Advancing knowledge and cooperation for a healthy ocean and prosperous society
Hangzhou, China, 10-12 November 2026
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 details, including the provisional agenda, reports and information for the session will be shared electronically in advance on the WESTPAC website. WESTPAC-XVI will also involve elections for Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons, with nomination details and forms provided in the IOC Circular Letter no. 3077.
Should you have any questions or require any assistance on the logistic arrangements, please feel free to contact info-scwestpac16@sio.org.cn with a copy to n.saransuth@unesco.org
- IOC Circular Letter No. 3077
- Election Procedures
- Nomination Form
| Agenda | |||||||
| 1. | Opening | ||||||
| 1.1 | Welcome Remarks | ||||||
| 1.2 | Keynote | ||||||
| 2. | Organization of the Session | ||||||
| 2.1 | Adoption of the Agenda
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| 2.2 | Conduction of the Session
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| 3. | Statutory Reports | ||||||
| 3.1 | Statement of the Chairperson
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| 3.2 | Report by the Head of WESTPAC Office on Intersessional Programme Development and Implementation, including the Operation of the WESTPAC Office and Decade Coordination Office
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| 3.3 | Recent Developments within UNESCO, IOC, and Their Relevance to WESTPAC | ||||||
| 3.3.1 | IOC Executive Secretary’s Report, including IOC Governance and Management Processes
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| 3.3.2 | IOC and the Future of the Ocean, including the Phase II Report and Proposal for Phase III
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| 3.3.3 | IOC Draft Programme and Budget for 2028-2029 (44 C/5)
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| 4. | Strategic Development | ||||||
| 4.1 | Role of IOC in the Implementation of BBNJ
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| 4.2 | IOC Implementation of SOPM Strategy
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| 4.3 | UN Ocean Decade Global Development | ||||||
| 4.4 | Contribution of the Sub-Commission to the Decade | ||||||
| 4.4.1 | An Overview | ||||||
| 4.4.2 | UN 21: Accelerate Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific and its Adjacent Areas, including the MSP Regional Action Framework (2025-2030) | ||||||
| 4.4.3 | UN 22: Stem the Tide of Asia’s Riverine Plastic Emission into the Ocean | ||||||
| Informal workshop on the “IOC and the Future of Ocean”, 11 November 2026, 09:00-12:30 | |||||||
| 4.4.4 | UN 23: Accelerating Transformations in Capacity Development in the Western Pacific – Regional Network of Training and Research Centers (RTRCs) on Marine Science | ||||||
| 4.4.5 | UN 24: Explore the Strongest Ocean Current in the Western Pacific: the 2nd Cooperative Study of Kuroshio and Adjacent Regions | ||||||
| 4.4.6 | UN 39: Ocean Solutions in the East Asian Seas | ||||||
| 5. | Implementation of Decisions Taken at the Last Session (WESTPAC-XV, March 2025, Tokyo, Japan) | ||||||
| 5.1 | Preparations of the 3rd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference & 12th WESTPAC IMSC (20-23 April 2027, the Philippines) | ||||||
| 5.2 | Task Force on BBNJ (2025-2027) | ||||||
| 5.3 | Task Force on Ocean Literacy (2025-2027) | ||||||
| 5.4 | Working Group on Seagrass Research, Monitoring, and Conservation (2025-2028) | ||||||
| 5.5 | Working Group on Mangrove Restoration (2025-2028) | ||||||
| 5.6 | Methane Fluxes and their Impacts on Climate and Ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific Region (2025-2029) | ||||||
| 5.7 | UN 46: Collaborations for NWP Marine Ecosystem Prediction (COSMEC) | ||||||
| 6. | Review and Gap Analysis, Aligned with the IOC HLOs | ||||||
| 6.1 | Healthy ocean and sustained ocean ecosystem services | ||||||
| 6.2 | Effective warning systems and preparedness for tsunamis and other ocean-related hazards | ||||||
| 6.3 | Resilience to climate change and contribution to its mitigation | ||||||
| 6.4 | Scientifically founded services for the sustainable ocean economy | ||||||
| 6.5 | Foresight on emerging ocean science issues | ||||||
| 7. | Review of the Draft Regional Blueprint | ||||||
| 8. | Establishment of new WESTPAC Programmes/Projects/Working Groups | ||||||
| 9. | WESTPAC Workplan and Budget for the Period 2028-2029
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| 10. | Key Conclusions to Inform Phase 3 Consultation Process for ‘IOC and the Future of the Ocean’ | ||||||
| 11. | Elections
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| 12. | Date and Place of the Next Session | ||||||
| 13. | Other Matters | ||||||
| 14. | Adoption of Action Points, and Recommendations if any | ||||||
| 15. | Closure | ||||||