The Fifth Session of the IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development (GE-CD) was held in Paris, France from 27 to 29 February 2024. 

The GE-CD discussed the progress in its work plan from the 4th session and in line with the instructions from the 32nd session of the IOC Assembly (2023), following its adoption of the IOC CD Strategy 2023-2030 together with the promotional and outreach plan to promote the visibility of the new CD Strategy. The global and regional programmes and projects, and regional subsidiary bodies also reported on their activities in support of the implementation of the IOC CD strategy and their respective CD work plans. The Group also discussed the outcomes of the CD regional webinar series and IOC CD Needs Assessment Survey, including its next edition for 2024-2025, as well as other proposals and new initiatives such as the Ocean Training Internships and the Biodiversity Data Hub for the High Seas.

Among other things, the Group decided to:

• • • • Approve the proposed revisions in the Terms of Reference of the GE-CD and instructed the Secretariat to submit the revised ToR for the approval of the IOC Executive Council, at its 52nd session in June 2024; 
      • Call on IOC global programmes and regional subsidiary bodies and secretariats to deliver capacity development with more systematic approaches to ensure consistency between global, regional and national capacity development;
      • Recommend mapping the CD work plans of the global and regional programmes vis-à-vis the IOC CD Strategy to clearly demonstrate the targeted implementation of the IOC CD Strategy;
      • Recommend that the global and regional programmes prepare their draft CD workplans to share in the discussions at the next GE-CD session in time for the 33rd Session of the IOC Assembly;
      • Strongly advocate for leveraging the Decade initiatives such as the CD Facility and the Working Group 9 Vision 2030 white paper to amplify IOC capacity development delivery;
      • Agree to continue the term of Mr Alan Evans as Chair of the IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development until the new membership of the GE-CD is formed;
      • Agree on the proposed work plan for the next inter-sessional period.

The meeting was attended by some 30 participants including members of the IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development, invited experts, observers, IOC staff, and members of the CD Secretariat. More information about the workshop can be found here. The report of the meeting can be found here.