In December 2017, the 72nd United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (hereafter the Ocean Decade). The UN Ocean Decade is a “once-in-a-lifetime" global top-level initiative. The mission of the Ocean Decade is to promote the transformation of science-based solutions in the ocean domain, by enhancing the level of ocean governance, promoting the sustainable development of the ocean, climate, and human society.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly to coordinate the Ocean Decade. According to the Ocean Decade Implementation Plan, the Decade Coordination Unit (DCU), which was established in the IOC Secretariat, is specifically responsible for the global coordination of the Ocean Decade, and has several Decade Coordination Office (DCOs) and Decade Collaborative Centre (DCCs) (Figure 1). Both DCOs and DCCs are focused on thematic or regional issues, and are responsible for coordinating, scoping, and catalyzing the Ocean Decade programmes and other actions in the relevant fields or regions, playing a key role in the implementation of the Ocean Decade.