As part of the Decade Advisory Board, the new expert members will play a key part in building the Ocean Decade roadmap to 2030 and have a strong presence at high-level events such as the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference and the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference.

The Decade Advisory Board (DAB) is a multi-stakeholder advisory body that assists 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 reports both to the IOC Governing Bodies and the IOC Executive Secretary. The Board’s advice to the IOC Governing Bodies concerns 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 mobilisation strategies, and supporting broad engagement and outreach. This includes a strategic role in the Vision 2030 process that will be a centrepiece of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference. The Board also provides advice and operational support regarding endorsed Ocean Decade Actions, identifying major priorities to scope future Calls for Actions and gaps in regional and national coordination structures.

The new expert members of the Board will be selected through a call for nominations which is open until the 30th October 2023. The new Board will be named with due consideration to expertise, geographic, generational, and gender balance and will provide assistance on a voluntary basis. The members will serve a two-year term from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 which is a critical time for the Ocean Decade as both the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference and the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference will take place in this period.

Proposals for nominations can be put forward by Member States of IOC-UNESCO, United Nations or United Nations entities, as well as by intergovernmental organizations. Self-nominations will also be possible to encourage nominations from non-governmental entities.