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Nineteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions

Meeting

29 - 30 September 2026


Location

Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala


Organizer & Staff

  • Organizer
    • Dr. Lorna Inniss
    • Mr. Alejandro Rojas Aldana
    • Paola Diaz -Canales
    • Ms. Maria Toro Wills
    • Dr Marko Tosic
    • Ermes Palomino

    Participation


    Summary

    The Nineteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (SC-IOCARIBE-XIX) will take place from September 29 to 30, 2026, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The session will be preceded by a Regional Workshop on September 28, 2026.

    This session will bring together representatives from IOCARIBE Member States, as well as international and regional organizations, to review the progress of the Sub-Commission's activities since the last session in 2025.

    During the session, key topics for the strategic development of the region will be addressed, including the review of programme activities by High Level Objectives of the IOC Result Framework and regional contributions to the IOC and Future of the Ocean consultation process. In addition, the progress of important projects will be reviewed in areas such as ocean observations, marine hazards, climate change resilience, and the sustainable ocean economy.

    At the conclusion of the session, participants will adopt key decisions, formulate recommendations to guide the Sub-Commission's actions during the next biennium (2028–2029), and elect new members of the Board of Officers for the intersessional period.

    This event will be a key opportunity to strengthen regional and international cooperation for marine sustainability and scientific and technical development in the Caribbean and adjacent regions.

    REGISTRATION

    All participants in the session must register individually in the online registration platform at the following link: https://forms.gle/24t2vMUP7ZNBpwYr8, where they must indicate whether they will participate in person or virtually.

     

     

    La Decimonovena Sesión Intergubernamental de la Subcomisión de la COI para el Caribe y las Regiones Adyacentes (SC-IOCARIBE-XIX) se llevará a cabo del 29 al 30 de septiembre de 2026 en la Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala. La sesión estará precedida por un Taller Regional el 28 de septiembre de 2026.

    Este encuentro reunirá a representantes de los Estados miembros de IOCARIBE, así como a organizaciones internacionales y regionales, para revisar el progreso de las actividades de la Subcomisión desde la última sesión en 2025.

    Durante la sesión se abordarán temas clave para el desarrollo estratégico de la región, incluyendo la revisión de las actividades del programa según los Objetivos de Alto Nivel del Marco de Resultados de la COI y las contribuciones regionales al proceso de consulta de la COI y el Futuro del Océano. Además, se revisarán los avances de proyectos importantes en áreas como la observación oceánica, la gestión sostenible de los océanos y la planificación espacial marina.

    Al final de la sesión, los participantes adoptarán decisiones clave y formularán recomendaciones para guiar las acciones de la Subcomisión durante el próximo bienio (2028–2029), además de elegir a los nuevos miembros de la Junta Directiva para el período intersesional.

    Este evento será una oportunidad fundamental para fortalecer la cooperación regional e internacional en pro de la sostenibilidad marina y el desarrollo científico y técnico en el Caribe y las regiones adyacentes.

    INSCRIPCIÓN

    Todos los participantes en la sesión deberán inscribirse individualmente en la plataforma de registro online en el siguiente enlace: https://forms.gle/24t2vMUP7ZNBpwYr8, en este formulario deberán indicar si participarán de forma presencial o virtual.

    1
    OPENING CEREMONY
    1.1
    NATIONAL ANTHEM OF GUATEMALA
    1.2
    HIGH-LEVEL OPENING REMARKS
    2
    OPENING STATEMENTS
    2.1
    STATEMENT BY RSC CHAIR
    2.2
    STATEMENTS BY MEMBER STATES
    2.3
    COMMEMORATION TO SHELLY ANNE COX
    3
    ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
    3.1
    ADOPTION OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA
    3.2
    RAPPORTEUR DESIGNATION
    3.3
    ESTABLISHMENT OF SESSIONAL GROUPS
    3.4
    INTRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTATION AND TIMETABLE
    3.5
    PROCESS FOR ELECTION OF OFFICERS
    4
    REPORT OF THE REGIONAL SUB-COMMISSION (RSC) CHAIRPERSON
    4.1
    OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN SINCE THE LAST SESSION
    4.2
    KEY GOVERNANCE, POLICY AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL
    5
    REPORT OF THE IOC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND RSC SECRETARIAT
    5.1
    PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE FOR THE INTERSERSSIONAL PERIOD AND FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY REPORT
    5.2
    STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISIONS ADOPTED AT THE PREVIOUS SESSION
    6
    REVIEW OF IOCARIBE PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES BY HIGH LEVEL OBJECTIVES (HLOS) OF THE IOC RESULT FRAMEWORK
    6.1
    HLO 1 — HEALTHY OCEAN AND SUSTAINED OCEAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
    6.2
    HLO 2 — EFFECTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS AND PREPAREDNESS FOR TSUNAMIS AND OTHER OCEAN-RELATED HAZARDS
    6.3
    HLO 3 — RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONTRIBUTION TO ITS MITIGATION
    6.4
    HLO 4 — SCIENTIFICALLY FOUNDED SERVICES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE OCEAN ECONOMY
    6.5
    HLO 5 — FORESIGHT ON EMERGING OCEAN SCIENCE ISSUES
    6.6
    REGIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OCEAN DECADE
    7
    CONTRIBUTIONS FROM REGIONAL PARTNERS AND OBSERVERS
    7.1
    BRIEF STATEMENTS OR UPDATES FROM INVITED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND OBSERVERS
    7.2
    IDENTIFICATION OF COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
    8
    REGIONAL WORKPLAN AND BUDGET: FINALIZATION OF PRIORITY ACTIVITIES FOR 2028 – 2029 BIENNIUM
    8.1
    PRESENTATION OF THE CONSOLIDATED LIST OF REGIONAL PRIORITY ACTIVITIES (DRAWING ON WORKSHOP, AND DAY 2 DISCUSSIONS)
    8.2
    PRESENTATION OF THE REGULAR PROGRAMME (RP) BUDGET ALLOCATION (DRAFT) AND REQUIREMENTS FOR EXTRA BUDGETARY (EXB) FUNDS
    8.3
    ALIGNMENT WITH IOC RESULT FRAMEWORK HIGH LEVEL OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS AND EXPECTED RESULTS
    9
    PRESENTATION OF KEY CONCLUSIONS TO INFORM PHASE 3 CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR 'IOC AND FUTURE OF THE OCEAN'
    9.1
    PRESENTATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF THE DAY 1 WORKSHOP IN RELATION TO STRATEGIC PRIORITY ISSUES TO INFORM THE PHASE 3 CONSULTATION PROCESS LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEXT IOC MEDIUM TERM STRATEGY
    9.2
    OPTIONAL - ENDORSEMENT BY MEMBER STATES AS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE IOC ASSEMBLY FOR ISSUES TO BE INCLUDED AS REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO IOC AND FUTURE OF THE OCEAN PROCESS (2027)
    10
    ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT REGIONAL WORKPLAN AND BUDGET DOCUMENT 2028 - 2029
    10.1
    PRESENTATION OF THE CONSOLIDATED DRAFT DOCUMENT BY THE SECRETARIAT
    10.2
    PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND AGREEMENT ON FINAL TEXT
    10.3
    ENDORSEMENT BY MEMBER STATES AS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE IOC ASSEMBLY (2027)
    11
    ADOPTION OF RSC DECISIONS TO THE IOC ASSEMBLY
    11.1
    PRESENTATION OF DRAFT DECISIONS BY THE SECRETARIAT
    11.2
    DISCUSSION AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS BY MEMBER STATES
    11.3
    ADOPTION BY CONSENSUS (OR VOTE IF REQUIRED)
    12
    ELECTION OF RSC OFFICERS
    12.1
    DEPENDING ON THE NOMINATIONS RECEIVED, AN ELECTION FOR THE BEARERS OF RSC OFFICERS MAY BE REQUIRED
    13
    DATE AND PLACE OF THE NEXT SESSION
    14
    PROCESS FOR FINALIZING RSC SUMMARY REPORT
    14.1
    PRESENTATION OF THE DRAFT SUMMARY RECORD BY THE SECRETARIAT
    14.2
    REVIEW, CORRECTIONS AND ADOPTION BY MEMBER STATES
    15
    CLOSING OF THE SESSION
    15.1
    CLOSING STATEMENT BY THE RSC CHAIR
    15.2
    CLOSING REMARKS BY THE IOC SECRETARIAT

    View full event agenda on OceanExpert.org

    Agenda Documents

    ItemCodeTitleUpdated
    10IOCARIBE Approved Workplan and Budget (2028-2029)07 Oct 2026
    11IOCARIBE Approved Decisions and Recommendations07 Oct 2026
    3.1Provisional Agenda27 Sep 2026
    3.1IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/2Action Paper31 Aug 2026
    3.1IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/2Action Paper - Addendum27 Sep 2026
    3.4Time Table of Meeting 25 Aug 2026
    3.4IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/3.4Time Table Addendum27 Sep 2026
    3.5Elections Procedure27 Aug 2026
    4IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XVIII Meeting Report Eighteenth Intergovernmental Session of the Unesco-IOC Sub- Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions06 Jun 2025
    4.1IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/4.1Provisional Agenda REGIONAL WORKSHOP OF IOCARIBE XIX15 Aug 2026
    4.1IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/4.1Regional Workshop Agenda Addendum15 Sep 2026
    5.1IOC/A-33/SRSummary Report of the 33rd Session of the IOC Assembly (25 June-3 July 2025, UNESCO, Paris)24 Oct 2025
    5.1IOC/EC-59/DecisionsAdopted Decisions and Resolution22 Jul 2026
    5.2IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XIX/5.1IOCARIBE Technical Secretary report31 Aug 2026
    6IOC Medium Term Strategy Implementation Plan 2026-202714 Aug 2026
    8IOCARIBE Biennial Workplan and Budget (2028-2029) - V230 Sep 2026
    9IOC/EC-57/3.1.Doc(4)Consultation Process - IOC and the Future of the Ocean; Sustainable Delivery and Expansion of IOC Activities30 May 2024
    9IOC/EC-57/52.Doc(1)Action Plan in Response to the IOS Evaluation of the IOC’s Strategic Positioning – Update on Implementation20 Apr 2025
    9IOC/INF-1555IOC and the Future of the Ocean/ Results of the Phase 2 Consultation - Final Report, 202609 Jun 2026

    Background Documents

    ItemCodeTitleUpdated
    IOC/INF-1434IOCARIBE Medium-Term Strategic Science Plan, 2023–202913 Mar 2025
    Report of the 1st meeting of the IOC WG on BBNJ19 Dec 2025
    IOC/INF-1433IOC Capacity Development Strategy, 2023-203014 Mar 2025
    Roadmap for implementation in the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region24 Apr 2025
    IOC/EC-59/3.7.Doc(1)Interim Report of the IOC Working Group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (IOC/WG-BBNJ), 202610 Jun 2026
    IOC/INF-1412IOC Medium-term Strategy, 2022-202929 Apr 2022
    IOC/EC-59/PPT_3.7Report of the IOC working group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (IOC/WG-BBNJ)12 Aug 2026
    IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XVIII/6.3.2/InfUNDP/GEF/UNOPS Procaribe+ Project ProDoc18 Apr 2025
    IOC/SC-IOCARIBE-XVIII/6.3.5/InfAgreement Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction - BBNJ Agreement18 Apr 2025
    Ocean Acidification LAC Side Event - AGENDA21 Sep 2026
    Ocean Acidification LAC side event - TWO PAGER21 Sep 2026
    FVON-CARIBE23 Sep 2026
    Desk Review of Capacity Development Opportunities on MSP in Caribbean Region25 Sep 2026
    Measuring and Predicting Sea Level Changes, GLOSS Reference Doc25 Sep 2026
    The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) Implementation Plan 202625 Sep 2026
    UNEA Resolution Sargassum 25 Sep 2026
    DRAFT CARTAGENA CONVENTION ACTION PLAN ON SARGASSUM INUNDATION25 Sep 2026
    Eighteenth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region 25 Sep 2026
    Report of the Third Meeting of the IOCARIBE GOOS Working Group25 Sep 2026
    IOC/VH/LI/mTWCircular Letter 308225 Aug 2026
    Procaribe+ Project UN to UN agreement (no budget)25 Aug 2026
    Ocean Decade Progress Report for the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region (2021-2025)01 Sep 2026
    BEACONSPLUS Project Brief01 Sep 2026
    Ocean Acidification LAC side event - POLICY BRIEF21 Sep 2026
    IOC/2026/ODS/81National Decade Committees in practice: lessons learned from the Tropical Americas and Caribbean Region18 Sep 2026

    Other Documents

    CodeTitleUpdated
    IOC/INF-1148 Rev. [30 C/58 & Corr]IOC Statutes (1999)02 Dec 2025
    IOC/INF-1166RevIOC Rules of Procedure (2023)22 May 2024
    Presentations Template – SC-IOCARIBE-XIX01 Aug 2026
    Guatemala IGM XIX Logistics Note01 Sep 2026

    View all documents on OceanExpert.org