- Feng Zhou & Wenxi Zhu
- Posted on
- Penang, Malaysia
The 16th Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XVI) will be hosted by the Government of China, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and its Second Institute of Oceanography, in Hangzhou, China, from 10 to 12 November 2026.
As the principal governing body of the Sub-Commission, the Intergovernmental Session will bring together national competent agencies, marine scientific communities, and other relevant ocean stakeholders from across the region to foster ocean science-policy interface, review progress, enhance institutional capacities, promote the transfer of ocean technology, and shape priorities—particularly over the next two years—for developing ocean science solutions that support sustainable development in the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas.
The meeting will serve as an important statutory platform for strengthening regional collaboration in ocean-based solutions to climate change, marine biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, and sustainable ocean planning and management. Member States will also deliberate on the Sub-Commission’s contribution to, and engagement in, relevant international instruments and frameworks, including the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
Further information on the meeting agenda, registration, and participation will be circulated to Member States and partners in due course.
Figure: Chronology of the Intergovernmental Sessions of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) since its establishment in 1989