The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), often called the “Ocean Decade”, is a global framework to boost ocean research and translate it into solutions for sustainable development, led by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission under a UN General Assembly mandate. It aims to reverse the decline in ocean health through science, innovation, and inclusive governance by supporting the 2030 Agenda, especially the oceans-related Goal 14 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development", adopted in June 2017. This program was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 72/73 in December 2017, following years of UNESCO advocacy for a coordinated international effort in ocean science and the suggestion of such a framework during the 2016 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) meeting. It is detailed in paragraphs 292 to 295 of section XI, "Marine science", of that December 2017 resolution 72/73, which set its launch date as 1 January 2021 with the support of member States, UN specialized agencies, funds, programs, and bodies, as well as other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and relevant stakeholders. It was decided that this global framework had to be led by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO). Before the launch of the program, an Executive Planning Group (EPG) of 19 leaders in ocean science was created in 2018 to establish the global Plan. Their work was supported and reinforced by written submissions from leading institutions and by regional planning meetings convened for approximately 1,900 participants from the scientific community, governments, UN entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and donors across ocean basins, held between June 2019 and May 2020. That resulted in the publication of the “Implementation Plan” at the project’s launch in 2021, which describes this initiative in detail and is summarized below.

A - Main purpose and quick history of the creation of this United Nations program:

B - Implementation Plan summary:

The implementation plan consists of three parts detailing the reasons for this initiative, the environment in which it is undertaken, and how it is organized and managed.

Part 1 - “Why Ocean Decade?” This part explains the rationale for the Ocean Decade and its mission outcomes, summarized in the following three points. • The ocean economy generated $1.5 trillion in 2010. It could reach $3 trillion by 2030, driven by emerging sectors such as minerals and marine genetic resources, leading humanity to increasingly rely on it for life-supporting services, including climate regulation, food, energy, and cultural benefits. However, the ocean is undergoing rapid, accelerating changes due to multiple stressors, including warming, acidification, deoxygenation, the creation of 'dead zones,' harmful algal blooms, and cumulative impacts affecting 40% to 66% of its surface. These changes threaten biodiversity and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. Significant knowledge gaps remain, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction and polar regions. To address these challenges, a transformative, large- scale campaign is needed to mainstream ocean science, requiring collaboration among governments, scientists, and society. This effort must prioritize least developed countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), while addressing gender disparities and fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer. • The UN proclaimed the "Ocean Decade 2021–2030" to mobilize global action, guided by an 'Implementation Plan' which aims to strengthen scientific capacity, advance 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)', and address climate change through collaborative research, technological innovation, and policy frameworks. It should contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including zero hunger, affordable energy, climate action, and gender equality, by advancing ocean-based solutions such as food production, renewable energy, and adaptive climate resilience. The Ocean Decade also bridges other global initiatives, such as the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and the Paris Agreement (an international treaty adopted in 2015 to limit global warming), while addressing inequalities in ocean science capacity exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. By fostering multinational partnerships and interdisciplinary approaches, the Ocean Decade seeks to transform ocean science into actionable solutions, ensuring no one is left behind in achieving sustainable ocean governance and human welfare. • The transition from the current ocean to a desired sustainable ocean requires collaborative innovation and the creation of accessible decision-support systems and knowledge platforms that serve diverse users, from governments to local communities. Seven key outcomes define the Ocean Decade's vision: 1. A clean ocean: Identifying and eliminating pollution sources (plastic, chemicals, noise) through circular economy solutions. 2. A healthy ocean: Understanding and protecting marine ecosystems resilient to multiple stressors and climate change impacts. 3. A productive ocean: Supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture expansion, and a diversified ocean economy that ensures food security and livelihoods. 4. A predicted ocean: Mapping and understanding ocean conditions to enable adaptive management of changing ocean systems. 5. A safe ocean: Developing forecasting systems and risk- assessment mechanisms to protect coastal communities from ocean-related hazards. 6. An accessible ocean: Eradicating inequalities in ocean science capacity by improving equitable access to data, technology, and knowledge generation opportunities. 7. An inspiring ocean: Fostering ocean literacy and societal understanding of the ocean's economic, social, and cultural values to drive behavioral change and sustainable development.

Part 2 - “The Ocean Decade Action Framework”: This part guides the design and implementation of actions throughout the Ocean Decade through a series of challenges, objectives, and actions through the following sections: • Section “Designing the science we need” outlines and illustrates in the figure below the framework for challenges, objectives, and actions, which are detailed in the next sections:

• Section “Ocean Decade Challenges” defines the most immediate priorities for uniting partners in collective action and advancing the 2030 Agenda and other policy frameworks. This includes the following essential knowledge and infrastructure challenges: 1. Understand and map land and sea-based sources of pollutants and contaminants, their impacts on human health and ocean ecosystems, and develop solutions to remove or mitigate them. 2. Understand the effects of multiple stressors on ocean ecosystems and develop solutions to monitor, protect, manage, and restore them under changing environmental, social, and climate conditions. 3. Generate knowledge, support innovation, and develop solutions to optimize the ocean's role in sustainably feeding the world's population under changing conditions. 4. Generate knowledge, support innovation, and develop solutions for equitable and sustainable development of the ocean economy under changing conditions. 5. Enhance understanding of the ocean-climate nexus and generate knowledge and solutions to mitigate, adapt, and build resilience to climate change effects across all geographies and scales, including improving ocean, climate, and weather prediction services. 6. Enhance multi-hazard early warning services for all ocean and coastal hazards, mainstreaming community preparedness and resilience. 7. Ensure a sustainable ocean observing system across all ocean basins that delivers accessible, timely, and actionable data and information to all users.

• Section “Ocean Decade Objectives” presents the process to guide the development and delivery of Actions towards the fulfillment of the Ocean Decade Challenges: 1. Identifying knowledge gaps for sustainable development by prioritization of research gaps, enhancing observing systems, integrating indigenous knowledge, and addressing capacity disparities through inclusive, sustainable investment. 2. Generating comprehensive ocean data, information, and knowledge by promoting ocean literacy and creating open data platforms (This is what the Diving and ROV Specialists website does). 3. Applying this knowledge to implement solutions by co-developing solutions with stakeholders, strengthening spatial planning and management frameworks, and integrating natural capital considerations into decision-making.

• Section “Ocean Decade Action hierarchy and endorsement process” presents the different types of Ocean Decade Actions and discusses the criteria and process for endorsement of Actions as part of the Decade. These actions are global initiatives aimed at advancing ocean knowledge to develop solutions, without prescribing policy, that are proposed and implemented by diverse stakeholders and occur at four levels: 1. A program consists of component projects enabling activities globally or regionally that contribute to the achievement of one or more challenges. They are usually long-term and interdisciplinary. 2. A project is a discrete and focused undertaking. It may be regional, national, or subnational, and typically contributes to an identified program. 3. An activity is a one-off, standalone initiative. It enables a program or project or directly contributes to a challenge. 4. A contribution supports the Ocean Decade through the provision of a necessary resource, such as funding or an in-kind contribution. It can support either the implementation of an action or the coordination costs of the Ocean Decade. UN entities can register actions directly, while non-UN entities must request endorsement through a structured process involving the Decade Advisory Board, Coordination Unit, and regional structures. Endorsement requests for programmes/projects are submitted during periodic Calls for Action, targeting priority areas or themes. Activities and contributions can be submitted anytime. Proponents must demonstrate alignment with criteria such as contributing to Ocean Decade Challenges, open data sharing, fostering partnerships, and promoting equity. Denied requests can be revised and resubmitted. Endorsed actions are listed on the Ocean Decade website, and proponents can use its logo. Annual progress reports are required, and endorsement remains valid for the action's duration.

• The "Data, information, and digital knowledge management" section defines the knowledge sources and the framework for their development. 1. Data and information are central to achieving planned outcomes, with digitizing, preserving, managing, exchanging, and using a significantly increased volume and range of ocean-related data, information, and knowledge as cornerstones of success. For these reasons, it is necessary to enhance infrastructure, establish common interoperable data-sharing approaches, and foster collaboration between data providers and users through a dynamic, continuously evolving digital ocean ecosystem that integrates established and emerging technologies. This ecosystem must be a distributed, integrated, interoperable set of modular, scalable, and co-designed digital solutions developed inclusively across academic, governmental, industrial, philanthropic, Indigenous, local, and citizen-science communities. It should represent the ocean's socio-ecological dimensions by incorporating diverse data types, including physical, geological, biogeochemical, biological, ecological, social, economic, cultural, and governance data, as well as less-quantifiable knowledge such as Indigenous and local insights, across global, regional, and local scales, ensuring sustainability and adaptability beyond 2030. It must also enable understanding of ocean conditions using historical, real-time, and modeled data to support forecasting, identify knowledge gaps, and prioritize data use or generation. In addition, it should address challenges such as capacity building where it is lacking, coordination across diverse stakeholders, and overcoming digital divides caused by differing knowledge systems, limited technology access, data fragmentation, siloed activities, and barriers to data sharing and use. 2. The Decade Coordination Unit, working with experts from UN entities, governments, industry, philanthropy, and research institutes, must coordinate ecosystem development by issuing Calls for Action that invite stakeholders to develop ecosystem components. Such initiatives must promote inclusive participation by industry and indigenous groups, while respecting knowledge ownership. Also, they must facilitate contributions from diverse stakeholders, including those in low-technology environments; respond proactively to user needs through co-development; promote interoperability, scalability, and extensibility; and interlink peer-reviewed, quality-controlled, auditable, and traceable resources. These actions require open-access, shared, discoverable data deposited timely in appropriate repositories, with proponents providing comprehensive data management and sharing plans covering raw data, derived digital products, software, and code. An open-membership working group is developing a detailed data stewardship strategy aligned with global principles and international policies, to be presented early in the Decade. Data management initiatives will be linked to capacity development and marine technology transfer to ensure all stakeholders have the skills and technology access needed to produce, interpret, and use ocean data, information, and knowledge

• Section “Capacity development” describes the principles, expected outcomes and priority activities for capacity development initiatives undertaken during the Ocean Decade. 1. The 2020 Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) highlights that ocean scientists are mostly from developed countries, with older generations being more prevalent, while younger researchers are common in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Women make up about 38% of ocean science researchers, but this varies widely across countries. It is worth noting that the Ocean Decade initiative focuses on capacity development and aims to ensure fair distribution of knowledge and technology across regions, generations, and genders, which requires significantly greater efforts than before. Capacity development involves conducting science and applying it for sustainable solutions, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative prioritizes Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) with tailored approaches that include low-technology tools, partnerships, and engagement of local knowledge holders, aiming to overcome barriers related to gender and access. 2. Ocean literacy means understanding how humans and the ocean influence each other. It is moving from a focus on formal education to one that benefits various groups. The Ocean Decade aims to enhance ocean literacy to change how the ocean is valued and managed, encouraging good policies and responsible actions. Key areas of focus include policy, education, corporate behavior, and community involvement, with a focus on skill development and partnerships.

• Section “How to engage in the Ocean Decade” provides information on the different engagement structures and mechanisms for the Ocean Decade initiative that can be summarized in three points: 1. The Ocean Decade Initiative aims to engage a diverse range of stakeholders across geographies, generations, genders, and disciplines to co-design, co-deliver, and use ocean science for sustainable development. Key stakeholder groups include scientists, local and indigenous knowledge holders, early career ocean professionals, UN entities, regional organizations, national and subnational governments, local coastal communities, private sector stakeholders, technology and innovation hubs, professional societies, philanthropic foundations, non governmental organizations, aquariums, zoos, museums, youth, educators, and the general public, including marginalized communities. Engagement strategies must be flexible and evolve organically, recognizing fluid boundaries between groups and promoting multiple entry points. The Decade Coordination Unit should provide guidelines, facilitate connections between networks, and co- develop targeted engagement strategies. 2. Voluntary stakeholder networks are self-organized. They must register to become recognized Ocean Decade partners and should report annually on activities. A Global Stakeholder Forum with virtual and physical components serves as a central platform for all engagement networks to convene, exchange ideas, collaborate, and raise awareness. The Forum supports communities of practice around Ocean Decade Challenges, facilitates co-design workshops and training, showcases successful initiatives, and enables members to engage with the Decade Advisory Board. Regular regional and international conferences, both virtual and in-person, are organized to share progress, catalyze initiatives, and provide training. 3. Communication is central to the Ocean Decade initiative's success. The Decade Coordination Unit leads communication efforts, encouraging stakeholders to become advocates. An evolving communications strategy emphasizes the importance of a healthy ocean for society and the economy, using tailored messaging and branding. The 'Generation Ocean' campaign must unite all generations under a shared brand to inspire action, featuring testimonials and Ocean Decade Initiative champions. Toolkits, digital products, and guidelines should be provided to partners to amplify messages globally across diverse formats

Part 3 - “Enabling the Ocean Decade”: This part describes the implementation of the Ocean Decade. It presents the governance and coordination framework of the Decade, the mechanisms for financing Ocean Decade Actions and coordination costs, and the framework for measuring progress and adaptively managing the Decade. These elements are summarized in the following three sections.

• Section “Governance and coordination framework” describes the intergovernmental process required to guide and report on the progress of Ocean Decade implementation, as well as the roles and functions of the various implementing and coordinating entities, as summarized in the following five points: 1. Achieving the Ocean Decade intiative's goals requires a flexible, multi-scale governance framework involving national, subnational, and local governments, research institutes, UN entities, non governmental organizations, and other stakeholders. The framework aims to enable implementation through enhanced dialogue, partnerships, financing, and knowledge sharing, while ensuring inclusive global and regional coordination aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and guided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provisions.. 2. The governance structure includes the UN General Assembly and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Governing Bodies, which oversee reporting and strategic direction. An Advisory Board, composed of up to 20 members representing UN entities, scientific disciplines, and socio-economic sectors, provides strategic advice on implementation, monitoring, resource needs, and endorsement of programmes. The Board operates on a rotational basis with hybrid meetings and public reporting. Engagement across the UN system is facilitated through UN- Oceans and a dedicated contact group, promoting collaboration among UN entities and leveraging existing bilateral agreements. Regional implementation is emphasized through partnerships with Regional Seas Conventions and other intergovernmental organizations. 3. The Coordination Unit, based within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Secretariat, serves as the primary coordination office, secretariat for the Advisory Board and Ocean Decade Alliance, and manages action plans, resource assessments, reporting, communications, and outreach. It promotes Alliance membership, identifies resource needs and providers, and ensures Ocean Decade visibility in UN forums. 4. Decentralized coordination structures include Decade Coordination Offices, hosted by Member States or UN offices, responsible for regional or thematic portfolios; Decade Collaborative Centres, hosted by countries or organizations, providing technical, logistical, and financial support for regional or thematic initiatives; and National Decade Committees, encouraged to facilitate national contributions, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, and reporting. These committees act as conduits for information, support co-design and implementation of national priorities, and coordinate outreach activities. 5. Existing international and regional organizations and networks play a crucial role in regional coordination, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with ongoing initiatives. The framework emphasizes co-design, co-delivery, adaptive governance, and leveraging existing structures to achieve transformative ocean science and sustainable development outcomes.

• Section “Resource mobilization” describes the different financing mechanisms available for the Ocean Decade Initiative’s coordination and action costs, detailed in the four points below: 1. The Ocean Decade initiative aims to significantly increase funding for ocean science, which currently receives only about 1% of national research budgets, with additional support from philanthropic, corporate, and industry sectors. To achieve its goals, it must expand funding sources, including new models such as blue bonds, ocean business impact investments, public-private partnerships, and development banks, while engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including those not traditionally focused on ocean science. 2. The Ocean Decade Initiative itself is not a funding mechanism; rather, it encourages partners to align their funding and support strategies with Decade priorities. A clear value proposition is essential, offering funders participation in a visible, long-term global effort that enables greater impact, collaboration, and new partnerships while allowing them to maintain their own priorities and processes. For proponents of Ocean Decade Actions, endorsements increase their attractiveness to funders, provide access to exclusive funding opportunities coordinated by the Decade Coordination Unit, and support outreach efforts to raise awareness of ocean science funding needs. 3. Both financial and in-kind support are mobilized for implementing programs, projects, and activities ('Action costs') and for operational activities such as coordination, meetings, and communications ('coordination costs'). Coordination costs, estimated at US$1.5–2 million annually for the central unit, are critical for the Decade's success. Biennial resource needs assessments will track coordination and Action costs, secured resources, and gaps, using common metrics to ensure transparency and measure impact. 4. Resource mobilization mechanisms include: - Direct support through existing partner processes, including government funding, research projects, and in-kind contributions such as staff secondments and event hosting. - Support via the Ocean Decade Alliance, an engagement platform connecting large-scale resource providers with proponents of Ocean Decade Actions, allowing members to commit resources either earmarked or to a virtual resource pool. - Partner-led financing or grant-making facilities, where independent entities mobilize resources for Decade actions, potentially focusing on specific themes or regions. All contributors will be recognized through the Alliance or an 'honor roll' on the Ocean Decade website. Ultimately, all actors are encouraged to advocate for and secure support to realize the Ocean Decade's ambitions.

• Section “Measuring progress” outlines the key elements of the framework for tracking Ocean Decade impact and progress and describes the process for transforming it into a detailed monitoring and evaluation strategy. It also describes the major review processes embedded in the Ocean Decade. These are summarized in the following 3 points: 1. The Ocean Decade initiative, shaped by the post-COVID-19 landscape, implements a robust monitoring and reporting framework to enable adaptive management and maintain relevance. This framework supports regular reviews and stakeholder engagement, including a biennial priority-setting and resource needs assessment, a participatory update of the ‘Action Framework’ every two years, a triennial 'State of the Decade' report documenting achievements and emerging needs, and a mid-term comprehensive review to inform revisions of the Implementation Plan. 2. Monitoring and evaluation operate at two levels. - Impact-level monitoring measures ocean science success beyond peer-reviewed publications by focusing on real-world benefits, contributions to global policy frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda, progress toward Decade Outcomes and Objectives, and tracking scientific capacity and ocean literacy. - Operational-level monitoring collects data on the number, type, and geographic distribution of Ocean Decade Actions, stakeholder diversity, communication reach, spending, resource commitments, and engagement activities. 3. Endorsed Ocean Decade Initiative Actions report annually via streamlined online templates to minimize administrative burden. Decentralized coordination structures collect project-level data, which the Decade Coordination Unit will collate into an Annual Progress Report. Data and information generated will align with and contribute to existing UN reporting systems, including the World Ocean Assessment, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress reports, and disaster risk reduction frameworks. The monitoring and evaluation framework further defines methodologies, responsibilities, baseline values, and resource requirements to measure progress effectively.