Summary

The Fifteenth Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XV) will be held from 11-13 March 2025, in Tokyo, Japan, generously hosted by the Government of Japan through its Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). This statutory meeting will gather national competent governmental agencies for ocean, marine science communities, and ocean stakeholders in the region to strengthen the interface between ocean science and policy, foster ocean science cooperation, and enhance technical and institutional capacities across the region.

Key events include a Senior Governmental Officials (SGO) Roundtable to assess Ocean Decade progress and identify implementation challenges. The Roundtable will enable Member State decision-makers to exchange practices on leveraging scientific knowledge in policy-making. Additionally, a National Decade Committees (NDCs) Forum is planned as a side event, promoting NDC development and collaboration among Member States.

Further details, including the provisional agenda, please visit https://ioc-westpac.org/event/westpac-xv/