Institutions worldwide are invited to lead full-day Special Events as part of the official extended programme of the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference in Rio de Janeiro!The 2027 Ocean Decade Conference will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 9 April 2027. Hosted by the Brazilian Government and co-organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the Conference is expected to bring together thousands of participants, including governments, United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, scientific institutions, Indigenous peoples, philanthropy, civil society, youth networks, and the private sector. The Conference is set to be one of the defining moments for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (‘Ocean Decade’).
The Ocean Decade Conference will be the centrepiece of Ocean Decade Week 2027, a week-long programme of Special Events, technical meetings, exhibitions, networking opportunities, and public engagement activities running from 5 to 9 April 2027.
As part of preparations for the Week, the Conference organizers are now calling for institutions and partners interested in leading Special Events on 5 and 6 April 2027, ahead of the main Conference.Interested institutions are invited to examine the
Guidance Note on the Call for Special Events and
FAQ to find full details around eligibility criteria, selection process, and event logistics.
The current Call for Lead Partners is
intended for organizations, rather than individuals. Individuals interested in contributing are encouraged to engage through an eligible organization or partnership that can submit the proposal as Lead Partner.
Please do
not submit a proposal for an individual session in this Call for Lead Partners, as it will not be accepted. A separate call for individual sessions to complete the programming of the Special Events will follow in October 2026.
Applications to lead Special Events should be submitted through the form below by
31 August 2026, and will be assessed on a rolling basis.
Please submit your responses in English. Selected Lead Partners are expected to be confirmed in
September 2026.
To help you in the process, PDF and Word versions of the application form can be
downloaded here.
For any questions, please contact
event@oceandecade-conference.com 