Get involved in the UN Ocean Decade

GET INVOLVED IN THE UN OCEAN DECADE

Photo credit: Shaun Wolfe / Ocean Image Bank

How to get involved in the UN Ocean Decade?

Have you been navigating around our website and started thinking that the UN Ocean Decade is really cool and you want to get involved further? Wondering how you can have your Action be endorsed under the UN Ocean Decade? This page is dedicated to giving you the information you might need to do exactly that. Follow our step-by-step guide below!

Step 1. Learn about the UN Ocean Decade Framework

It's best to start at the very beginning and have a good overview of the entire UN Ocean Decade framework.

If you need to go back to our previous page to reacquaint yourself with the UN Ocean Decade vision, mission, 10 challenges and 7 outcomes: click here.

The UN Ocean Decade is working on a global, regional and local level, across multiple themes, through many partnerships and within a strategic timeframe – in order to co-design solutions to achieve the science we need for the ocean we want by 2030.

National Decade Committees are set up to coordinate, support and increase a country’s participation in the Ocean Decade by mobilizing the whole “ocean community” at the national level. To date, 43 countries have established a National Decade Committee. Find out if your county has a National Decade Committee here.

Decade Collaborative Centres (DCCs) and Decade Coordination Offices (DCOs) provide targeted support to the Ocean Decade through a coordination and catalysis role for Decade Actions at the regional or thematic level. DCCs and DCOs also proactively support the Ocean Decade Communities of Practice that correspond to their thematic or regional focus, facilitating their structuring, membership and active engagement via the Ocean Decade Network.

Decade Implementing Partners (DIPs) are stakeholder institutions, networks or groups whose vision, mission or mandate align with the priorities of the Ocean Decade. Unlike Decade Collaborative Centres (DCCs) and Decade Coordination Offices (DCOs), DIPs sit outside the regional/thematic governance and coordination structure and provide targeted support to the Decade.

Step 2. Decide where your Action fits within the framework

Depending on the scope of your Action (whether it is short/long term, incorporating one or more partners, working across countries or regions) you will need to match it to the appropriate category. Here are the categories:

Decade Activities are one-off, standalone initiatives such as events, webinars, conferences, workshops, publications, audiovisual productions or training opportunities. They are typically 1-28 days long, and can last up to one year. Only Activities that receive official endorsement are authorized to use the Ocean Decade logo in their communications.

Read the guidance note to request endorsement for your activity and complete the corresponding form linked below. It is recommended to apply at least 6 weeks in advance due to the high volume of requests.

Contributions are accepted on a rolling basis, at any time. Contributions are in-kind or financial contributions to the coordination functions of the Decade or to Decade Actions. This includes Decade Collaborative Centres or Decade Implementing Partners.

For any contribution we suggest that you reach out to: oceandecade@unesco.org to discuss it first. All contributions will be able to use the logo once endorsed.

Learn more about Contributions through our ECOP focal points.

Programmes and projects are solicited through regular Calls for Decade Actions every 6 months throughout the Decade.

Programmes are large-scale initiatives implemented at the global or regional scale and will contribute to the achievement of one or more of the Ocean Decade Challenges. They will be long-term, multi-year, and typically interdisciplinary and multi-national. They should be comprised of component projects, which may or may not be fully or partially defined at the time of endorsement.

Projects are discrete and focused undertakings. They may be regional, national or subnational and will typically contribute to an identified Ocean Decade programme. Once endorsed programmes and projects will be provided guidance on logo use.

Learn about Programmes with our ECOP focal points.

If your Action is a discrete and focused undertaking, and it is obviously aligned with Early Career Ocean Professionals, providing them with various capacity development and networking opportunities, and overall corresponds to the mission of the ECOP Programme, then you can apply to be affiliated with the ECOP Programme as a project, just like our endorsed projects.

Contact us to learn more.

Step 3. Take part in the current Call for Decade Actions!

Welcome to the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026!

On this page you can find all the information you need to participate in the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026. Should you have additional questions, please contact oceandecade@unesco.org.

The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a global framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to co-design and co-deliver the scientific knowledge needed to inform decision making and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To date, 62 endorsed Decade Programmes and 657 endorsed Decade Projects are being implemented around the world. Over 133 Contributions of in-kind and financial resources are supporting the vital work that is being carried out by partners to contribute to the Ocean Decade Challenges and the priorities identified in the Barcelona Statement, which synthesises the outcomes of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference.

Types of Decade Actions solicited under the Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026

The current Call for Decade Actions focuses on addressing priority needs from the Barcelona Statement and galvanising new contributions and new projects to support and strengthen existing Decade Actions and coordination structures.

This Call for Decade Actions will have three different parts. Please refer to section II for more information on the specific requirements for each category.

Part I – Expression of Interest for Decade Programmes. Deadline: 31 May 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Expression of Interest for Decade Programmes

Part II – Ocean Decade Projects. Deadline: 31 August 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Application for Decade Projects

Part III – Ocean Decade Contributions. Deadline: Decade Contributions applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to fill out the form by 31 August 2026, 23:59 UTC | Submission form: Application for Decade Contributions

Figure 1: Components of Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026 and relevant deadlines

Part I: Expression of Interest for Decade Programmes

Decade Programmes are large-scale initiatives implemented at the global or regional scale. Programmes can contribute to any of the 10 Decade Challenges and will be long-term, multiyear, interdisciplinary and multi-national. Programmes will be made up of component projects, which may or may not be fully or partially defined at the time of endorsement.

All the following requirements will be used during the evaluation process as guidance to determine whether an initiative can be defined as a Decade Programme. Decade Programme Requirements:

Leadership: ability to host and support coordination of endorsed Decade Projects. Programmes must solicit Decade Projects through the Calls for Decade Actions
New addition to the Ocean Decade: addresses a thematic area or geographic region that has not yet been substantially covered by existing endorsed Decade Programmes.
Scope for growth: demonstrates an ability to grow and expand over time and incorporate new partners or geographies.
Scale: either global reach or major regional scale
Duration: at least 4 years
Disciplines: evidence of multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and team
Science to policy impact: evidence of clear pathways for scientific knowledge to inform decision making
Funding: at least 5% of the total programme budget must be secured at the time of submission. In addition, proponents must either have identified reliable funders committed to supporting the Programme or demonstrate that they are actively seeking funders who can secure the remaining budget partially or fully in the future.
Lead partner: international scope and experience that matches ambition of programme
Partners: international group of partners
Capacity development: includes relevant elements of capacity development

If all the criteria above are met, applicants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a potential Decade Programme proposal that demonstrates how it:

contributes to one or more of the priorities identified in the Barcelona Statement
creates synergies and demonstrates proactive collaboration with existing Decade programmes
demonstrates tangible pathways for science and knowledge to inform decision making; and
meaningfully involves partners from Africa or in Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, including Land-Locked Developing Countries. There is no geographical limitation for Decade programmes submitted to the Call. However, all applicants will be required to demonstrate how they meaningfully involve partners from Africa or SIDS/LDCs

The Decade Coordination Unit will review the submissions for completeness and ask for recommendations of the Decade Advisory Board on which proponents should be invited to make full programme submissions.

Further information on the existing portfolio of Decade Programmes can be found on the Ocean Decade website and detailed inquiries can be directed to oceandecade@unesco.org.

To submit the EOI for a Decade Programme proposal, please fill out this form by 31 May 2026, 23:59 UTC. Proponents will be notified of the outcome by 15 June, and successful applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by 31 August 2026, 23:59 UTC.

Decisions on full Programme applications will be made in the first semester of 2027.

Part II: Ocean Decade Projects

A Decade Project is a discrete and focused undertaking. It may be regional, national or subnational and it will typically contribute to an existing Ocean Decade Programme. This Call is soliciting projects that will contribute to endorsed Decade Programmes that have chosen to be part of the Call.

Of the currently endorsed Programmes, 31 are soliciting Projects via the current Call for Decade Actions No. 11/2026 — see full list at the bottom of this page and on the Guidance Note for Applicants. Applicants interested in submitting a Project to an endorsed Decade Programme are requested to carefully read the descriptions of the Programmes contained in Annex I, as well as relevant information on any geographic or thematic priorities that the Programmes have identified for the Call.

Contact details for all Programmes are listed in Annex I and applicants should contact the relevant Programme directly for any questions on scientific or substantive issues related to the project solicitation. As part of the application form, proponents will be asked to indicate if they have been in contact with the relevant Decade Programme. It is recognised that Projects can contribute to more than one endorsed Decade Programme. In that case, applicants should apply to be associated with the Programme that they believe has the strongest link and describe other links and contributions in the narrative of the application.

To ensure adequate implementation and meaningful engagement with the Ocean Decade framework, proposed Decade Projects are expected to have a duration of at least two years. This timeframe is considered important to allow endorsed Decade Projects to effectively contribute to the objectives of the Ocean Decade, including completing at least one full annual cycle of the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) process and establishing strong linkages with relevant Decade Programmes and the broader Decade structures.

To submit an application for a Decade Project, please fill out this form by 31 August 2026, 23:59 UTC. Decisions on Project applications will be made in the first semester of 2027.

Part III: Ocean Decade Contributions

Decade Contributions are focused on providing in-kind or financial support to the Ocean Decade or to Decade Actions. The proposals presented need to have all the secured for their implementation.

This Call will accept:

Financial or in-kind contributions for travel support for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference, to be hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (co-organized by IOC, Brazil’s MCTI, and the City of Rio de Janeiro);
Financial or in-kind contributions in any other areas, without thematic or regional restrictions, that support the coordination of the Ocean Decade and/or Decade Actions.

Decade Contributions applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to fill out this form by 31 August 2026, 23:59 UTC. Decisions on contribution applications will be made towards the first semester of 2027.

Important Information for Applicants

Proponents are strongly encouraged to contact any relevant thematic or regional decentralised coordination structures of the Ocean Decade (i.e. Decade Coordination Offices – DCOs or Decade Collaborative Centres – DCCs) and any relevant National Decade Committee, as well as referencing any relevant regional action plans or roadmaps, in the development of their proposals. As part of the application form, proponents will be asked to indicate if they have been in contact with these structures.

More information on decentralised coordination structures can be found here, while more information on existing National Decade Committees can be found here.

Resources

The 31 Ocean Decade Programmes receiving applications are:

Step 4. Check out these Ocean Decade resources

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the following documents before submitting their application:

Listen to the Voices from the Ocean Decade Advisory Board

Learn more about the vision behind the UN Ocean Decade from The Decade Advisory Board – an advisory body to UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). The fifteen experts selected by the IOC-UNESCO serve for a period of two years and in their individual capacities. The 2022-2023 Advisory Board members hail from thirteen countries, and come from government, private sector, philanthropy, civil society and the scientific community.

In English

In French

In Spanish

Stay up to date with the Ocean Decade

The best place to do this is through the official UN Ocean Decade website!

Click Here