The world is experiencing a revolution in terms of society’s recognition of the importance of science to support human health and wellbeing, and its role underpinning the rapid advancement of knowledge and innovation. In this context, the Ocean Decade is launching on 15 October 2022 Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022, soliciting transformative Decade Programmes that address Ocean Decade Challenge 6 – Coastal Resilience, and Ocean Decade Challenge 8 – Digital Representation of the Ocean.
Building on the impact of the Ocean Decade since its launch in January 2021, the Call aims to continue addressing thematic and regional gaps and to encourage transformative science to meet these critical and urgent Challenges.
As part of Challenge 6 – Coastal Resilience, the Call has a particular focus on Programmes that: (i) demonstrate their contribution to knowledge and solutions related to green and grey resilience, including nature-based solutions and solutions that engage sub-national governments, or (ii) contribute to the expansion or development of innovative multi-hazard early warning systems.
To deliver on Challenge 8 – Digital Representation of the Ocean, the Ocean Decade is looking for Programmes that align with the following priorities:
- Fill known gaps in the identification, generation, or uptake of critical datasets, information or knowledge (e.g. deep sea, Small Island Developing States’ (SIDS) Exclusive Economic Zones, Southern Ocean, high latitudes)
- Leverage or connect existing digital infrastructure (e.g. national and international systems)
- Develop long-term data management capacity, including technological capacity, and including in SIDS and Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
- Develop applications, services, tools, and mechanisms that deliver knowledge on Ocean Decade Challenges to users
As part of the Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022, 26 endorsed Decade Programmes are also inviting Decade Project submissions – please see below and the Guidance Note for Applicants for the full list. These Decade Programmes focus on a wide range of thematic priorities, such as marine life, ocean observations, tsunami readiness and capacity development.
Decade Contributions of in-kind or financial resources are also encouraged, specifically in relation to support for the operation of Decade Coordination Offices that will support the Decade’s efforts to enhance the sustainability and impact of data sharing and ocean observing.
Interested parties wishing to submit a Decade Programme, Project or Contribution for endorsement should complete and submit the relevant online “Request for Endorsement” form. Please note that there are several different online forms and different deadlines depending on the type of Action you are submitting. Please check the Take Action! page on the Global Stakeholder Forum for more information.
Institutions based in Africa, SIDS, LDCs or Land-Locked Developing Countries who would like to discuss their application and receive additional technical support can contact oceandecade@unesco.org with “Support for CFDA No. 04/2022” in the subject line.
You can find all of the documentation needed for the submission on the Global Stakeholder Forum: https://forum.oceandecade.org/page/call-for-decade-actions
Two online Q&A sessions were held to provide interested parties with the opportunity to ask questions on the Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022. Please find the recordings of the sessions below:
2 November 2022 from 09:00 to 10:00 (CET) | Watch here | Password: QfXj9VR#
4 November 2022 from 14:00 to 15:00 (CET) | Watch here | Password: QevjDw?0
For additional information or queries, please contact oceandecade@unesco.org and include “Call for Decade Actions No. 04/2022” in the subject line.
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About the Ocean Decade:
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.
CALL FOR DECADE ACTIONS NO. 04/2022
The 26 Ocean Decade Programmes receiving applications are:
- Global Ocean Corps and Conveyor
- Ocean Decade Research Programme on the Maritime Acoustic Environment (OD-MAE)
- Early Career Ocean Professionals Programme (ECOPs)
- Ocean Voices: Building transformative pathways to achieve the Decade’s outcomes
- Marine Life 2030
- Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON)
- Ocean Cities, an international network of cities in harmony with the marine environment
- The Science We Need for the Mediterranean Sea We Want (SciNMeet)
- Empowering Women for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
- Global Ocean Oxygen Decade (GOOD)
- Sustainability of Marine Ecosystems through global knowledge networks (SmartNet)
- The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project
- SUstainability, Predictability and REsilience of Marine Ecosystems (SUPREME)
- Deep Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS)
- Digital Twins of the Ocean (DITTO)
- CoastPredict – Observing and Predicting the Global Coastal Ocean
- Deltas associated with large rivers: Seeking solutions to the problem of sustainability (Mega-Deltas)
- Global Ecosystem for Ocean Solutions (GEOS)
- Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM)
- Joint Exploration of the Twilight Zone Ocean Network (JETZON)
- Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (OARS)
- Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting System (OSF)
- Ocean Observing Co-Design: Evolving ocean observing for a sustainable future
- Observing Together: Meeting Stakeholder Needs and Making Every Observation Count
- The Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme
- Ocean Best Practices for the Decade