SCOPE
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development recognizing the peril humanity faces. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO announced the launch of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for sustainable development (hereafter, the Ocean-Decade) to support the 2030 Agenda for 2021-2030. The first batch of endorsed programs and contributions for the Ocean-Decade has been set in place in 2021 and will be followed by more Decade actions. It is about time to evaluate whether we have a good arsenal in line with the Ocean-Decade to transform ecosystems in the North Pacific. While some areas of scientific knowledge are advancing well, certain aspects need to be enhanced to fulfill the transformative nature of the Ocean-Decade. For example, more extensive involvement of stakeholders and early career researchers/professionals. Also, inclusive action networks formed by all the stakeholders involved are crucial in harnessing the ocean knowledge to transform the ocean. In this meeting, we will review the major efforts in the PICES regions to meet with the Ocean-Decade objectives and challenges and steer the future directions by identifying gaps and setting the priorities.