The IOC provides strategic counsel and guidance to member nations on matters of ocean governance in such areas as marine research, observation systems, hazard mitigation and capacity development.

UNESCO: Troubled Waters

The Global Ocean Observing System is the overarching coordination tool for a variety of observation systems including many partners.

UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)

The GSC shall endeavor to assess and improve "readiness" of each EOV to be measured in a sustained way, and encourage the observation systems of the world to regularly assess the fitness-for-purpose of the outputs of the ocean observing system, in order to feed back into updated requirements.

UNESCO: Indigenous Peoples