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Sustainable development, including conservation of the ocean, its habitats, and resources, requires integrated global efforts. As a leading United Nations body for oceanic matters, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO/IOC) plays a pivotal role in facilitating and developing mechanisms to improve ocean science, management, and services worldwide. This paper examines UNESCO/IOC's approach to capacity sharing, highlighting empowerment of individuals, organizations, and governments in achieving sustainable development goals following guidelines established by the family of nations under various multilateral environmental agreements. It presents the Commission’s strategic capacity development framework, analyzes lessons from regional coordination mechanisms, and explores collaborative strategies for addressing capacity development barriers. The manuscript also underscores the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) as a transformative opportunity to foster capacity development and effective sharing of ocean science knowledge and resources.
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Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Development to Promote Early Career Ocean Professionals in Small Island Developing States: The SmartNet Approach
Given the challenges Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face in achieving ocean sustainability, the Barcelona Statement issued after the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference identified further investment in capacity development of SIDS and other underrepresented groups as one of the high-priority crosscutting issues (https://oceanexpert.org/document/34098). The statement calls for transforming international organizations by expanding existing capacity development services beyond their conventional geographical areas.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2318309
- PAR ID:
- 10599691
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Oceanography Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Oceanography
- ISSN:
- 1042-8275
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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AbstractOceanography is by nature a global science, and thus requires a global trained workforce. Yet in many coastal nations, the number of trained professionals working in ocean science fields is lacking. Global Ocean Corps and Conveyor (GOCC), an endorsed capacity development programme of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, aims to increase the geographical and cultural diversity of the ocean science workforce through facilitating and building sustained long-term education and research collaborations between scientists around the globe. Based upon our collective experience with schools and workshops held in Ghana, Malaysia, University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, and elsewhere, we are confident that a well-funded Ocean Corps would inspire large numbers of scientists, especially early-career scientists, into its ranks, thus molding many of them into champions for international capacity development for the remainder of their careers, and fostering truly global ocean science collaborations worldwide.more » « less
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Abstract The current United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030; hereafter, the Decade) offers a unique opportunity and framework to globally advance ocean science and policy. Achieving meaningful progress within the Decade requires collaboration and coordination across Decade Actions (Programs, Projects, and Centres). This coordination is particularly important for the deep ocean, which remains critically under‐sampled compared to other ecosystems. Despite the limited sampling, the deep ocean accounts for over 95% of Earth's habitable space, plays a crucial role in regulating the carbon cycle and global temperatures, and supports diverse ecosystems. To collectively advance deep‐ocean science, we gathered representatives from 20 Decade Actions that focus at least partially on the deep ocean. We identified five broad themes that aim to advance deep‐ocean science in alignment with the Decade's overarching 10 Challenges: natural capital and the blue economy, biodiversity, deep‐ocean observing, best practices in data sharing, and capacity building. Within each theme, we propose concrete objectives (termed Cohesive Asks) and milestones (Targets) for the deep‐ocean community. Developing these Cohesive Asks and Targets reflects a commitment to better coordination across deep‐ocean Decade Actions. We aim to build bridges across deep‐ocean disciplines, which encompass natural science, ocean observing, policy, and capacity development.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2025.108
