The Decade Advisory Board will be a multi-stakeholder advisory body that will assist the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in performing its function as coordinator of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the 'Ocean Decade').

The Board will report both to the IOC Governing Bodies and the IOC Executive Secretary. The Board’s advice to the IOC Governing Bodies will concern strategic elements of the Decade implementation, such as reviews of the Decade progress in moving towards the Decade societal outcomes and on the research work in the domains of Decade challenges, identifying gaps and opportunities, advising on data stewardship strategies, the development of resource mobilization strategies, and supporting the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework of the Decade. The Board will also provide advice and operational support to the IOC Executive Secretary to facilitate the endorsement process of Decade Actions, specifically at the program level.

The Decade Advisory Board will comprise up to 15 expert members drawn from government, private sector, philanthropy, civil society, and the scientific community. They will serve in their individual capacity.  Five representatives of United Nations entities will also sit on the Board.

The 15 expert members of the Board will be nominated through an open Call for Nominations.

The full Terms of Reference for the Board, the eligibility criteria for expert members, and information on how to apply can be found in the Circular Letter below and should be consulted before submitting a nomination.

Important Links:

IOC Circular Letter No.2848
(containing details of the Call for Nominations)

Nominations Form

For more information, please contact the IOC Secretariat via:[email protected] and include "Nomination for Decade Advisory Board" in the subject line.