Towards an
INTERNATIONAL PANEL FOR OCEAN SUSTAINABILITY
Welcome to the Towards IPOS initiative
This initiative is currently in its seminal phase, focusing on the development of its concept, structure and pilot projects. As we progress through this formative period, don't hesitate you to share your insights and suggestions at info@ipos.earth. Your feedback is invaluable for shaping the future trajectory of the IPOS.
WHY
The ocean is essential for life on Earth, it is urgent to take action as the ocean's health is being harmed by human activities. So far, Nations have failed to meet collectively agreed ocean sustainability targets and objectives under various international agreements, treaties and frameworks.
For decision-makers worldwide to respond effectively to this crisis, they need to be informed by the best available knowledge. But today, this knowledge is fragmented across numerous initiatives and multiple reports, that either do not respond to the priority needs of their audience (decision-makers), fail to bring together transdiciplinary expertise and insufficiently engage with Indigenous knowledge as well as with the diverse communities affected by the ocean's declining health.
The Towards IPOS initiative intends to address these challenges by becoming the new gateway that (re)connects knowledge and decisions for a sustainable ocean.
The Towards IPOS initiative is primarily designed to support States, International Organisations as well as Public Entities, Private Sector participants, and engaged citizens.
Ocean knowledge should be accessible and relevant to all ocean stakeholders.
HOW
HOLISTIC
Implement a systemic approach that integrates natural and socioeconomic sciences, alongside local and Indigenous knowledge systems.
ACTION ORIENTED
Provide ready-to-use documents and tools that include actionable proposals.
Make verified knowledge accessible using latest technologies, including AI.
REQUEST DRIVEN
Co-produce syntheses and responses that respond to decision-makers' key priorities.
INCLUSIVE
Engage and encourage local and Indigenous communities, along with other ocean stakeholders.
Promote collaborative knowledge weaving approches and methodologies among all stakeholders.
WHAT
Targeted responses that answer to decision-makers' key priorities
Actionable recommendations
Digital tools (eg: Ocean GPT)
The Towards IPOS initiative is committed to empowering decision-makers with accessible, synthesized and verified knowledge in response to their key priorities. These syntheses and responses will be collaboratively produced. Results will be presented with target-specific knowledge products and digital tools. The goal of the Towards IPOS initiative is to offer actionable recommendations to guide critical decisions.
HISTORY
TOWARDS THE UNITED NATIONS OCEAN CONFERENCE 2025
A key milestone towards the establishment of the Towards IPOS initiative is set to occur at the UNOC 2025 in Nice. Leading up to UNOC, the Towards IPOS initiative is organising a series of key events aimed at co-designing its framework. This collaborative effort seeks to ensure that its framework and approach are robust, inclusive, well-informed and reflective of global insights and expertise.
GROWING SUPPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
POLITICAL SUPPORT
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OTHER PARTNERS
PILOT PROJECTS
The Towards IPOS initiative has launched a series of pilot projects to explore and test real-world lab experiments that will provide guidance for future IPOS endeavours. Every pilot project aims to embody best practices of co-leadership, co-design, co-production and co-evaluation.
Deep-sea mining
Offshore wind
Ocean indicator
A global team of experts is in the process crafting a 20-page report on deep sea ecosystem challenges, aimed to deliver a set of actionable conservation strategies by UNOC 2025.
A hybrid working group aims to convene diverse stakeholders around the table to bridge siloes and guide policies that aim to achieve balance between energy decarbonization and human impacts on the ocean.
Other pilot projects are underway. Collaborations between organizations representing small-scale fishers in both France and Costa Rica are being fostered through an emerging pilot project on small-scale fisheries.
A hybrid expert working group is developing a holistic ocean sustainability indicator, integrating environmental, social, and economic factors, inspired by the 1.5°C climate target.
LATEST UPDATES
NEWS
OFFICIAL SUPPORT FROM THE EU COMMISSION "TOWARDS AN IPOS"
The Towards IPOS team, hosted by the Ocean Sustainability Foundation, together with consortium of partners won the open call from the EU "Towards an IPOS".
This initiative will bring together a diverse global network of leading ocean scientists, interdisciplinary experts, policy makers and civil society stakeholders in support for the establishment of the Towards IPOS initiative.
A heartfelt thank you to our partners for embarking on this journey with us.
Ramboll Management Consulting, Fondation CNRS, RIFS Potsdam, REVOLVE, Acteon Group, Fresh Thoughts Consulting GmbH, European Marine Board and the Ocean Sustainability Foundation.
MONACO OCEAN WEEK
A Towards IPOS event took place at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. IPOS conducted a series of brainstorming sessions aimed at exploring the application of its demand-driven approaches. Additionally, the event facilitated discussions on the strategic positioning of IPOS within the UN System.
Find our detailed workshop report here.
OCEAN DECADE CONFERENCE: Southern perspectives on the science-policy interface
A Towards IPOS workshop "Shaping IPOS: Southern perspectives on the science-policy interface" took place at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona. The objective was to gather valuable insights and perspectives from transdisciplinary experts (scientists, practitioners and decision makers), primarily from the Global South, for an improved interface between ocean knowledge and policy action.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday 19th March, 2024
8-9th April, 2024
UN 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
The Towards IPOS team will be present at the SIDS4 conference in Barbuda this year, under the overarching theme "Chartering the course towards resilient prosperity". The conference will seek to assess the ability of SIDS to achieve sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. See you there!
27th-30th May, 2024
HIGH LEVEL EVENT ON OCEAN ACTION: IMMERSED IN CHANGE
7-8th June, 2024
The Towards IPOS team will be present at the Immersed in Change conference organised by the government of Costa Rica in San José. The aime is to exchange good practices and successful experiences on topics related to the governance and health of the ocean. It seeks to position topics of high relevance for the ocean’s global agenda, as well as thriving specific implementation actions to address the severe environmental damages that is facing.
PUBLICATIONS
An evolution towards scientific consensus for a sustainable ocean future
Nature Partner Journals Ocean Sustainability
December, 2022
Seascape Assessment: Feasibility study for the establishment of an Intergovernmental Panel for Ocean Sustainability (IPOS)
Publications Office of the European Union
August, 2023
Bridging Shades of Blue: Co-constructing Knowledge with the International Panel for Ocean Sustainability
Taylor and Francis Online
August, 2023
Towards IPOS: The Gateway between ocean knowledge and Policy action
Meeting Report
March, 2024
Portraits of seafarers - France Inter Podcast
Research sets sail for the ocean - CNRS
September 15, 2023
June 7, 2023
All at sea: Call for new body to bridge the science, policy divide and save the oceans - Science Business
April 27, 2023
A step up for ocean sustainability in Brussels - CNRS
April 24, 2023
Time for an "IPCC of the ocean" - Stockholm Resilience Centre
January 1, 2023
COP27 Launch of the IPOS Coalition: Scientific Institutions coming together for Ocean Sustainability - Stellenbosch University
November 10, 2022
Ocean Conference: Exploring the feasibility of an Intergovernmental Panel for Ocean Sustainability - European Commission
June 30, 2022
MEDIA
Towards an inclusive and equitable Panel for global ocean sustainability - Future Earth
March 9, 2023
ABOUT
The Towards IPOS initiative currently operates as a temporary foundation under the auspices of the Ocean Sustainability Foundation hosted by CNRS Foundation. This provisional arrangement ensures that the activities undertaken by the Towards IPOS initiative are supported while it transition towards a more established organizational structure.
Looking ahead, the IPOS envisions to be hosted within the United Nations system.