In December 2017, during its 72nd Session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (The Ocean Decade), calling all nations across the world to come together to build an ocean science needed to support a well-functioning, productive, resilient, sustainable and inspiring ocean. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, being responsible for coordinating the work of the Ocean Decade, has prepared the Decade Implementation Plan during the period 2018 – 2020 to support countries to achieve sustainable ocean development goals.

H.E. Warawut Silpa-archa, Thailand Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
delivered his opening speech at the Conference

Following the global high-level virtual event “A brave new oceance” on 3 February 2021, which marked the start of the Ocean Decade, a series of regional Ocean Decade kickoff conference have been conducted in several parts of the world. On 25 – 26 November 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand, the Regional Ocean Decade Kickoff Conference for the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas was organized by IOC Sub-Commission. for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC), and hosted by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, which represents the beginning of the region-wide efforts in a substantive development and implementation of Decade Actions.

Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary IOC and Asistant Director General of UNESCO
participated in the high-level segment online from France

Within 2 days, more than 3,000 participants from more than 60 countries in and outside the Western Parcific region joined the Conference via several platforms (Zoom, YouTube and Facebook), participating in its high-level segment and 17 Decade Action Incubators, heading towards the Conference aim to catalyze partnerships among various ocean stakeholder communities in the region, and initiate co-design of transformative ocean science solutions to the Ocean Decade Challenges in order to achieve the Ocean Decade Outcomes.

Viet Nam has participated actively during the preparation and organization of the Conference. Dr. Vo Si Tuan from the Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang, member of IOC Viet Nam, was the co-convener of incubator 3: Remote sensing and incubator 6: Save our coral. 08 Vietnamese scientists joined in severval incubators and presented 6 presentations on ocean challenges in Viet Nam such as marine plastic pollution, conservation of coastal ecosystems (coral reef, seagrass…)

The Conference results, ideas and suggestions will be summarized to formulate and implement the Decade Action Plan within the IOC-WESTPAC and member countries in the Pacific region, through the mechanism of the Decade Coordinating Office in Bangkok, Thailand.

(Source: https://www.ioc-westpac.org/decade-kickoff-conference/)

Vietnam's reports at the conference