Guidance to implement the Ocean Decade Vision 2030 at national level

This guidance is designed as a non-prescriptive tool primarily for National Decade Committees (NDCs) to inform and support their Member State to promote ocean science-based decision-making at the national level in alignment with the Vision 2030 Process of the Ocean Decade.

This guidance was developed to support NDCs and other national stakeholders in translating the outcomes of the Vision 2030 Process into context-specific national ocean science strategies or roadmaps. It draws from key outcomes of the Barcelona Statement (2024), the ‘Ambition, Action, Impact’ Report, and discussions at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where NDCs prioritized the need for national-level implementation guidance.

This document is intended as a flexible and practical tool, not a prescriptive template. It offers suggested steps, options, and templates that can be adapted to different governance systems, policy landscapes, and institutional settings.

The development of this manual is supported by the Ocean Decade Stakeholder Coordination Officer and contributing volunteers, with ongoing input from policymakers, experts, and civil society representatives.

This participatory development model ensures that the manual reflects both global priorities and practical realities on the ground.