Our Head of International Dr Matt Frost appointed Chair of the UK National Decade Committee

8 June 2023

It was announced today that our Head of the International Office Dr Matt Frost has been appointed as the new Chair of the UK’s National Decade Committee (NDC) - established to inspire, coordinate and facilitate UK engagement with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.    

As Chair, Matt will lead the Committee Members from across the breadth of the UK’s ocean science to champion the UN Ocean Decade and support the UK’s vision that by 2030 our oceans will be effectively governed, clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse. 

The news was announced at Westminster Hall today, where MPs held a debate to mark World Ocean Day. Minister Harrison’s, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, highlighted the appointment in her speech during the debate. Sally-Ann Hart MP, who Chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Ocean put the debate forward. 

Dr Matt Frost commented on his new appointment: 

“I am very excited to take on this role as the new Chair of the UK National Decade Committee. This is an incredible opportunity to work with the dedicated members of the Ccommittee, government and other stakeholders to support the goal of promoting UK science internationally and to drive forward a transformative agenda for our ocean.” 

“It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of helping the UK achieve its goals in support of a sustainably managed ocean, underpinned by scientific evidence.” 

 

What is the UN Ocean Decade? 

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) is about creating and delivering transformative ocean science solutions, to tackle critical ocean issues, identified as 10 key challenges.  The Ocean holds the keys to an equitable and sustainable planet, and the UN Ocean Decade is a global framework connecting people and our Ocean, to reach 7 key outcomes within a 10-year timeframe. 

 

What is the UK National Decade Committee? 

The UK National Decade Committee  (NDC) utilises an all-society approach with members from across the breadth of ocean science to champion the UN Ocean Decade within the UK’s Ocean Science and sustainability communities, as well as supporting regional and international engagement through the UN Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Committee will also support goals of the Integrated Review for promoting UK science internationally and the UK vision that by 2030 the ocean will be effectively governed, clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse, linking resilient and prosperous coastal communities around the world, and supporting sustainable economic growth for the UK, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. 

More information: https://uk-ndc.org/  

 

About Dr Matt Frost: 

Dr Frost brings a wealth of experience to this role concerning international matters, networking, science-policy and science diplomacy. As Chair of the UKs primary marine climate advice body (the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership) he led on the first-ever climate assessment across all the UK Overseas Territories. As President of the European Network of Marine Stations (MARS) he led on the establishment of the World Association of Marine Stations (WAMS) and he has advisory roles for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) among others. Matt has worked with a wide range of stakeholders across different countries and cultures including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, G7, embassies, investors and Global NGOs.   

 

Related information

Staff spotlight: Dr Matt Frost 

New appointment for PML’s International Office: Dr Matt Frost