The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development provides an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen and expand the collaborative science between ICES and PICES and with other partner organizations. Our two scientific organizations play leading roles in advancing and communicating a scientific understanding of marine ecosystems for societal outcomes. Our partnership brings together diverse networks to increase the overall capacity to conduct ocean science in support of sustainable development and to foster the range of skills necessary to support broad and overarching marine science goals.
The purpose of the proposed ICES–PICES Ocean Decade is threefold:
- To establish a common strategy for joint activities, and to provide regional leadership in support of the UN Ocean Decade.
- To identify and strengthen relationships with partner professional and multilateral organizations to facilitate UN Ocean Decade engagement.
- To develop a UN Ocean Decade Programme for endorsement by the IOC.
Our Programme proposal will support and leverage ICES, PICES, and member countries’ priorities and initiatives related to the UN Ocean Decade, by emphasizing areas of mutual research interest and policy needs, including climate change, fisheries and ecosystem-based management, social, ecological and environmental dynamics of marine systems, coastal communities and human dimensions, and communication and capacity development.
The ICES–PICES Ocean Decade will also incorporate strategies to facilitate UN Ocean Decade cross-cutting inclusivity themes relating to gender equality, early career ocean professional engagement, and significant involvement of indigenous communities and developing nations in the planning and implementation of joint activities. Likewise, the ICES–PICES Ocean Decade will include a scoping exercise and dialogue with decision-makers and stakeholders.
