UNESCO launches new Coordination Office for Ocean Data within the UN Ocean Decade 2021-2030

On 1 June 2023, UNESCO officially launched a new Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing (Data Sharing DCO) in the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030, which UNESCO coordinates by mandate of the United Nations General Assembly. 

The overall goal of the Ocean Decade Coordinating Office for Ocean Data Sharing is to coordinate and foster the data management and sharing component of the digital ecosystem needed for the Ocean Decade to be successful. It will take on an important role to support the decade actors with their data and information management needs, and to assist with the implementation of the Decade’s Data and Information Strategy.

Hosted by the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), the Decade Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing acts as sub-unit of the central Decade Coordination Unit, to catalyse and coordinate ocean data-related Decade Actions, assist decade actors with data and information challenges and opportunities, promote cooperation amongst UN and Member State partners, monitor progress, communicate on achievements, and mobilise resources.

The Data Sharing DCO will act as a facilitator, connecting Decade Actions with the necessary resources, tools, expertise and information on where to find, access and/or share (their) data and information to progress their challenge and deliver on the Decade’s objectives. It will bring together digital stakeholders – across regions, organizational scales, and capacity levels – to negotiate and establish clear agreements (from high- to low-level) on their co-development of the Decade’s digital ecosystem. As such it will support the development of the capacity, findability, interoperability and re-usability of ocean data, information and knowledge within the framework of the Ocean Decade and beyond. 

The main focus of the Decade Coordination Office (DCO) for Ocean Data Sharing will be on supporting the Ocean Decade Challenge 8: to develop a digital representation of the ocean (including a dynamic ocean map) by driving the development of the capacity, functionality and interoperability of the management of and accessibility to ocean data, information and knowledge.

The DCO will also support, interact and overlap with the other components of the digital ecosystem and contribute to enable various other Decade Challenges.

More information about the Decade Coordination Office for Ocean Data Sharing (Data Sharing DCO) is available here: https://oceandecade.org/actions/decade-coordination-office-for-ocean-data-sharing/ 

More information about the Ocean Decade, Decade Actions and the Decade Challenges can be found here: https://oceandecade.org/

Join the Ocean Decade 2021-2030 by signing up to the Ocean Decade Network https://forum.oceandecade.org/ 

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About the IOC/UNESCO:

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science and tsunami warning. The work of the IOC contributes to the mission of UNESCO to promote the advancement of science and its applications to develop knowledge and capacity, key to economic and social progress, the basis of peace and sustainable development.

About the Ocean Decade 2021-2030:

Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem. The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The UN General Assembly mandated UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.