UNESCO-IOC and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO. “The Board’s focus on coordinating collective efforts and developing new programmatic synergies will be essential for the Decade’s impact by 2030 and beyond.”
The Board reviewed and provided feedback on the endorsement of Decade Programme submissions received as part of Calls for Decade Actions No. 07/2024 and 08/2024. The experts’ recommendations will be considered by the UNESCO-IOC Executive Secretary to inform his final decision on endorsement.
The meeting also considered the scope for the Call for Decade Actions No. 09/2025 to be launched on 15 April 2025. The new Call aims to accelerate ocean action in the priority areas identified in the Barcelona Statement and bolster the science-policy interface. It will mobilize new initiatives, strengthen existing Decade Actions, and increase coordination across Decade Programmes, ensuring their lasting legacy beyond 2030.
The next meeting of the Board is set to take place as a virtual event in September 2025.
Click here to read the meeting report in full.
Meet the Members of the Ocean Decade Advisory Board
For more information, please contact:
Ocean Decade Communications Team (oceandecade.comms@unesco.org)
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About the Ocean Decade:
Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem. The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The UN General Assembly mandated UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.
About the UNESCO-IOC:
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science and tsunami warning. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress, the basis of peace and sustainable development.
