Co-design and co-production in the Ocean Decade

The proposal for a United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) in 2016 emerged to elevate ocean science’ presence in global policy, promoting the ocean’s essential role in achieving all SDGs, such as those related to climate, biodiversity, and food security. With its vision of “the science we need for the ocean we want,” the Ocean Decade has since established an agile framework to promote and prioritize inclusivity, equity, and diversity to advance transdisciplinary and collaborative ocean science.

Launched in 2021 and now the largest global ocean science initiative, the Ocean Decade has catalyzed over 50 international programs, 400 national and regional projects, and fostered collaboration among over 4,500 institutions and 20,000 individuals. One of the Decade’s commitments is to co-design and co-produce actions empowering diverse actors, including scientists, Indigenous communities, policymakers, industry, and civil society, to shape and implement actions jointly. By actively involving all relevant stakeholders, the Ocean Decade builds science that is both locally and globally applicable, fostering a science-policy-society interface rooted in shared goals and needs.

Most Decade Actions aim at advancing transdisciplinary knowledge exchange, enhancing the global ocean community’s ability to address complex issues like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. To achieve this co-design and co-production are essential elements since they integrate local perspectives into global conservation and policy frameworks, making ocean science not only accessible but also actionable and sustainable. By fostering partnerships among different actors, co-design and co-production bring diverse knowledge systems into ocean science, ensuring solutions are scientifically robust and culturally relevant and that the stakeholders’ needs are met by actively involving them in the design and implementation processes.

To facilitate and support these bottom-up collaborations, the Ocean Decade developed several frameworks for capacity development, knowledge exchange and digital engagement across different disciplines and geographies, strengthening the science-policy-society interface and enhancing the relevance of ocean science in sustainable development.

Several co-designed and co-produced Decade Actions support community-driven, inclusive solutions to global and local ocean challenges. These Actions represent a model to be followed for a shift toward ocean science that is actionable, accessible, and culturally sensitive, promoting equitable ocean stewardship at a global, regional and local scale.