Building on the long-standing experience of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in advancing capacity development in ocean science, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (‘Ocean Decade’) is launching Ocean Connector, a new platform that connects those who need capacity development support in ocean science with those who can provide it.
Explore Ocean Connector to find your next capacity development opportunity
Developed by the IOC and funded by the Government of Flanders in the framework of the Ocean Decade, Ocean Connector is part of the Ocean Decade Capacity Development Facility. The Platform is open to a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, researchers, NGOs, community groups, and private sector entities. It functions as a matchmaking service, where users seeking capacity development support are connected to partners offering relevant services and opportunities.
This online tool will empower stakeholders with the skills, knowledge, tools, and resources needed to contribute to actionable ocean solutions. It focuses on supporting underrepresented groups and regions, including Early Career Ocean Professionals, as well as individuals and institutions in Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
“Since its implementation, the Ocean Decade has worked to identify and respond to the evolving capacity development needs of partners driving current and future Decade Actions,” said Vidar Helgesen, IOC Executive Secretary. “Ocean Connector will bring these efforts to scale, making the process more fit-for-purpose, streamlined, and efficient. It will match the right ocean actors, in the right place, at the right time, with a shared purpose in ocean science.”
The platform serves two main groups: Users, who can submit requests for capacity development support, and Partners, who provide the expertise, tools, and resources to deliver it and who can share training programmes, mentoring initiatives, and other activities that help expand their reach across the global ocean community. The platform also houses a dedicated “Opportunities section” – a one-stop space with the latest capacity-building offers, including current calls, deadlines, eligibility criteria, and application details.
Ocean Connector directly supports Decade Challenge 9 “Skills, knowledge, technology, and participation for all” and, ultimately, will contribute to all of the Ocean Decade Challenges by helping individuals, institutions, and countries work together to better understand and manage the ocean for everyone’s benefit.
Explore Ocean Connector to find your next capacity development opportunity
We will be holding two information sessions with a live demonstration of Ocean Connector:
- 2 December, 16h00 – 17h00 CET. Register here.
- 3 December, 9h00 – 10h00 CET. Register here.
For more information, please contact:
Ocean Decade Capacity Development Facility (cdf@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 the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.
About the IOC:
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 152 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.
