From 10 to 12 February 2026, the new cohort of the Decade Advisory Board met for the first time at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters in Rome, Italy, to provide guidance for the Ocean Decade’s second half. With the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference on the horizon, discussions focused on the Decade’s strategic direction in line with the outcomes of the Vision 2030 process and key recommendations of an independent Mid-Term Evaluation.
Serving as a multi-stakeholder advisory body, the Decade Advisory Board provides strategic guidance to the Secretariat and Governing Bodies of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in coordinating the Ocean Decade. The new cohort was established in December 2025 to play a key role in shaping the next phase of the Decade’s implementation between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2027.
During the meeting, the fifteen expert members and six representatives of UN entities belonging to UN-Oceans discussed key Mid-Term Evaluation priorities, such as future focus areas, scientific knowledge uptake, resource mobilisation, and engagement of under-represented groups.
The participants gave their recommendations on how the Decade can continue to support United Nations agencies in fulfilling their mandates and increase its relevance across the United Nations system. Discussions also addressed efforts to strengthen financing for ocean science, including the development of a methodology to measure returns on investment for governments, donors, the private sector, and civil society.
“The Decade Advisory Board plays a pivotal role in further embedding the Ocean Decade in science-policy-society dialogue and ensuring it has the capacity and resources to deliver its lasting legacy,” said Vidar Helgesen, IOC Executive Secretary. “This cohort meets at an important milestone for the Decade, with the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in Rio now only about a year away. I would like to sincerely thank our long-standing partner FAO for hosting this meeting, and all the members for their active participation and commitment to this ambitious journey ahead.”
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, FAO hosted a special event highlighting the indispensable role of women in ocean science. The event brought Board members and early-career researchers into direct conversation on women’s leadership not only in driving scientific progress, but also in transforming aquaculture and ocean-based food systems.
The meeting also focused on strengthening connections with key Decade partners, including Decade Collaborative Centres (DCCs) and Coordination Offices (DCOs), and National Decade Committees (NDCs), which contribute significantly to the Decade’s implementation and coordination at national and local levels.
As preparations for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference advance, participants discussed priority flagship areas to guide collective ocean action and respond to urgent policy needs. They explored measures to better involve under-represented groups, including the private sector, Indigenous and local knowledge holders, and Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
The next meeting of the Board is set to take place as a virtual event in May 2026.
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 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 151 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.
