Capacity building is essential to the mission of the Ocean Decade which is ‘to catalyze transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and our ocean’, as it improves equitable access to data and knowledge, technology, and infrastructure vital to sustainable development, human welfare and delivering the objectives set out in the IOC Capacity Development Strategy.

With the explosive population growth, rapid economic development and significant impact of climate change, the Western Pacific and its adjacent areas are experiencing an unprecedented pressure on the coastal and marine environment and ecosystems. With respect to the challenges this particular region is facing, the Vision for WESTPAC’s capacity development is to envision a future wherein Member States in the Western Pacific and adjacent regions are empowered with effective governance for a healthy ocean, building on strong scientific understanding and systematic observations of the changing climate and ocean ecosystems, which embodies following with concerning on Capacity Building:

• Development of “IOC Regional Network of Training and Research Centres on Marine Science” through the establishment of IOC Regional Training and Research Centres (RTRCs) in national marine research institutes and/or universities, and provision of regular trainings on the specialization focus of these Centres to young scientists mainly from developing nations within and outside the region;