The Twelfth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XII), which will be generously hosted by the Government of the Philippines from 2 to 5 April 2019 in Manila, the Philippines.

The session will bring together national competent governmental agencies and marine scientific communities, aiming to improve science-policy interface, advance international cooperation on marine science, observations and service, and to enhance institutional capacities to address critical challenges to sustainable development in the Western Pacific and its adjacent regions. At this session, WESTPAC will first review its present strategic directions and associated activities, and then deliberate on and come up with concrete action plans towards future strategic and programmatic developments in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

WESTPAC has an extensive agenda for its session (annexed hereafter) scheduled over four days (tentatively including one day for field study). It is essential for delegations to focus their work on guidance, vision and practical actions for the future actions of the Sub-Commission and report on past activities only in writing well in advance of the session. Delegates are encouraged to prepare their comments based on the documentation prior to the session for brief constructive discussions at the meeting.

At this session, WESTPAC Member States will elect their Officers, namely, one Chairperson and two or three Vice-chairpersons, for the next biennium. Elected Officers may be re-elected for one additional term of office.

(Source IOC/WESTPAC)