In order to strengthen communication and collaboration among all domestic organizations to participate in activities related to “United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development （2021-2030）” （Ocean Decade）， to fully support the work of the National Decade Committee, and jointly plan the blueprint for sustainable development of the ocean, on 12th December, 2022, the First Institute of Oceanography and the UN Decade Collaborative Centre on Ocean-Climate Nexus and Coordination Amongst Decade Implementing Partners in P. R. China （DCC-OCC） jointly organized the workshop on promoting the implementation of the Ocean Decade in China. Leaders, experts and scholars from more than 10 organizations, including the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, Peking University, East China Normal University, Xiamen University, Shandong University, Sun Yat-sen University, University of Macau, the Second Institute of Oceanography, the National Satellite Ocean Application Service, the National Marine Data and Information Service and the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center attended the meeting.

On-site Workshop

At the meeting, Wang Antao, Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, delivered a speech. In his speech, he affirmed the importance of the workshop, and said that with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources took the lead in establishing China’s National Decade Committee in collaboration with relevant ministries and commissions to coordinate the work related to Ocean Decade in China, and introduced the preparation of the Framework of China’s Action Plan for the Ocean Decade and the establishment of a domestic advisory expert group.

Attendants made wonderful presentations on their approved Ocean Decade action, including DCC-OCC and its partner the National Satellite Ocean Application Service; two Decade Implementing Partners of the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21 and Peking University; four Decade Programmes of Mega-Delta, Global Estuaries Monitoring （GEM）， Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions （ONCE） and Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting System （OSF）; five Decade Projects of Coastal SOS, Arctic Deep Observation for Multi-sphere Cycling, Stem the Tide of Asia’s Riverine Plastic Emission into the Ocean, Accelerating Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific and The Joint International Laboratory of Deltas （Joint-Delta） Project; and Community Collaborative Science Education Activities organized by GEF/FAO Demonstration of Estuarine Biodiversity Conservation, Restoration and Protected Area Networking in China. The presentations described the application history, progress, implementation plans and challenges faced by the above actions. In the discussion session, the attendants had an in-depth exchange on how to raise resources, build capacity, share data and products, and deepen cooperation, and etc. They proposed to establish a regular exchange mechanism of China's activities relating to Ocean Decade on the basis of this workshop.

Speech by Researcher Qiao Fangli

The Ocean Decade is a decade-long global action （2021-2030） under the framework of the United Nations. China has made remarkable achievements in the opening year of the Ocean Decade. For example, China is leading four endorsed Decade Programmes, five endorsed Decade Projects including two that are co-led with UN entities, and several Decade Activities. Besides, China has started the operation of DCC-OCC. And there are two endorsed DIPs from China. As one of the organizers of this workshop, DCC-OCC has actively played the role of the node of the global coordination mechanism of the Ocean Decade since it was approved in June 2022, striving to promote domestic activities related to the Ocean Decade, and effectively supporting the work of China’s National Decade Committee.

Discussion and Exchange

The workshop comprehensively reviewed the progress of China’s participation in the Ocean Decade, and enhanced mutual understanding and consensus on cooperation. It conducted in-depth discussions on key issues such as the science-policy interfaces, stakeholder participation and funding. The success of this workshop laid a solid foundation for China's future in-depth participation in the Ocean Decade.

Group Photo of Participants On-site