IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)

Thirteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XIII)
2021-04-27 08:00 - 2021-04-29 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai)
Busan, Republic of Korea, 13–17 July 2026

Overview
Program & Documents

Introduction This in-person training is a joint initiative aiming to enhance national and regional capacity for marine spatial planning (MSP) with tools applied to areas within and beyond national jurisdiction, including ecosystem-based and climate-resilient approaches, and area-based management methodologies and processes. This training course is jointly organized by the IOC (in support of the MSPglobal, Ocean Decade Capacity Development Facility, OceanTeacher Global Academy, and IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)) in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). The training includes two parts: Part 1: Regional training on Biodiversity Inclusive and Climate Smart Marine Spatial Planning for Asia and Pacific, 13 to 14 July 2026 A 2-day course aiming to strengthen the capacity of MSP practitioners and decision-makers to integrate biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and mitigation, and inclusive governance into planning processes. Building on the MSPglobal International Guide and its complementary volumes on Biodiversity-Inclusive and Climate-Smart MSP , the course combines conceptual alignment with hands-on application. Participants will develop a shared understanding of ecosystem-based and climate-resilient planning principles, explore the implications of biodiversity loss and climate change for marine management, and examine policy alignment and inclusive governance approaches. Through interactive exercises and a simulated MSP process, they will learn how to apply these principles across all phases of the MSP cycle from scoping and assessment to plan development, implementation, monitoring, and adaptive management. Part 2: Applying Marine Spatial Planning Tools to Area-Based Management in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) for Asia and Pacific, 15 to 17 July 2026 This 3-day training equips practitioners working in MSP or MPA management, ocean governance, conservation, management, and related fields with the frameworks and practical knowledge needed to design Area-Based Management Tool (ABMT) proposals in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) under the BBNJ Agreement. Building on the MSPglobal International Guide on Marine Spatial Planning, the course bridges established MSP methodologies with the scientific and technical requirements of BBNJ governance and operationalization, exploring how biodiversity, climate, and equity — including the integration of traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) — apply in ABNJ contexts. *Note that self-sponsored participants may choose or be selected to participate in only one or both parts of the training. Participants who receive sponsorship from the organization must attend both parts.

Workshop objectives Part 1 of the training aims to: Strengthen participants’ understanding of biodiversity-inclusive and climate-smart principles across the different phases of the marine spatial planning (MSP) process;Support participants in identifying entry points for integrating biodiversity, climate, and equity considerations throughout the MSP cycle;Enhance capacities to design and facilitate stakeholder engagement processes that promote inclusive and equitable marine governance;Improve participants’ ability to communicate MSP strategies effectively to diverse audiences and stakeholders;Encourage engagement in regional and global communities of practice on biodiversity-inclusive and climate-smart MSP.Part 2 of the training aims to: Provide an understanding of the scientific and technical requirements for area-based management tool (ABMT) proposals under the BBNJ Agreement, including relevant methodologies;Clarify key components of biodiversity-inclusive and climate-smart spatial planning in the context of ABNJ governance;Strengthen knowledge on the use of MSP-based analysis to support ABMT proposals, including the integration of global spatial datasets on biodiversity, human activities, and climate;Raise awareness of the implications of data gaps for spatial decision-making and ABMT design and implementation;Support participants in assessing how MSP spatial analysis approaches can be applied in their own national or regional contexts, including identifying relevant data sources, governance actors, and potential constraints.

Workshop participants This training is designed for practitioners working in marine spatial planning (MSP), ocean governance, or related fields — particularly those involved in MSP processes or BBNJ implementation at national or regional levels, including the design and application of area-based management tools (ABMTs) in ABNJ. List of eligible countries for the open call for participation: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Torkelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. *Note remaining part of the available places will be dedicated to direct contact invitations issued by WESTPAC to its Member States.

Assessment & certificate This training will include pre-and-post self-assessments, and a final assignment report. *Note that the preparation online courses suggested in the pre-requisites have a different assessment rationale, and certificate of completion. To receive a Certificate of Completion, for each part of the training course, participants shall: Fully attend to the in-person sessions Engage and complete every proposed training activity Successfully complete the report assignment

1.Agenda

WESTPAC Webinar Series on Ocean Acidification
2021-05-05 13:00 - 2021-05-26 15:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk)

The 10th ODC Training Course on Regional Application of Coupled Climate Models
2021-07-05 13:00 - 2021-07-16 15:00 (Asia/Shanghai)

Mangrove Monitoring International Training
2021-08-29 13:30 - 2021-11-06 16:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk)

CREPSUM-IOC/WESTPAC Online Workshop on Jellyfish Identification
2022-03-17 10:00 - 2022-03-18 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai)

National Ocean Acidification Training Workshop for Malaysia
2022-09-20 08:00 - 2022-09-22 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Penang, Malaysia

National Ocean Acidification Training Workshop for Vietnam
2022-10-13 08:00 - 2022-10-15 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Nha Trang, Viet Nam

WESTPAC Advisory Group Meeting 2022
2022-10-26 09:00 - 2022-10-28 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Phuket, Thailand

National Ocean Acidification Training Workshop for Thailand
2022-11-02 08:00 - 2022-11-04 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Phuket, Thailand

International Webinar Series on Advancing Remote Sensing Applications for Ocean Sustainability
2022-11-22 09:00 - 2022-12-02 11:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Online

Regional Forum for Accelerating Marine Spatial Planning in the Western Pacific
2022-12-16 09:00 - 15:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Online

First International Scientific Symposium of CSK-2 & the Third Meeting of the CSK-2 International Steering Group
2023-02-20 08:00 - 2023-02-22 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Bangkok, Thailand

Training Workshop on Coral Larval Reseeding, Bolinao, Pangasinan, Philippines
2023-04-03 09:00 - 2023-04-13 18:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Bolinao, Philippines

Fourteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XIV)
2023-04-04 09:00 - 2023-04-07 18:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Jakarta, Indonesia

First WESTPAC Marine Spatial Planning Expert Workshop
2023-11-14 08:00 - 2023-11-15 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Qingdao, China

WESTPAC-ECNU International Workshop “Stem the tide of Asia’s riverine plastic emission into the ocean”
2023-11-20 08:00 - 2023-11-22 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Sanya, Hainan, China

Training Workshop on Monitoring Marine Fish Communities with Environmental DNA Method
2023-11-27 08:00 - 2023-11-29 18:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Phuket, Thailand

The Fourth Session of the CSK-2 International Steering Group
2023-12-04 08:00 - 2023-12-06 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Qingdao, China

2nd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference & 11th WESTPAC International Marine Science Conference
2024-04-22 08:00 - 2024-04-25 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Bangkok, Thailand

Training Course on Remote Sensing-based Seagrass Blue Carbon Assessment
2024-09-23 08:00 - 2024-10-04 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Jakarta, Indonesia

Second International Scientific Symposium of CSK-2 & the Fifth Meeting of the CSK-2 International Steering Group
2024-11-13 08:00 - 2024-11-15 17:00 (Asia/Karachi) | Sendai, Japan

IOC/WESTPAC Workshop on the Asian Marginal Seas Program
2024-12-06 08:00 - 2024-12-08 17:00 (Asia/Karachi) | Toyama, Japan

Fifteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XV)
2025-03-11 08:00 - 2025-03-13 17:00 (Asia/Karachi) | Tokyo, Japan

2nd International Workshop on Small Island Research and Development (SIRaD)
2025-10-02 08:00 - 2025-10-04 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Malang, Indonesia

Scoping Workshop for the Intersessional Task Force on Ocean Literacy
2025-10-09 14:00 - 2025-10-10 12:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Online

2nd WESTPAC Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning
2025-10-14 08:00 - 2025-10-16 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Chonburi, Thailand

Kickoff Workshop on Advancing International Collaboration for Seagrass Ecosystem Research, Conservation and Restoration
2025-11-04 08:00 - 2025-11-06 17:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Phuket, Thailand

Kickoff Workshop on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration in the Western Pacific
2025-11-06 08:00 - 2025-11-08 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Xiamen, China

Small Island Research and Development (SIRaD) International Training Workshop on Remote Sensing for Marine Environment Mapping
2025-11-24 - 2025-11-28 | Jakarta, Indonesia

Expanded WESTPAC Advisory Group Strategic Consultative Meeting 2026
2026-01-28 08:00 - 2026-01-30 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Penang, Malaysia
