IOI has been a pioneer in the area of capacity development for ocean affairs since the late 1970s. This arose out of the need created by both the process and outcomes of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Capacity-development remains a priority for IOI, which views such activities as an essential component of the process for the implementation of United Nations Conventions. 

IOI's capacity development programme proceeds at many different scales and complements the training programmes on ocean governance offered continuously since 1981 as an integral part of its mission. The IOI provides customized capacity development activities to meet specific country or regional needs and creates dedicated programmes, workshops and seminars addressing specific issues or challenges. In co-operation with interested organisations and institutions, IOI develops, conducts and manages special capacity development activities on topics connected to the wide area of Ocean Governance - IOI´s core experience.

IOI’s capacity development role is further enhanced through the provision of dedicated scholarships, bursaries and study support and sponsorship packages aimed at supporting applicants from developing countries, and also the pursuit of ocean research, in several ways. These opportunities are offered through the generous support of the donors to the IOI programmes, principally the Ocean Science and Research Foundation (OSRF) and other partners and supporters.

Events held by IOI under its  capacity development mission include:

• Two Training Workshops on Basic Concepts of Ocean Governance for Early Career Ocean Professionals, with a focus on the African Seas; Offered Online by the IOI through the IOI training centre in South Africa, in partnership with the ECOP Programme, an endorsed Action of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, IOC-UNESCO. These workshops aimed at providing a basic interdisciplinary introduction to the concepts of Ocean governance, targeted to ECOPs hailing from countries bordering the seas of the African continent.

First workshop was held on 29 & 31 March; 5 & 7 April 2022; Read report here.

Second Workshop was held on 1,3,8 & 10 November 2022;  Read report here.

• Training on MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING FOR THE CASPIAN SEA ~ Blue Planning in Practice ~ Ecosystem-based Marine and Coastal Planning and Management; 17 - 21 July 2017, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Organised jointly by the IOI, the State Enterprise on Caspian Sea Issues at the President of Turkmenistan, and the Blue Solutions Initiative. The report is available for download in the September 2017 edition of the IOInforma below.

• The Malta Third Country Training Programme on Ocean Governance and Blue Growth. This training event was offered in Malta by the IOI and the Commonwealth Secretariat from the 17th to the 23rd September 2015.   A report on this event is available for download in the October 2015 edition of IOInforma below.