POGO is pleased and proud to have been endorsed as one of three new UN Ocean Decade Implementing Partners (DIPs) announced by the IOC Executive Secretary on 29 March 2023.
POGO has been designated as a DIP for its commitment to supporting the Decade by coordinating existing Decade Actions, catalyzing new initiatives, leading targeted communications and outreach, and mobilizing resources.
Ocean Decade-endorsed activities supported by or involving POGO include:
- Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) (2021 onwards)
- 2023 NF-POGO Regional Training Programme on Sustainable Marine Resource Management
- West Africa Marine Science Symposium (2023)
- International Nutrient Inter-comparison Voyage (INIV) (2023)
- North-South Atlantic Training Transect (NoSoAT) 2022
- COP27 Ocean Pavilion (2022)
- OARS – via the POGO WG, “Action for Sustainable Ocean Acidification Research (ASOAR)“
As a Decade Implementing Partner, POGO will strive to:
- Assist in bridging the gap between developed and developing countries, making use of low-cost/open access technologies, and also brokering connections between different stakeholders (e.g. academia, government, industry, foundations).
- Use its global network of members as well as alumni, to help explain and advocate for the UN Decade in under-represented countries, and encourage them to establish National Decade Committees and to participate in Decade Actions.
- Support and/or coordinate actions in response to Decade calls for collaborative programmes and projects between POGO members (and other parties). A first example of this has been the development of the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON) proposal and establishment of the programme following Decade endorsement, with seed funding and in-kind support provided by POGO. More recently, POGO has allocated funding to support Decade-related activities proposed by its members.
- Support Decade communications and outreach efforts, by supporting the Communications Advisory Group and/or a Community of Practice on advocacy for ocean observing.
POGO-Supported Activities for the UN Ocean Decade
For 2023, in addition to the normal annual call, POGO invited groups of members to apply for seed funding for programmes/projects either already endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade, or workshops to plan new project/programmes to be submitted to UNDOS for endorsement.
The activities below are the two successful proposals for this round of funding.
These efforts will require alignment and communication with the Decade Coordinating Office hosted by GOOS.