GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1
Welcome to the first edition of the IGR-2 Special Series of organizations, and the private sector--play a crucial role in
GPA Outreach. GPA Outreach is a monthly newsletter implementing the GPA either through their own activities
produced during the preparatory process of the Second or
in
partnership
with
governments
and
other
Intergovernmental Review Meeting (IGR-2) of the UNEP stakeholders. Stakeholders have been actively engaged
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the in contributing to the preparatory process of the IGR-2.
Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA).
Since February 2006, GPA Outreach has aimed to keep This IGR-2 Special Series of GPA Outreach, produced on
stakeholders up-to-date on the planning and preparatory Days 1, 3, and 5 of the IGR-2, aims to highlight the
events of the IGR-2. Special editions of GPA Outreach important
contribution
of
stakeholders
to
the
produced at the 4th Word Water Week in Mexico City and implementation of the GPA. Over the week, this newsletter
World Water Week in Stockholm also served to raise will include articles on the role of stakeholders in
awareness among the freshwater community about the implementing the GPA and provide space for stakeholder
important role of the Global Programme of Action and representatives to express their views and policy
spread the message of the importance of linking coastal, recommendations for the IGR-2.
marine and freshwater environments.


While the implementation of the
G P A
i s
p r i m a r i l y
t h e
responsibility
of
national
g o v e r n m e n t s ,
o t h e r
stakeholders--including NGOs,
i n t e r g o v e r n m e n t a l
PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Partnerships are a key means through which the In
May
2003,
the
Commission
on
Sustainable
contribution of stakeholders to the implementation of the Development (CSD)-11 further advanced the notion that
GPA is realized.
successful partnerships for sustainable development must

adhere to certain guidelines and principles. The decision
Since the early 1990s, partnerships have emerged within included several key ideas­ partnerships should:
the United Nations system as an innovative and ·
"add value" by furthering previously negotiated
increasingly acknowledged means of realizing the
international commitments
sustainable development agenda. Through successive ·
"be new ­ that is not merely reflect existing
international meetings and negotiated texts the definition
arrangements."
and diverse typologies of partnerships have been ·
"complement" not "replace." Such that partnerships
developed and refined. In 2002, the Johannesburg Plan of
"are not intended to substitute commitments made
Implementation (JPOI), adopted by the World Summit on
by Governments but supplement the implementation
Sustainable Development (WSSD), broke new ground by
of [various international agreements]."
officially recognizing partnerships as an essential means ·
be clearly linked to existing commitments
of
implementation.
Partnerships
for
·
include sustainable development in
sustainable development are defined as:
"...the challenge now is to learn

their design and implementation
from these experiences and to

move from the current phase of
·
achieve thematic and geographic
"...voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiatives experimentation towards a more
balance as much as possible
contributing to the implementation of systematic approach to
·
inform national focal points about
Agenda 21, Rio+5, the Johannesburg Plan partnerships that includes a

their activities and progress
of Implementation and the internationally greater focus on their impact and ·
be publicly announced
agreed
development
goals
in
the s
u
s t
ai
n
a
bi l ity."

Millennium Declaration."

-Secretary General's Report,
Continued on page 2

2005
GPA Outreach supports the preparatory work for the Second Intergovernmental Review Meeting (IGR-2) of the
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA)

This IGR-2 Series of GPA Outreach is produced by Stakeholder
Forum and the Global Forum on Oceans Coasts and Islands, in
collaboration with the UNEP/G G
PA P
C A
oo
r O
din u
ati t
or
n e
a
Offic
c h
e · IGR-2 Series
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GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1
Continued from page 1
because they see little benefit or support in doing so. In

addition, there is a growing sense among stakeholders
By involving stakeholders in partnerships, the United that the partnership process is more rhetoric and less
Nations is able to direct crucial skills and new resources action. The result is slowed momentum on the part of
towards its work. Furthermore, innovative solutions to important partnership initiatives.
complex problems can be created when diverse
stakeholders are able to share their knowledge, learn It is clear, therefore, that the practice of partnership must
together and develop a collective approach. In successful move beyond mere acceptance and public relations. As
multi-stakeholder partnerships, partners share risks, pool outlined in the Secretary-General's August 2005 report "...
resources and talents and deliver mutual benefits for each the challenge now is to learn from these experiences and
partner. As such, they develop collective commitment and to move from the current phase of experimentation
capacity to turn ideas and plans into action(1).
towards a more systematic approach to partnerships that

includes
a
greater
focus
on
their
impact
and
Nowhere is the commitment to the value of partnerships to sustainability"(2).
sustainable development more evident than in the CSD,
the custodian of the Rio and Johannesburg commitments. In doing so, many outstanding challenges(3) pertaining to
In this forum, partnerships have continued to gain visibility the practice of partnerships must be addressed, in
and
prominence
as
an
important
means
of particular:
implementation, along with the more traditional overseas
development assistance and technical cooperation. The a) Priority on Partnerships: While the general concept of
forum has provided a space for learning and innovation, partnerships has widespread support, opinions differ on
generating hundreds of initiatives and helping to the emphasis partnerships should receive relative to other
disseminate lessons learned, through:
means of implementation. Some perceive a growing
·
A publicly accessible, web-based "Partnership pressure to advance policy and achieve implementation
Database" is CSD's main information hub on through partnership models, but are concerned that there
registered partnerships. Summary reports, based on is a lack of adequate financial and leadership resources to
the data collected, are prepared annually as input to carry out successful efforts. Others believe partnerships
the CSD process.
offer a new means of mobilizing action and leveraging
·
A "Partnership Fair" is organized at each CSD for multi-sector resources to achieve specific outcomes--
registered
initiatives
"to
network,
identify ones that cannot be achieved as effectively through
partnerships
and
learn
from
each
others governmental initiatives alone. Others still believe that
experience."
partnerships hold inherent risks in terms of their ability to
·
A "Learning Centre" offers small group training deal with pressing and/or politically unattractive problems;
sessions on operational and substantive issues their ability to mobilize resources on an ongoing basis; and
facing partnerships.
their long-term impact.
·
Summary Reports and notes draw out essential ·
What kind of examination is helpful to review and
analysis and lessons learned from partnerships
evaluate the efficacy of partnerships as a means of
presented at the CSD.
implementation? What criteria should guide this

examination?
·
How can evaluating the impact of partnerships help
create momentum for WSSD implementation?

b) New vs. Ongoing Initiatives: While the importance of
launching new initiatives is often recognized, many
acknowledge the political pressure to launch new
Emerging Issues
initiatives and the fact that a "new" initiative can more
Despite such developments, a number of stakeholder easily generate funding, partnership commitments and
interlocutors have expressed their desire to see the visibility. A common concern is the state of registered,
partnership process, through the CSD, become more ongoing partnerships, many of which have not been able
effective. These groups--NGOs, trade unions and private to scale up beyond the pilot phase. It is sometimes argued
initiatives--represent stakeholders and a number of that more focus should be placed on evaluating existing
important partnerships; but many of these groups choose partnerships and helping them work, rather than re-
not to register their partnerships with the CSD process
Continued on page 3
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GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1
Continued from page 2
while the political and public relations benefit of a newly
launched partnership is achieved in the short run, it has
directing limited resources on launching new initiatives.
been much more difficult to gain attention for re-
·
How can partnerships be encouraged to present a invigorating ongoing initiatives.
frank
assessment
of
their
challenges
and ·
How can momentum for financial commitments in
successes?
support of partnership be created?
·
What support can be given to help partnerships
succeed?
Partnerships and the GPA

Partnerships clearly offer great potential to bring much
c) Emphasis on Outcome: The diversity of partnership needed resources and expertise to the implementation of
models has made it difficult to develop a single standard the GPA. In light of the challenges outlined above,
evaluation measure that can be used for comparative Partnership Day at IGR-2 provides a unique opportunity to
purposes. Still, it is widely believed that there should be a draw from the experiences and lessons learned from
means of evaluating if registered partnerships are fulfilling partnerships implementing the GPA, while gaining a
their mandate. No such mechanism currently exists. greater understanding of the results achieved through
Participants noted that despite the voluntary nature of partnerships, the challenges and constraints faced by
partnerships, it was important to create metrics, beyond partnerships, and opportunities for further supporting
what is currently collected in the Partnership Database, partnerships in the next five years.
and to implement independent monitoring and evaluation.

·
By what metrics should partnerships be evaluated? In doing so, participants should ask how partnerships are
·
Should
there
be
some
consequence
for making a difference to the implementation of the GPA?
partnerships that "are not performing"? If so, what?
And is that difference what we hoped it could be? If not,
what actions on the part of governments and other
stakeholders are necessary to ensure that the valuable
contribution of partnerships to the GPA are achieved?



(1)
Minu Hemmati and Robert Whitfield, "Capacity Building
for Sustainable Development Partnerships," Stakeholder
Forum, 2003.
(2)
"Enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and
all relevant partners, in particular private sector," Report
of the Secretary-General. A/60/214. August 2005. P.4
(3)
This analysis is based on interviews conducted by Maria
Figueroa Küpcü with participants of the CSD, August
2005.
(4)
"Partnerships for Sustainable Development." Report of the
Secretary-General. E/CN.17/2006/6. March 2006.



d) Financing: A major challenge facing the successful The content of this article is based on: "Ideas for launching
launch and success of partnerships is the ability to secure and evaluating new partnerships/ initiatives and reinforcing
sufficient funding beyond the "seed funding" phase. As of ongoing ones" by Maria Figueroa Küpcü, Stakeholder
February 2006, 67% of all registered partnerships were Forum, 2005. Available at www.stakeholderforum.org
seeking additional funding for their initiatives. Of those,
25% provided specific figures for the funding they are
currently seeking. These additional amounts needed range
from tens of thousands to tens of millions of United States
dollars. 22% of partnerships reported they were not
seeking additional funding(4). Participants report that
stalemates over funding, lag time in realizing funding
commitments, and uncertainty over future funding are the
leading cause for "stalled" or "dormant" partnerships. And
GPA Outreach · IGR-2 Series
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GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1


PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

White Water to Blue Water Partnership:
The Miami Conference was designed to create as many
partnership opportunities as possible. Plenary sessions
A Model for
were short and inspirational in nature, while most of the
Partnership
Conference was organized into breakout sessions.
Building in the
Evening opportunities were set aside for country teams to
meet and compare notes. The first plenary session of
Wider Caribbean
each day was set aside for announcements of new
and Beyond
partnerships. Two evenings were set aside for informal

matchmaking socials, with tables available for those who
wished to gather to discuss specific topics. The Tuesday
White
Water
to
Blue
social focused on UNEP's GPA. Several partnerships
W a t e r
( W W 2 B W )
partnership established at the World Summit on discussed at this event were spawned at the Regional
Sustainable Development and led by the Caribbean Consultative Meeting on the GPA Programme of Work in
Community, Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y the Wider Caribbean sponsored by UNEP and the Water
Desarrollo, the United Nations Economic Commission for Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the
Caribbean (CATHALAC) (February 10-12, 2004, Colon,
Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), the United Republic of Panama). It is hoped that the concept of using
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United
States of America. The partnership is under the direction multiple meetings, under varying auspices to focus on
of an international Executive Committee representing specific themes and programs might be, in itself, a new
governments,
U.N.
organizations,
non-governmental method for promoting partnerships in the region.
organizations, universities and the private sector.

In the spring and early summer of 2006, the Executive

White Water to Blue Water is based on the premise that Committee held periodic meetings to discuss the next
sustainable development in the Wider Caribbean region is steps forward under the newly established WW2BW
not possible without integrated watershed and marine structure. The new structure is composed of a small
ecosystem-based management. The process is designed Executive Committee, the wider Governing Council and a
Secretariat which provides support for WW2BW activities.
to create and expand as many partnerships aimed at A WW2BW Governing Council Meeting will be held
these twin goals as possible.

preceding the November 29 Caribbean Environment
The White Water to Blue Water Partnership Conference Program Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) in Montego
held in Miami on March 22-26, 2004 was an important Bay. This will provide an opportunity to update the Council
event in the implementation of the partnership. The and regional participants on the new structure and ideas
for further partnering in the key theme areas of integrated
meeting was designed to focus on four overlapping watershed management, environmentally sound marine
themes: integrated watershed management; marine
ecosystem-based management; sustainable tourism and transportation, sustainable tourism, and marine
environmentally sound marine transportation. In addition,
the issues were addressed through several cross-cutting
themes, including education, marine science and
adaptation to climate change.

In preparation for the meeting, International Visiting
Teams, went to Wider Caribbean countries to encourage
the formation of interagency "Country Teams" for the
purpose of identifying WW2BW opportunities and, more
specifically, to participate in the Miami Conference. Also,
during the months preceding the Conference, a "Rollup" of
partnerships, organized by theme, was created and
transferred to a matchmaking website (www.ww2bw.org)
for the purpose of maximizing new opportunities. The
website continues to perform a matchmaking function for
the region for the foreseeable future.
Continued on page 5

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GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1
Continued from page 4
other partnerships can replicate the WW2BW model and

how they can adapt the model for their own involvement in
ecosystem-based management. The upcoming meeting the GPA. WW2BW can also provide insights on their
will be the first of the larger WW2BW Council and will experience in dealing with the difficulties of getting off the
provide new opportunities for involvement in the ground and in sustaining momentum. Finally the WW2BW
partnership.
workshop at IGR-2 will explore the potential synergies

between international plans of action to protect
The Executive Committee is also working on development watersheds and coastal areas.
of a "Mobilizing Resources Primer" as well as other
resources and materials that will be useful to Council For more information about this partnership, please
members and distributed at the Intergovernmental Review contact:
of the Global Programme of Action in Beijing in October
and the IGM in Montego Bay in November. The resources Mr. Tom Lauglin
will also be available on the www.ww2bw.org website as Deputy Director
soon as possible.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of

International Affairs
White Water to Blue Water currently serves as a model for 14th and Constitution NW, Room 6224
orchestrating successful partnerships. The White Water to Washington, DC 20230 USA
Blue Water tools can be used to establish similar Tel: 1-202-482-6196; Fax: 1-202-482-4307
partnership models in other regions. During Partnerships Email: tom.laughlin@noaa.gov
Day at IGR-2, lessons learned, pitfalls that may occur, and
what needs to be done by the WW2BW Partnership in
order to move forward would be discussed. As a flagship
of the partnerships, WW2BW will hold a discussion on how
GPA EVENTS
Advancing the Oceans, Coasts, Small Island · Thinking Ahead: What We Need to Do on
Developing States (SIDS), and Freshwater/
Freshwater and on Connecting Freshwater to
Oceans Agenda in the Next Decade: Key Issues
Oceans
and Opportunities

Prof.
Torkil
Jönch-Clausen,
Director,
Danish
Thursday, October 19, 2006, 13:15 to 14:45,
Hydrological Institute, Water and Environment, and
Room 10 Level 3
Senior Adviser, UNEP
The event will focus on key challenges and opportunities · Perspectives on Key Issues and Opportunities for
for the integrated implementation of the oceans, coasts,
Advancing
the
Oceans,
Coasts,
SIDS,
and
SIDS, and the freshwater/oceans agenda in the next
Freshwater/Oceans Agenda in the Next Decade
decade, 2006-2016, paying particular attention to the
Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP
forthcoming review of the oceans agenda by the UN

Commission on Sustainable Development in 2014-2015.
Roundtable Discussion:

· Ambassador Enele Sopoaga, Permanent Mission of
INVITED SPEAKERS
Tuvalu to the United Nations, Vice-Chair, Alliance of
Chair: Ms. Lori Ridgeway, Director-General, International
Small Island States
Coordination and Policy Analysis, Fisheries and Oceans, · Dr. Vladimir Golitsyn, Director, UN Division for Ocean
Canada,
and
Co-Chair,
United
Nations
Informal
Affairs and the Law of the Sea
Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea
· Dr. Magnus Ngoile, EEZ Governance Team Leader,

GEF Project on Marine and Coastal Environment
Presentations:
Program, Tanzania
· A Strategy for Advancing the Oceans, Coasts, · Dr. Al Duda, Senior Adviser, International Waters,
SIDS, and Freshwater/Oceans Agenda, 2006 to 2016
Global Environment Facility

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Co-Chair and Head of · Mr. Felix Dodds, Executive Director, Stakeholder
Secretariat, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and
Forum for a Sustainable Future
Islands


Sponsor: Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands
GPA Outreach · IGR-2 Series
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GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
IGR-2 Special Series
16 October 2006
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Issue 1
GPA EVENTS
Side event: Developing Stakeholder input to
China) to share their positions and experiences on
the Beijing Declaration
protection of the marine environment in advance of the

IGR-2.

Wednesday 18 October
Stakeholder Forum has been actively working with Major
11:00 - 13:00, Room 11

Groups and other stakeholders to ensure that a strong
Throughout the preparatory process of the IGR-2, a series stakeholder input is reflected in the Beijing Declaration on
of consultations have been organised by the UNEP/GPA furthering the implementation of the Global Programme of
Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from
Coordination Office to gather feedback on various agenda Land-based Activities.
items of IGR-2. A number of partners and organisations
have offered their support to this process.

This working meeting will bring together Major Groups,
To this end, Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future is including NGOs, academics, and other stakeholders at the
partnering with the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office to IGR-2 to finalise this preparatory process. All are
conduct stakeholder consultations in preparation for the welcome.

IGR-2. The purpose of these dialogues is to enable a For more information, please visit
broad range of local, national, and regional stakeholders
(including those who are unable to attend the IGR-2 in www.stakeholderforum.org/gpa.html
About Stakeholder Forum
About Global Forum on Oceans,
for a Sustainable Future
Coasts and Islands
Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future's
The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and
mission is to inform, influence, promote, and
Islands, organized informally in 2001 and
advance the implementation of sustainable
formalized at the 2002 World Summit on
development. Stakeholder Forum fulfils this
Sustainable
Development
(WSSD)
in
mission by developing and facilitating multi-
Johannesburg, serves as a multi-stakeholder
stakeholder
processes
that
engage
stakeholders
in
the
development
and
forum for cross-sectoral discussion, policy
implementation of sustainable development policy. To
analyses, and mobilization of knowledge
support multi-stakeholder processes, Stakeholder Forum and other resources to achieve the full implementation of
also undertakes activities related to capacity building, international agreements related to oceans, coasts, and
training, and policy development.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Global

Forum brings together leading ocean, coastal, and SIDS
Stakeholder Forum is delighted to continue our partnership experts from governments, intergovernmentaland
with UNEP GPA as we build toward the IGR-2. international organizations (including all the relevant UN
Stakeholder Forum is working with UNEP GPA to agencies), nongovernmental organizations, private
undertake
outreach
and
conduct
dialogue
with
stakeholders to ensure that the IGR-2 will gain from the sector, and academic and scientific institutions.
experience and expertise of a broad range of
stakeholders.
For more information visit www.globaloceans.org


For more information visit www.stakeholderforum.org
CONTACTS
· For general GPA enquiries, including information about IGR-2 please email igr2@unep.nl or telephone +31 70 311 4460.
· For information on this newsletter, contact Jennifer Peer at jpeer@stakeholderforum.org or Miriam Balgos at mbalgos@UDel.Edu
· To submit an article to GPA Outreach, please contact Jennifer Peer at jpeer@stakeholderforum.org
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