GLOBAL FORUM ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS
MOBILIZING FOR IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE COMMITMENTS MADE AT THE 2002
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND SMALL ISLAND
DEVELOPING STATES
CO-CHAIRS' REPORT OF
2003 GLOBAL CONFERENCE
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS,
UNESCO, PARIS, NOVEMBER 12-14, 2003
AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS
May 2004
Fisheries and Oceans
Canadian International
Foreign Affairs
Canada
Development Agency
Canada
National Oceans Office
Stragetic Commission
Australia
on the Oceans
Portugal

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The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands represents an
vironmental, scientific/technical, industry, foundations), and
alliance of leading ocean experts from the governmental, non-
others to effectively implement, at national and regional levels,
governmental and international and intergovernmental sectors
major international agreements on oceans, especially the com-
formed to advance the interests of oceans--incorporating 72 %
mitments made in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation,
of the Earth; coasts--the home of 50% of the world's population;
and commitments from Agenda 21 and other related agree-
and islands--44 of the world's nations are small island develop-
ments;
ing states which are especially dependent on the oceans.
· Work as a catalyst to mobilize knowledge, resources, and orga-
nizational action to advance the global oceans agenda;
This alliance began to form in 2001 as part of the preparations
for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and · Raise the international profile of oceans, coasts, and islands in
first came together at the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts,
all relevant global, regional, and sub-regional fora and mobilize
and Islands at Rio+10: Toward the 2002 World Summit on
resources to address these issues;
Sustainable Development--Assessing Progress, Addressing Con-
tinuing and New Challenges, held on December 3 to 7, 2001, at · Mobilize public awareness on oceans, coasts, and islands, and
UNESCO in Paris. Oceans, coasts, and islands were not initially on
promote information sharing and dissemination.
the WSSD agenda, which emphasized issues concerning water
and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity. How- Global Forum Publications and Information Services
ever, following the mobilization of interested governments, non-
governmental organizations, and UN agencies into a global oceans Co-Chairs' Report from the Global Conference on Oceans and
alliance early in the WSSD preparatory process, advances in Coasts at Rio+10 (2001)
oceans, coasts, and islands represent one of the most important Ministerial Perspectives on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10 (2001)
outcomes of the World Summit.
Reports of the Conference Working Groups from the Global Con-
As noted in the UN Secretary General's report on Oceans and the ference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10 (2001)
Law of the Sea (March 3, 2003, A/58/65): The persistent efforts of A Guide to Oceans, Coasts, and Islands at the World Summit on
all interested groups, beginning with the Global Conference on Sustainable Development (2002)
Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10, persuaded the preparatory meet-
ings for the Johannesburg Conference that not only was UNCLOS Toward Mauritius 2004: Voluntary Partnership Initiatives from
the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and Small
not the end of the road, but also that many of the commitments Island Developing States (2003)
of the UNCED at Rio remained unfulfilled. (p. 7).
Pre-Conference Proceedings Volume, Global Conference on
The global alliance, begun in the WSSD preparatory process, was Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Implementation of
formalized into the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands the Commitments Made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustain-
at the Johannesburg summit to serve as a forum for cross-sectoral able Development (2003)
discussion, analyses, and mobilization of knowledge and resources Internet services: www.globaloceans.org provides a variety of
to advance the global oceans agenda.
information services on global, regional, and national develop-
ments related to oceans, coasts, and islands
Global Forum Goals
Global Forum Newsletter, an electronic newsletter, is published
· Work together with governments, international and intergov- every two months (available on www.globaloceans.org)
ernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations (en-
For copies of this report or of other Global Forum Publications, please contact: Catherine Johnston, Secretariat,
Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, c/o Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, Robinson Hall 301, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA. Telephone: 1-302-831-8086, Fax: 1-302-831-3668. Email: johnston@udel.edu

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MOBILIZING FOR IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE COMMITMENTS MADE AT THE 2002
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND SMALL ISLAND
DEVELOPING STATES
Co-Chairs' Report of
2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
UNESCO, Paris, November 12-14, 2003
and Subsequent Developments
By Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain1, Dr. Patricio A. Bernal2, Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd3,
Dr. Miriam C. Balgos4, and Mr. Julian Barbière5
Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
May 2004
(Editors' Note: Any errors or omissions in this report are the responsibility
of the authors in their individual capacities.)
1 University of Delaware, Global Forum Co-Chair; 2 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO, Global Forum Co-Chair; 3 UNEP Global
Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, Global Forum Co-Chair; 4 University of Delaware;
5 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO

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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge, with sincere thanks, the financial and other support received from the following organi-
zations and individuals. Without their support and dedication to advancing the global oceans agenda,
this effort would not have been possible.
Conference Patrons
Conference Travel and In-kind Support
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of
Acquario de Genova; Acuario Nacional y Comite Oceanografico
UNESCO
Nacional, Cuba; Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea;
Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, Univer-
AMCROPS; Cardiff University; Commission of the Convention
sity of Delaware
for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East
United Nations Environment Programme, GPA Co-
Atlantic; Dalhousie University; Department of Ocean Development,
ordination Office
India; English Nature; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Glo-
International Program Office, National Ocean Service, bal Coral Reef Monitoring Network; Global Environment Facility;
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Global Islands Network; Global Ocean Observing System; Gov-
tion
ernment of Portugal; International Institute for Sustainable Develop-
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
ment; International Coral Reef Action Network; International Union
for Conservation of Nature; Lukoil Ltd-Lower Volga Oil Com-
Conference Sponsors
pany; Marine Aquarium Council; Ministry of Ecology and Sustain-
able Development, France; Ministry for the Environment, Iceland;
Institute for Ocean Policy, Ship & Ocean Foundation,
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland; Ministry of Environment, Italy;
Japan
Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife, Kenya;
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Musee Oceanographique de Monaco; National Environment Man-
Department of Foreign Affairs and International
agement Council, Tanzania; Nature Seychelles; Nausicaa; NEPAD,
Trade, Canada
Kenya; Oceana; OECD Development Co-Operation Directorate,
Environment and Development in Coastal Regions
France; Palau Conservation Society; Ramsar Convention Bureau;
and in Small Islands (CSI), UNESCO
Reef Check; Reef Museum; National Sea Grant College Program;
International Ocean Institute (IOI)
Ship & Ocean Foundation; SOPAC; South Street Seaport Museum;
State Oceanic Administration, China; Swedish International Devel-
Collaborating Organizations
opment Agency; The Nature Conservancy; Two Oceans Aquarium;
U.S. Department of State; Unilever-Frozen Foods Europe; United
National Oceans Office, Australia
Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea; United Na-
NAUSICAA, Centre National de la Mer, France
tions Environment Programme; United Nations Food and Agricul-
The World Ocean Network
tural Organization; United Nations Industrial Development Organi-
The World Bank Institute
zation; University of Rhode Island; University of Thessaly; Univer-
Centro de Ecologia, Pesquerias y Oceanografia del
sity of West Indies; Wildlife Conservation Society; WMO/IOC
Golfo de Mexico (EPOMEX), Universidad
Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology
Autonoma de Campeche, Mexico
(JCOMM); World Bank; World Conservation Union (IUCN);
Partnerships in Environmental Management for the
World Forum of Fish Handlers and Fish Workers; World Maritime
Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
University; World Ocean Network; World Tourism Organization;
Strategic Commission on the Oceans, Portugal
World Wildlife Fund, United Kingdom; WWF International.
Individuals who played, with great dedication, a key role in the organization of the Global Conference and in the
preparation of this report:
Miriam Balgos
Kevin Goldstein
Christiane Le Conan
Jennifer Perce
Julian Barbiere
Sonia Guiraud
Jonathan Lilley
Cigie Pontes
Stefano Belfiore
Jorge Gutierrez Lara
Christy Loper
Evelia Rivera Arriaga
Virginie Bonnet
Darren Hirst
Claire Marriott
Adrien Vannier
Virginie Bujoli
Catherine Johnston
Bernice McLean
Cherie Whelan
Wendy Dodds
Iryna Kalynychenko
Evangelia Moutselou
Anamarija Frankic
Oleksiy Kalynychenko
Isabel Torres de Noronha
Irene Gazagne
Jui-Chung Kao
David Osborn
ii

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...ii
8. Mobilizing Resources Towards the Achievement
of WSSD Targets on Oceans, Coasts, and
FOREWORD...v
SIDS...61
PART III. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS...vi
AND SPECIAL ADDRESSES
LIST OF BOXES AND TABLES...vii
1. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
PART I. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW:
China
THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE
Mr. Sun Zhihui
DEVELOPMENT (WSSD) AND OCEANS,
Deputy Administrator
COASTS, AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING
State Oceanic Administration, China
STATES
CHINA'S ACTION FOR MARINE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT...77
1. Purpose of this Report...1
India
2. The WSSD and Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS...1
Dr. Harsh K. Gupta
3. 2001 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and
Secretary to Government of India
Islands...1
Department of Ocean Development, India
PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE
4. Results of the WSSD on Oceans, Coasts, and
IMPLEMENTATION OF WSSD
SIDS...3
COMMITMENTS: THE INDIAN
5. The 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and
PERSPECTIVE...81
Islands...4
Mauritius
6. Highlights of the 2003 Global Conference...7
H.E. Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul
7. Organization of this Volume...11
Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United
Nations
PART II. ASSESSING PROGRESS ON MAJOR
and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States
WSSD TARGETS RELATED TO:
(AOSIS)
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES,
1. Addressing Cross-sectoral Aspects...15
OCEANS, AND COASTS AND THE
2. Enhancing United Nations Coherence...23
MAURITIUS INTERNATIONAL
MEETING...85
3. Establishing a Global Marine Assessment...29
Canada
4. Advancing Implementation of the Global
Programme of Action for the Protection of the
Mr. Daniel McDougall
Marine Environment from Land-based Activities...33
Director-General of Oceans
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
5. Addressing the Issues of Small Island Developing
ADDRESS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
States...39
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS...89
6. Improving Fisheries Management...49
7. Expanding and Improving Management of Marine
Protected Areas, Biodiversity, and Coral Reefs...55
iii

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
France
Dr. Sylvia Earle
H.E. Ms. Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin
Director, Global Marine Programs
Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development,
Conservation International
France
CHALLENGES TO THE GLOBAL OCEANS
ADDRESS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
ENVIRONMENT...111
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS...91
Dr. Tullio Treves
Iceland
Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
H.E. Ambassador Gunnar Palsson
Professor at the University of Milan, Italy
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland
BEYOND THE LAW OF THE SEA
and Chair, Senior Arctic Officials
CONVENTION?
PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY
STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF THE LAW OF
THE ARCTIC COUNCIL IN ADDRESSING
THE SEA CONVENTION AT THE 20TH
WSSD COMMITMENTS...95
ANNIVERSARY...115
Portugal
Prof. Jon M. Van Dyke
H.E. Mr. José Luís Arnaut
Professor
Minister Assistant to the Prime Minister of Portugal
University of Hawaii at Manoa
and Chairman, Strategic Commission on Oceans,
Richardson School of Law, USA
Portugal
THE EVOLVING BALANCE BETWEEN
PORTUGUESE STRATEGIC COMMISSION
NAVIGATIONAL FREEDOMS AND PROTECTION
ON OCEANS...97
OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS
RESOURCES...119
United States of America
Dr. William J. Brennan
Mr. Emilio Gabbrielli
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs
Executive Secretary
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Global Water Partnership, Sweden
U.S. Department of Commerce
ORGANIZING FOR THE GLOBAL WATER AGENDA:
U.S. IMPLEMENTATION OF WORLD
LESSONS LEARNED AND LINKS TO THE
SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE
OCEANS...123
DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS...101
Mr. Alan Simcock
Executive Secretary, OSPAR Commission for the Protection
2. SPECIAL ADDRESSES
of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
TOWARD ACHIEVING WSSD OBJECTIVES
Dr. Klaus Toepfer
AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL...127
Executive Director
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
PART IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS...133
ADDRESS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS...105
REFERENCES...139
Lord (Prof.) Julian Hunt
Professor and Fellow of Royal Society, United
APPENDICES
Kingdom
Chairman, Advisory Committee on Protection of the
A. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Text...143
Sea (ACOPS)
ADDRESS TO THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
B. List of Participants, 2003 Global Conference...147
ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS...107
iv

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Foreword
Government delegates meeting at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), which took place in Johannesburg,
South Africa from August 26 to September 4, 2002, negotiated and agreed on an action plan for oceans, coasts, and small island
developing States (SIDS), with quite specific targets and timetables for action. Major examples include applying the ecosystem
approach to marine areas by 2010 and establishing networks of marine protected areas by 2012. Important targets were also
established on issues related to SIDS (e.g., assess progress achieved on sustainable development in island nations); on fisheries
issues (e.g., managing fishery capacity by 2005 and controlling illegal fishing by 2004), and in other ocean-related areas as well.
The targets and timetables found in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation represent an important advance because they
have enshrined, as global imperatives by the world's political leaders, many of the goals previously posited by expert groups and
specialized agencies. There is now a global consensus reached at the highest political levels that there is an urgent need to take
specific action to reverse declining trends in oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
The WSSD targets and timetables, however, are not "self-implementing." Instead, governments around the world will need
much assistance and support from all parts of the oceans, coasts, and SIDS community--to operationalize what needs to be
done, to mobilize the requisite knowledge and financial resources, and to maintain the high-level political support essential to
achieve the sorely needed "on-the-ground" improvements in the health and condition of marine ecosystems and in the well-
being of coastal communities.
This volume presents the results of the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Implementation of the Commitments
Made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development on Oceans, Coasts, and Small Island Developing States, held at UNESCO in
Paris on November 12-14, 2003. Organized by the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, the conference sought to
examine progress achieved, obstacles faced in, and mobilization around the implementation of the WSSD targets and time-
tables related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
This was the first effort, out of all of the thematic areas addressed by the WSSD, to systematically assess WSSD implementation
progress and prospects. Since the oceans and coasts area is not scheduled to be addressed and reviewed by the UN Commis-
sion on Sustainable Development until 2014, it is especially important for the oceans, coasts, and SIDS community to organize
its own periodic assessments of progress being achieved, obstacles faced, and strategies for effective implementation of the
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and of other related international oceans agreements.
This volume also reports on major developments in WSSD implementation related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS which have
taken place following the Global Conference, from November 2003 to May 2004, the publication date for this report. The
reader should note that given limited information, only major new developments are covered.
It is heartening to see that even though only about one and a half years have elapsed since the World Summit that progress can
be reported in a number of areas. It is heartening to us, too, to see that the global alliance forged to put oceans on the WSSD
agenda, continues working now to help ensure that the commitments made become a reality "on the ground." The Global
Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands brings together ocean experts from governments, nongovernmental organizations,
international and intergovernmental organizations, private sector, and public outreach organizations to promote the advance-
ment and implementation of the global oceans agenda. We invite all interested individuals and organizations to join in this
common effort to achieve the sustainable development of oceans, coastal areas, and small island developing States.
Our grateful thanks and appreciation go to the sponsors of the Global Conference and the Global Forum (listed on page ii), to
the members of the Global Forum Steering Committee (listed on the back inside cover of the report), and to a number of
individuals (listed on page ii) who played, with great dedication, a key role in the organization of the Global Conference and in
the preparation of this report.
Co-Chairs, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain
Dr. Patricio A. Bernal
Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd
v

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
List of Acronyms
CBD
Convention on Biological Diversity
LME
Large marine ecosystem
CMP
Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine
MPA
Marine protected area
Policy
NOAA U.S.
National
Oceanic
and
Atmospheric
EEZ
Exclusive Economic Zone
Administration
GEF
Global Environment Facility
NPA
National Programme of Action
GOOS
Global Ocean Observing System
ODA
Official Development Assistance
GPA
Global Programme of Action for the
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation
Protection of the Marine Environment
and Development
from Land-based Activities
SIDA
Swedish International Development
GWP Global
Water
Partnership
Assistance
IMO
International Maritime Organization
UN United
Nations
IPoA
International Plan of Action
UNCLOS
United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea
IOC Intergovernmental
Oceanographic
Commission
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme
IUU
Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported
WSSD World
Summit on Sustainable Develop-
[fishing]
ment
JPoI
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
vi

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
List of Boxes
1
Examples of the Importance of Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS...2
2
List of Authors and Papers Found in 2003 Pre-conference Proceedings Volume...8
3
East Asian Efforts on Ocean and Coastal Governance: Implementation of the WSSD at the
Regional Level...9
4
Report of Discussion Group on Integrated Coastal Management...18
5
Report of Pre-conference Meeting on National Ocean Policies... 20
6
Report of Pre-conference Meeting on Large Marine Ecosystems... 21
7
Major Milestones in UN Actions Related to Sustainable Development of SIDS...42
8
NGO Support for Marine and Coastal Protected Area Partnerships in SIDS...59
9
Sustainable Development Partnerships to Prevent Marine Pollution ...63
10
International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development...64
11
White Water to Blue Water Partnership...65
12
The Passport of the Citizen of the Ocean...72
13
The Dublin Principles on which the GWP is based...124
14 What
is
Water
Governance...124
List of Tables
1
Major Targets and Timetables Adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
Related to Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS...5
2
Major Milestones Related to the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
Activities...35
3
JPoI Goals and Targets That Have a Direct Bearing on the Achievement of WSSD Fisheries
Targets...51
4
Toward Implementation of WSSD Goals on Oceans, Coasts, and Small Island Developing
States: A Summary...137
vii

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
viii

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
PART I. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Purpose of this Report
made (or lack thereof) at global, regional, and national levels
in the decade since the 1992 Earth Summit (United Nations
This volume reports on progress achieved and obstacles faced Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED),
in the implementation of the commitments made at the World and to chart a blueprint for action for the next decade.
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) (held in Oceans, coasts, and islands were not initially on the WSSD
Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 26 to September 4, agenda, which emphasized issues concerning water and sani-
2002) related to oceans, coasts, and small island developing tation, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity. However,
States (SIDS). The report presents highlights from the Glo- thanks to the mobilization of interested governments, non-
bal Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands held at governmental organizations, UN agencies, and others early
UNESCO in Paris on November 12-14, 2003. Organized in the WSSD preparatory process, advances in oceans, coasts,
by the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, the and islands represent one of the most important outcomes
Conference sought to examine progress achieved, obstacles of the World Summit. This alliance began to form in 2001
faced in, and mobilization around the implementation of the as part of the preparations for the WSSD and initially came
targets and timetable of the WSSD related to oceans, coasts, together at the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands at
and small island developing States. The Conference involved Rio+10: Toward the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Develop-
223 participants from 48 countries, representing perspectives ment--Assessing Progress, Addressing Continuing and New Challenges,
from governments, nongovernmental organizations, intergov- held on December 3 to 7, 2001, at UNESCO in Paris.
ernmental and international organizations, private sector, and
public outreach organizations, and benefited from the par- 2001 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and
ticipation of 15 ministers and other high level participants.
Islands
This was the first effort, out of all of the thematic areas
addressed by the WSSD, to systematically assess WSSD imple- The 2001 Global Conference, involving 424 participants from
mentation progress and prospects. Since the oceans and coasts 61 countries (ocean experts from governments, nongovern-
area is not scheduled to be addressed and reviewed by the mental organizations, intergovernmental and international
UN Commission on Sustainable Development until 2014, it organizations, public sector, and public outreach organiza-
is especially important for the oceans, coasts, and small island tions) assessed global progress on oceans and coasts in the
developing States community to organize its own assessment decade since new agreements on oceans and coasts had been
of progress being achieved, obstacles faced, and strategies adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, includ-
for effective implementation of WSSD targets and timetables. ing Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, and the oceans-related aspects
of the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Frame-
This volume also reports on major developments in WSSD work Convention on Climate Change. The decade from
implementation related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS which 1992-2002 was marked by a number of important develop-
have taken place following the Global Conference, from ments related to oceans, including the coming into force of
November 2003 to May 2004, the publication date for this the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; modi-
report. The reader should note that only major new devel- fications in the regimes related to deepseabed mining and to
opments are covered.
straddling fish stocks; major investments and experimenta-
In this Introduction, we first review major developments lead- tion in ocean and coastal management in many countries; and
ing up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, extensive work by international entities in providing guidance
provide an overview of the commitments made at the WSSD, for and capacity building in sustainable development of ma-
review highlights from the 2003 Global Conference, and rine and coastal areas.
present the organization of this volume.
The 2001 Global Conference documented the economic,
The WSSD and Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS
social and environmental importance of oceans, coasts, and
SIDS (see Box 1), and assessed the progress achieved, or lack
The World Summit on Sustainable Development brought thereof, since the Earth Summit, e.g.: what problems/con-
together 21,340 participants from 191 governments, inter- straints had been encountered; what lessons had been learned;
governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, what new trends were present in 2001 that were not present
industry, and academia, including many heads of state and 10 years earlier; what efforts needed to be refocused or redi-
other high level officials to assess the progress that had been rected; and what recommendations should be put forward
1

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
for the global agenda on oceans, coasts, and SIDS for the understanding of oceans and coasts (for example, through
next decade?
the development of the Integrated Global Ocean Observ-
The analysis revealed a number of positive changes since the ing System).
1992 Earth Summit (Bernal, Cicin-Sain, Belfiore, and Barbiere, At the same time, the analysis found that important prob-
2002): 1) significant institutional progress has been made-- lems remain (Bernal, Cicin-Sain, Belfiore, and Barbiere, 2002).
The "on-the-ground" condition of ocean resources and
Box 1. Examples of the Importance
coastal communities remains poor. Poverty continues largely
unabated and unhealthful conditions predominate in coastal
of Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS
communities of the developing world (e.g., 90% of sewage
·
in developing countries is untreated and there are 250 million
Oceans comprise 72% of the Earth's
cases of gastroenteritis annually). The multitude of activities
surface
supported in oceans, coasts, and islands is placing increasing
· Coasts contain more than 50% of human
pressure on the integrity of coastal and marine ecosystems
population
and many oceanic, coastal, and island resources are threat-
ened through overexploitation. Seventy-five percent of glo-
· 70% of megacities (greater than 8 million
bal fisheries are either fully utilized or overutilized. Seventy
inhabitants) are coastal
percent of 126 marine mammal species are threatened. Fifty
· 44 of the world's nations are small island
percent of the world's mangroves have been lost and im-
portant seagrass habitats are rapidly being destroyed.
developing States, which are especially
dependent on oceans
Twelve billion tons of ballast water containing at any one
time around 10,000 marine species are shipped around the
· Coasts yield 90% of the global fisheries
globe each year, spreading alien and invasive species. Over
on which 400 million fishers rely
the past decade, the frequency of recorded harmful algal
· 90% of world trade moves by ship
blooms resulting in mass mortality and morbidity of marine
organisms has increased significantly. Continued use of fossil
· Travel and tourism is the largest industry
fuels is projected to exacerbate global climate changes with
in the world, much of it related to coastal
severe consequences for ocean, coastal, and island ecosys-
and marine areas
tems. Food security for a growing human population has
driven the intensification of agricultural production and has
· Over 25% of the world's energy supplies
resulted in the increased application of fertilizers, pesticides,
are produced in ocean areas offshore
and herbicides, incurring the degradation of coastal ecosys-
· Marine aquaculture, a rapidly growing
tems.
industry, accounts for 30% of the world's
The 2001 Conference thus issued an Urgent Call of Action
fish consumption
to the WSSD, as noted below:
· Coral reef resources contribute $375
The Conference wishes to transmit a sense of urgency to the WSSD for
billion to the world's economy annually
addressing the issues surrounding the sustainable development of oceans
and coasts. Participants at the Conference generally agreed that we are
in a critical situation of declining trends that requires immediate actions
both at the international level through the adoption and par- by nations and governing bodies worldwide. This sense of urgency and
tial implementation of a number of major ocean-related priority was corroborated in ministerial statements, as well as by non-
agreements)* and at the national level (for example, 98 coun- governmental, governmental and international experts, scientists, com-
tries in 2000 were engaged in some form of coastal manage- mercial fishing, and industrial representatives attending the meeting. It
ment compared to 59 countries in 1993); 2) significant new is essential that we link economic development, social welfare, and re-
funding has been invested in oceans and coasts (for example, source conservation in order to achieve sustainability of oceans and coasts.
through the Global Environment Facility and many bilateral The Conference issues an urgent call to action to decision makers in the
donors); 3) significant progress has been made in scientific
*e.g., UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, UN Fish Stocks Agreement, FAO Compliance Agreement and Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries, UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities,
Convention on Biological Diversity (Biosafety Protocol, Jakarta Mandate), International Coral Reef Initiative, Barbados Programme of
Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention, Rio Principles,
IMO Agreements, regional conventions, etc.)
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
WSSD process to develop a detailed action plan for the sustainable
ment of river basins to marine ecosystems, such as those
development of the world's oceans and coasts.
promoted by the Global Programme of Action for the
More specifically, the Global Conference called for attention
Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based
of WSSD decision makers to the following major points:
Activities (GPA) must be effectively implemented. This
is especially important in the context of coastal megacities
· Poverty reduction during the coming decade will
such as Lagos, Nigeria, where 65% of the estimated 13.4
require more access to sustainable economic liveli-
million population live in poverty. (Examples of pos-
hoods and wealth derived from the ocean, and de-
sible actions include: Promoting the faster implementa-
velopment of safer, healthy coastal communities.
tion of the GPA; developing institutional linkages be-
(Examples of possible actions include: coastal manage-
tween river basin management and coastal management;
ment to focus on sustainable development and alterna-
developing closer linkages between the ocean, coasts, and
tive livelihoods; Global Programme of Action to ad-
SIDS community, and the freshwater community (e.g.,
dress problems of sewage disposal; retargetting of do-
the World Water Forum, the World Water Council, the
nor aid towards poverty reduction.)
Global Water Partnership).
· Full implementation and effective compliance with
· Protecting coastal and marine areas and biodiversity
international agreements is needed. The significant
takes an ecosystem approach. The very significant
number of international agreements that have come into
shift from a sectoral to an ecosystem-based approach
effect since 1992 now need to be properly implemented
that recognizes precaution and linkages among activities
and enforced, and their implications for national-level
is an important achievement of the past decade. The
action more fully addressed. (Examples of possible ac-
Convention on Biological Diversity and work carried
tions include: encourage regional-level assistance in na-
out through the Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) Pro-
tional implementation; encourage joint implementation
gram supported by the Global Environment Facility, in
of clusters of ocean agreements, and streamlining of
particular, provide international frameworks to guide
national reporting on international agreements, especially
ecosystem-based management at regional and national
for SIDS; encourage the formation of national ocean
levels. (Examples of possible actions: develop a global
councils to oversee implementation of related ocean
representative system of marine protected areas as an
agreements in an integrated manner).
essential component for ecosystem understanding, man-
· Capacity building for good governance of coastal
agement, and biodiversity protection; learn from exist-
ing experiments with ecosystem management, such as
and ocean use is essential. Scientific advances and
the LME program, and apply lessons to other areas).
technology development will continue to open untapped
potential for use of coastal, offshore, and Exclusive Eco-
· The special problems and issues of small island
nomic Zones, and deep ocean areas. Yet our under-
developing States must be addressed. Small island
standing of the role and vulnerability of these new re-
developing States have special problems and opportuni-
sources and habitats is still limited. All countries, rich and
ties related to the oceans which need to be recognized
poor, lack the needed capacity to manage even the exist-
and addressed. Small in land area, these nations typically
ing level of development in a well-integrated way. Thus,
have control and stewardship responsibilities over huge
the capacity of local and national governments to apply
expanses of oceans--their Exclusive Economic Zones
effective institutional and legal frameworks for integrated
(EEZs). (Examples of possible actions include: Assis-
coastal and ocean management must be strengthened.
tance to SIDS nations in delimiting and developing man-
(Possible actions include: scaling up of pilot projects in
agement approaches to their EEZs; assistance to SIDS
integrated coastal and ocean management to cover larger
nations in capacity building in ocean and coastal man-
parts of, and ultimately, the entire coastal and marine ar-
agement.
eas under national jurisdiction; promote systematic plan-
ning for the use of Exclusive Economic Zones; develop Results of the WSSD on Oceans, Coasts,
systematic training and education programs in integrated and SIDS
coastal and ocean management, especially in developing
countries.)
In response to alarming "on the ground" trends in ocean
and coastal resources and areas and in SIDS, government
· The health of the oceans and coasts is directly linked delegates at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Devel-
to the proper management of river basins, includ- opment negotiated and agreed on an action plan for oceans,
ing freshwater flows to the marine environment.
coasts, and SIDS, with quite specific targets and timetables
Eighty percent of marine pollution comes from land- for action, as part of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementa-
based sources. Ecosystem approaches that link manage- tion. The provisions concerning oceans, seas, islands, and
3

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
coastal areas (paragraphs 30-36) are addressed in section IV
--Invite reports by governments, nongovernmental or-
of the Plan, Protecting and Managing the Natural Resource Base of
ganizations and intergovernmental organizations on
Economic and Social Development, while SIDS occupy section
progress and challenges in implementation of the
VII, Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (para-
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;
graphs 58-61)--see summary in Table 1. Major examples
--Discuss the contribution of sustainable development
include applying the ecosystem approach to marine areas by
partnership initiatives (voluntary action-oriented part-
2010 and establishing networks of marine protected areas
nerships intended to contribute to translating the
by 2012. Important targets were also established on issues
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation into action) in-
related to SIDS (e.g., developing community-based initiatives
cluding the identification of gaps in knowledge/re-
in sustainable tourism by 2004); on fisheries issues (e.g., man-
sources/political will needed for implementation of
aging fishery capacity by 2005 and controlling illegal fishing
the WSSD targets;
by 2004), and in other ocean-related areas as well. The tar-
gets and timetables found in the WSSD Plan of Implemen-
--Analyze, in particular, the needs of SIDS, especially in
tation represent an important advance because they have en-
relation to the forthcoming global review of progress
shrined, as global imperatives by the world's political leaders,
achieved in SIDS countries since the 1994 Barbados
many of the goals previously posited by expert groups and
Programme of Action, scheduled to be held in
specialized agencies. There is now a global consensus reached
Mauritius in August 2004.
at the highest political levels that there is an urgent need to
· To discuss emerging issues on oceans, coasts, and islands
take specific action to achieve sustainability of oceans, coasts,
for which international consensus is still to be reached.
and of small island developing States.
· To develop strategies for mobilizing private sector in-
The WSSD targets and timetables, however, are not "self-
volvement and increased public awareness on oceans,
implementing." Instead, governments around the world will
coasts, and islands, to insure continued support for the
need much assistance and support from all parts of the
global oceans agenda.
oceans, coasts, and islands community--to operationalize
what needs to be done, to mobilize the requisite knowledge The 2003 Global Conference was organized by the Global
and financial resources, and to maintain the high-level politi- Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, comprised of indi-
cal support essential to achieve the sorely needed "on-the- viduals from governments, intergovernmental and interna-
ground" improvements in the health and condition of ma- tional organizations (IOs), and nongovernmental organiza-
rine ecosystems and in the well-being of coastal communi- tions (NGOs), with the common goals of advancing the
ties.
interest of oceans-- incorporating 72% of the Earth; coasts--
the home of 50% of the world's population, and islands--44
The 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, of the world's nations are SIDS which are especially depen-
and Islands
dent on the oceans. Initially organized informally in 2001 in
the WSSD preparatory process, the Global Forum was cre-
The major purposes of the Global Conference on Oceans, ated at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Coasts, and Islands held at UNESCO, Paris, on November Johannesburg in September 2002 by the WSSD Informal
12-14, 2003, were to review what has been done to date in Coordinating Group on Oceans, Coasts and Islands.
implementing the WSSD commitments, and to catalyze ac- The 2003 Global Conference was held over a three-day pe-
tion on WSSD implementation through collaboration among riod (November 12 through Friday, November 14, 2003)
governments, international organizations, non-governmental with opportunities for informal group meetings, workshops,
organizations, and the private sector. The conference fo- and side events on November 10 and 11, 2003.
cused, as well, on approaches to mobilizing public and pri-
vate sector support for the global oceans agenda, and on the
Lead papers and panel participants were asked to address
identification of emerging ocean issues.
the following:
More specifically, the Conference aimed to:
--How to operationalize each WSSD commitment/tar-
get? What will the commitment/target require in terms
· Focus on useful strategies for and experiences in imple-
of knowledge resources, financial resources, and politi-
menting the commitments made at the World Summit
cal will? If accomplished, what would the result (s) be
on Sustainable Development at global, regional, and na-
"on the ground"? (e.g., what would, for example, "rep-
tional levels, through discussions among experts from
resentative networks of marine protected areas" look
governments, international organizations, non-govern-
like?)
mental organizations, and the private sector. For each of
the major areas of oceans, coasts, and islands where
--What will it take to implement the commitment/target?
WSSD targets have been set, the conference sought to:
i.e., what is the path to implementation? e.g., National-
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Table 1. Major Targets and Timetables Adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development on
Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS
Integrated ocean and coastal management
­ Encourage the application of the ecosystem approach by 2010 for the sustainable development of the oceans, particularly
in the management of fisheries and the conservation of biodiversity
­ Establish an effective, transparent and regular inter-agency coordination mechanism on ocean and coastal issues within
the United Nations system
­ Promote integrated coastal and ocean management at the national level and encourage and assist countries in developing
ocean policies and mechanisms on integrated coastal management
­ Assist developing countries in coordinating policies and programs at the regional and sub-regional levels aimed at
conservation and sustainable management of fishery resources and implement integrated coastal area management plans,
including through the development of infrastructure
Fisheries
­ Implement the FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
Fishing by 2004
­ Implement the FAO International Plan of Action for the Management of Fishing Capacity by 2005
­ Maintain or restore depleted fish stocks to levels that can produce their maximum sustainable yield on an urgent basis and
where possible no later than 2015
­ Eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to overcapacity
Conservation of biodiversity
­ Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the ecosystem approach, the elimination of
destructive fishing practices, the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on
scientific information, including representative networks by 2012
Protection from marine pollution
­ Advance implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
based Activities in the period 2002-2006 with a view to achieve substantial progress by 2006
Science and observation
­ Establish a regular process under the United Nations for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine
environment, including socioeconomic aspects, by 2004
Small island developing States
­ Develop community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism in small island developing States by 2004
­ Reduce, prevent, and control waste and pollution and their health-related impacts in Small island developing States by
2004 through the implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment
from Land-based Activities
­ Support the availability of adequate, affordable and environmentally sound energy services for the sustainable
development of small island developing States, including through strengthening efforts on energy supply and services by
2004.
­ Undertake a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States in 2004.
level action? International action? Subnational action?
ment partnership initiatives adequate to mobilize imple-
Action by private sector? A combination of these?
mentation of the target?
--What is the role of international agencies /NGOs /Gov- The Global Conference was organized by two Conference
ernments in assisting and catalyzing implementation?
Secretariats: The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com-
--To what extent is the specific target already on the agenda mission (IOC) hosted the meeting and oversaw all arrange-
of various groups, and how might these efforts be ments related to the conduct of the conference at UNESCO
synergized?
headquarters in Paris, including facilitating the travel and hous-
ing of conference participants.
--Is it best to approach the issue/target regionally? In what
regions? Through pilot or demonstration projects? What The Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy (CMP) at
about issues of scaling up?
the University of Delaware, USA, served as the organizer of
the conference program and handled the organization of
--Which group/countries/agencies have the knowledge pre-conference meetings, conference sessions, conference
resources needed for achieving each specific target? proceedings, and publications. Serving as Conference Co-
Which have the financial resources?
Chairs were the Co-Chairs of the Global Forum on Oceans,
--Which groups/countries/agencies might be/are taking Coasts, and Islands: Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Director, Gerard
leading roles? How to further encourage/catalyze this?
J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, University of Dela-
ware; Dr. Patricio Bernal, Secretary, Intergovernmental
--Are the financial resources already pledged for the WSSD Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO; and Dr. Veerle
commitments/targets and for the sustainable develop- Vandeweerd, Director, UNEP/GPA, The Hague.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The conference received funding and in-kind and travel sup- The Conference heard presentation of papers and panel dis-
port from a wide variety of governmental, nongovernmen- cussions on the following topics:
tal, and intergovernmental organizations from around the
1. Problems and Opportunities in the Implementation of
world (noted on page ii) whose essential contributions are
WSSD Commitments: Ministerial Perspectives
acknowledged with sincere thanks and appreciation.
2. Implementation of WSSD Commitments at the Regional
The Conference greatly benefited from the participation of
Level
a number of Ministers and other Eminent Persons:
3. Small Island Developing States: The Issues in Mauritius
Mr. Sun Zhihui, Deputy Administrator, State Oceanic Ad-
2004
ministration, China
4. NGO and Foundation Perspectives on WSSD Imple-
Dr. Harsh K. Gupta, Secretary to Government of India,
mentation
Department of Ocean Development, India
5. Roundtable Discussion on Challenges and Opportunities
H.E. Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Permanent Repre-
in Meeting the WSSD Substantive Objectives on Oceans,
sentative of Mauritius to the United Nations, and Chair of
Coasts, and Small Island Developing States
the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
· Cross-sectoral aspects
Mr. Daniel McDougall, Director-General of Oceans,
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
1) Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management and Gov-
ernance
H.E. Ms. Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Minister for
Ecology and Sustainable Development, France
2) Ecosystem Approaches
H.E. Mr. José Luís Arnaut, Minister Assistant to the Prime
· Fisheries
Minister of Portugal and Chairman, Strategic Commission
· Small Island Developing States
on Oceans, Portugal
· Biodiversity Protection and Marine Protected Areas
Dr. William J. Brennan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
International Affairs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
· Protection from Marine Pollution
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
· Achieving Enhanced Coherence in the United Nations
H.E. Ambassador Gunnar Palsson, Ministry for For-
vis-à-vis Oceans, Coasts, and Islands:
eign Affairs, Iceland, and Chair, Senior Arctic Officials
1) Toward an Effective, Transparent, and Regular Inter-
Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director, United Nations
Agency Coordination Mechanism on Ocean and Coastal
Environment Programme (UNEP)
Issues within the United Nations System
Lord (Prof.) Julian Hunt, Professor and Fellow of Royal
2) Toward a Global Marine Assessment by 2004
Society, United Kingdom. Chairman, Advisory Commit-
· Marine Science and Observation Contribution to the
tee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS)
WSSD Agenda
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Director, Global Marine Programs, Con-
6. Targeting Development Assistance to Meet WSSD Goals
servation International
7. Private Sector Perspectives on WSSD Implementation
Dr. Tullio Treves, Judge of the International Tribunal for
and on the Global Oceans Agenda
the Law of the Sea and Professor at the University of
Milan, Italy
8. Options for a Global Oceans Fund
Prof. Jon M. Van Dyke, Professor, University of Hawaii
9. Generating and Maintaining Public Support for Oceans,
at Manoa, Richardson School of Law, USA
Coasts, and Islands
Mr. Emilio Gabbrielli, Executive Secretary, Global Wa-
10. Evolving Issues
ter Partnership, Sweden
The Conference considered the information presented in these
Mr. Alan Simcock, Executive Secretary, OSPAR Com- panels and the discussions held by five Discussion Groups,
mission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of which addressed the following topics:
the North-East Atlantic
1. Cross-sectoral aspects
The presentations from the Ministers and other Eminent Per-
2. Fisheries
sons are found in Part II of this volume.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
3. Small Island Developing States
States. The head of the UN Environment Programme un-
4. Biodiversity and Marine Protected Areas
derlined the commitment of the UN agencies to mobilize
5. Enhanced United Nations Coherence
their knowledge and financial resources to achieve the goals
Discussions from the Conference have been summarized by of the WSSD. The high-level presentations are found in Part
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin and may be found at http:/ III of this volume.
/www.iisd.ca/sd/sdune/12november.htm.
Regional presentations. A number of regional-level pre-
In addition to the current volume, other conference papers sentations underscored that much is happening at the regional
are available as part of the Pre-Conference Proceedings Volume,
level to implement the WSSD mandates, e.g.:
Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Imple-
mentation of the Commitments Made at the 2002 World Summit on · In the East Asia region, through the leadership of the
Sustainable Development (2003) (see Box 2 for a list of authors
PEMSEA program, the world's first regional agreement
and papers). In addition, presentations and other materials
to implement the WSSD targets and timetables has been
presented at the Conference are available on the Global
negotiated among the 12 nations in the region (see Box 3
Forum's website: globaloceans.org
and paper by Dr. Chua Thia-Eng in the Pre-Conference Proceed-
ings Volume).
Highlights of the 2003 Global Conference
· In the Pacific Islands region, the 16 nations in the region
have developed the world's first regional ocean policy en-
At the outset of the Conference, Conference Co-Chairs
dorsed at the highest political level, and are currently in the
Biliana Cicin-Sain and Patricio Bernal emphasized the un-
process of fostering national level action on the regional
precedented political opportunity to make a difference on
policy.
oceans, coasts, and SIDS, presented by the very specific tar-
gets and timetables established by the governments at the · In the European Union, a concerted effort is underway
World Summit on Sustainable Development. However, they
to develop a European Marine Strategy, covering the Arctic
also reiterated that the targets will not "self-implement," and
Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean
instead, that governments will need much assistance from all
Sea, and the North-East Atlantic.
other sectors of the oceans, coasts, and SIDS community, to · In the Caribbean region, specific efforts are underway to
make the targets real and operational "on the ground."
manage from "hilltops to oceans" linking watershed man-
agement to coastal management and to marine ecosystem
Pre-conference meetings. A variety of pre-conference
management, especially through the "White Water to Blue
meetings were held, especially on WSSD sustainable devel-
Water Initiative" (a WSSD Sustainable Development Part-
opment partnerships, integrated coastal management, national
nership) (see discussion in Part II of this volume).
ocean policies, coral reef management, SIDS, Large Marine
Ecosystems (LME), public involvement, and capacity build- ·· In the Mediterranean region, a new regional protocol
ing. The results of these discussions and of related working
on integrated coastal management is under negotiation that
groups are reported in Part II of this volume. In all of these
will advance efforts at comprehensive management of
discussions, special efforts were made to draw and promote
oceans and coasts at both regional and national levels (see
connections among major entities and programs, such as the
paper by Professor Harry Coccossis in the Pre-Conference Proceed-
LME programs, the UNEP Regional Seas Programme, na-
ings Volume).
tional initiatives in integrated coastal and ocean management,
and coral reef management in various national contexts, es- · In the Arctic region, extensive efforts are underway to
pecially in island countries.
protect the vulnerable resources of the Arctic (see paper by
Ambassador Palsson in Part III of this volume).
Ministerial addresses. The Conference benefited greatly · In the North-East Atlantic region (OSPAR) and in
from the participation of a number of ministerial represen-
the Baltic Sea region (HELCOM), regional entities
tatives showing political commitment at a high level for
are working together on applying an ecosystem manage-
moving on WSSD commitments both at the national level
ment approach to the entire region, and have already de-
and at the international level assisting other nations in WSSD
veloped and applied indicators on marine ecological qual-
implementation. The Conference heard from high-level rep-
ity and sustainability (see paper by Alan Simcock in Part III of
resentatives of the two largest developing countries in the
this volume).
world: China and India, from the Alliance of Small Island
States, and from major developed nations with a keen inter- · In the Caspian Sea region, which vividly demonstrates
est in the oceans: Canada, France, Portugal, and the United
the special problems faced in many enclosed seas situa-
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 2. List of Authors and Papers Found in 2003 Pre-Conference Proceedings Volume (available
at www.globaloceans.org/globalconference/outcomes.html
WSSD Implementation in East Asia
Obstacles to Ecosystem-based Management
Chua Thia-Eng, PEMSEA
Lawrence Juda, University of Rhode Island
Challenges and Potential Solutions for Achieving Synergies at the
When Can Marine Marine Protected Areas Improve Fisheries
Regional Level on Ocean and Coastal Governance
Management?
Gunnar Kullenberg, International Ocean Institute
Serge Garcia et al., United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization
Towards a Regional Legal Framework for Integrated Coastal Area
Management in the Mediterranean
The Regional Management of Fisheries
Harry Coccosis, University of Thessaly
Hance D. Smith, Cardiff University
Volga/Caspian Basin. Regional Cooperation ­ Benefits and
Developing a Capable, Relevant Network to Address Marine and
Problems
Coastal Environmental Concerns and Food Security in Africa and
Iouri Oliounine, International Ocean Institute
Neighboring Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Grant Trebble, AMCROPS
Managing the Managers: Improving the Structure and Operation of
Fisheries Departments in SIDS
Targeting Development Assistance to Meet WSSD Goals Related
Robin Mahon and Patrick McConney, University of the West
to Marine Ecosystems
Indies
Alfred Duda, Global Environment Facility
Environment Outlook of Small Island Developing States
A Fisherman's Perspective on Sustainable Development and the
Sherry Heileman and Marion Cheatle, United Nations Environ-
Global Oceans Agenda
ment Programme
Pietro Parravano, World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fishworkers
A Suggested Call to Action by the Oceans Forum on Carrying Out
Perspectives on Global Funding Mechanisms for Oceans, Coasts,
the WSSD Plan of Implementation
and Islands
Xavier Pastor, I. L. Pep. Fuller, Jorge Varela, Oceana
Scott Smith, The Nature Conservancy
Ship & Ocean Foundation's Perspectives on WSSD Implementation
The World Ocean Observatory: A Forum for Ocean Affairs
Hiroshi Terashima, Ship & Ocean Foundation
Peter Neill, South Street Seaport Museum
Sustainability and Viability: Reinforcing the Concepts of the
Building a Conservation Vision for the Grand Banks of Newfound-
Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development
land, Canada
Eduardo Marone, International Ocean Institute, and Paulo da
Charlotte Breide and Robert Rangely, World Wildlife Fund
Cunha Lana, Federal University of Parana
International
Capacity Building in Support of WSSD Implementation
Progress Towards a Ten-year High Seas Marine Protected Area
Francois Bailet, International Ocean Institute
Strategy
Kristina M. Gjerde, International Union for Conservation of
Nature
tions, extensive efforts are underway to achieve agreement WSSD targets, i.e.: cross-sectoral aspects; enhancing UN
on a regional sea management strategy (see paper by Iouri
coherence; Global Marine Assessment; advancement of the
Oliounine in the Pre-Conference Proceedings Volume).
GPA; SIDS; fisheries; marine protected areas, biodiversity,
and coral reefs; and mobilizing resources towards the achieve-
Discussion of WSSD targets and timetables. Consid- ment of WSSD targets on oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
eration of the WSSD targets and timetables on oceans, coasts,
and SIDS represented the heart of the Conference, and de- Special addresses at the conference and emerging is-
tailed discussions on all the major targets took place both in sues. A number of special addresses, found in Part III of
plenary sessions and in discussion groups. In Part II of this this volume, highlighted current and forthcoming issues. Dr.
volume, we discuss progress in implementation of major Sylvia Earle reminded the participants that we live at such a
8

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
decisive point in time--if we don't act now, we will have Professor Jon Van Dyke discussed growing threats to the
irreversible damage in oceans, coasts, and SIDS, and we will international ocean regime related to various forms of ship-
face the wrath of our children--"why didn't you do some- ping and conflicts among countries in the way they are han-
thing while there was still a chance?"
dling or reacting to these threats.
Law of the Sea Tribunal Judge Tullio Treves reviewed the Greater political and institutional linkage of oceans issues to
evolution of the Law of the Sea--which provides the con- freshwater issues has long been discussed as a major need.
stitution for the world's oceans--over the past twenty years, Moreover, the oceans community stands to learn much from
and called attention to emerging issues of mechanisms for studying the evolution of the freshwater community and its
the settlement of disputes, multilateral unilateralism, and the effective organization at the global level. A step in this direc-
combination and cross-fertilization of approaches in inter- tion was taken at the Paris conference with the presentation
national law.
of Emilio Gabbrielli, Global Water Partnership, reflecting
Box 3. East Asian Efforts on Coastal and Ocean Governance: Implementation of the WSSD
at the Regional Level
Twelve East Asian nations around the seas of East Asia, namely
algae bloom, as well as resource misuses and mismanagement.
Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Japan,
Recognizing the interconnectivities of the problems facing the
Malaysia, PR China, Philippines, RO Korea, Singapore, Thai-
countries, the regional strategy emphasizes inter-country and
land and Vietnam, endorsed the Sustainable Development Strat-
cross-sectoral partnerships as the effective way of problem solv-
egy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) through the Putrajaya
ing. The East Asian Seas nations recognized that a key chal-
Declaration at the Ministerial Forum held in Putrajaya, Malaysia
lenge is to embed "resource sustainability" in the decision-
on 12 December 2003. The Ministerial Forum was an integral
making process of socioeconomic development, and pledged
part of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress, which was held
to develop and implement sustainable coastal and marine de-
on 8-11 December 2003. Initiated by the GEF/UNDP/IMO
velopment policies and action plans. A number of countries
Regional Programme on Partnerships in Environmental Man-
are already in various stages of national coastal and ocean policy
agement for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) in collaboration
development including Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, PR
with 16 international, regional and national partners, the SDS-
China, RO Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
SEA provides a regional framework and platform for effective
partnership on coastal and ocean governance.
The SDS-SEA is a product of more than three years of consul-
tations and consensus building among all the concerned coun-
The EAS Congress was a gathering of more than 400 interna-
tries and stakeholders in the Seas of East Asia region. It is an
tional, regional and national stakeholders of the seas of East
instrument for the countries of the region to collectively imple-
Asia. The Congress discussed issues relating to maritime trans-
ment the provisions of Agenda 21, the Millennium Develop-
port, biodiversity, land-based pollution, fisheries and aquacul-
ment Goals (MDGs), the Johannesburg Plan of Implementa-
ture as well as on cross-cutting issues relating to national coastal/
tion, relevant international and regional conventions, agree-
ocean policies, regional cooperation, local governance and alli-
ments and protocols, as well as regional programmes of ac-
ance and capacity building. In attendance were government of-
tions related to coasts and oceans. It adopts a holistic and
ficials, environment and natural resource managers, NGO rep-
integrative approach in addressing both sectoral and cross-
resentatives, media practitioners, the academe, and other mem-
sectoral issues through the implementation of the six strate-
bers of civil society and the private sector from 26 countries
gies and 228 action programmes. It offers a programmatic
across the world, including representatives from 25 interna-
approach to addressing the linkages among poverty alleviation,
tional and regional organizations.
sustainable livelihood, reduction of vulnerability to natural
hazards, long-term security, economic growth and the health
The Seas of East Asia are noted as a global center of marine
of human beings, ecosystems and the natural resource base.
biodiversity, with more than 7 million square kilometers of sea
area supporting 30% of the world's coral reefs and mangroves,
Through PEMSEA, regional efforts are being made to de-
and producing close to the world's 40% of marine fish produc-
velop self-sustained financing mechanisms and promote in-
tion and 80% of aquaculture products. However, these values
vestment opportunities to meet the widespread needs of local
are being seriously eroded due to habitat losses and damages,
townships and communities in water pollution reduction and
resource degradation and depletion, pollution, and harmful
improvement of sanitary conditions.
For more information on East Asian efforts on coastal and ocean governance, please contact Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, Programme
Director, PEMSEA (chuate@pemsea.org).
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
on the global evolution of the water issue and on strategies all relevant agencies and stakeholders and will no doubt re-
for better linking oceans to freshwater (found in Part III of this quire substantial resources. Notwithstanding the complexi-
volume).
ties, getting started is what is most important. As Alan
Simcock noted in his presentation on the challenges of eco-
Other issues on the horizon were raised especially by a panel system assessment and monitoring in the North-East Atlan-
on emerging issues headed by Professor David VanderZwaag, tic (OSPAR Convention) and of implementing the WSSD
Dalhousie Law School who noted that many challenges loom mandates at the regional level, ".......the experience of OSPAR
on the horizon including the need to sort out regulatory ap- in this field confirms the paradoxical statement of the En-
proaches to possible extraction of polymetallic sulphides glish author, G. K. Chesterton--"If a job is worth doing, it
from hydrothermal vents and cobalt crusts associated with is worth doing badly"--in other words, if a task is really
seamounts. Governance frameworks for potential high seas important, then the product will be worthwhile even if it is
aquaculture and energy projects and future bioprospecting not perfect. Provided allowances are made for possible er-
of the deep seabed remain to be developed.
rors when conclusions are drawn, a review and assessment
of what is known can be helpful, even if it only shows what
Another emerging issue discussed concerned the flags of the main gaps in knowledge are that need to be filled."
convenience phenomenon in marine transportation and the
failure of open-registry flag States to adequately control their Evolution of the Global Forum. Conference participants
ships in relation to labor standards, environmental protec- also discussed the added value which the Global Forum on
tion measures and fisheries conservation obligations.
Oceans, Coasts, and Islands can bring to the many efforts
that are already underway to support the implementation of
Mobilization of people and resources to support the
the global oceans agenda. Two factors were frequently men-
WSSD mandates. Considerable time was spent at the tioned: the emphasis of the Forum on informal and candid
Conference discussing that mobilization of human and fi- dialogue about interrelated issues which cross-cut more than
nancial resources on a timely basis, growth in management one marine sector, and the useful bringing together of di-
capacity, greater involvement by the private sector, greater verse perspectives from governments, nongovernmental or-
involvement of NGOs and the public, are all essential for ganizations, intergovernmental and international organizations,
the attainment of the WSSD goals related to oceans, coasts, and the private sector. Already participating in the Forum
and SIDS. Conference participants discussed different strat- are the major intergovernmental and international ocean en-
egies for achieving these goals, as reported in Part II of the tities, major NGOs, and ocean leaders from the govern-
volume.
ment sector. The Global Forum enjoys growing participa-
tion by the private sector and the strong participation of
The value and perils of targets and timetables. Gener- museums and aquaria from around the world.
ally participants expressed their appreciation to the govern-
ments which had set forth detailed WSSD targets and time- Participants discussed the desirability of expanding the
tables at Johannesburg--these can serve a catalytic role in informal Forum alliance to also include individuals from
mobilizing people and resources to implement and to achieve the government sector from other leading ocean countries,
success on the target on a timely basis. When timelines are other NGOs, and to expand the participation from ocean
very short, however, this can have the opposite effect of industries, the development assistance community, and
provoking despair about the impossibility of achieving a organized scientific networks. The creation of
particular goal in a short time frame. Participants empha- Roundtables which would bring together specialized
sized that for targets with very short time horizons (e.g., 2004), groups was cited as a possible avenue for reaching out to
it was important to develop and agree to a strategy laying additional stakeholders.
out a series of doable steps, over perhaps a longer time
frame but with an immediate start, to attain the intended Participants discussed future possible priorities for the
target.
Global Forum, including the importance of establishing
closer linkages between the ocean community and the
A similar type of argument was made with regard to targets freshwater community in recognition of the inextricable
which call for putting into place a complex and long-term linkage between freshwater and oceans. Participants
process such as the Global Marine Assessment (GMA). discussed the desirability of continuing the organization of
NGOs note that the GMA is potentially a great tool--it can global conferences, generally on a biennial basis, and
become a "report card" on the status of oceans and of including high-level ministerial meetings, and coordinated
coastal communities which can be used to communicate with with the World Water Forum, to provide linkages with the
and to galvanize the public around oceans issues. And yet it global water agenda.
will need to be done very carefully, with the participation of
10

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Organization of this Volume
Part II of this volume reviews activities undertaken in
support of the major WSSD targets related to oceans,
coasts, and islands: Addressing Cross-Sectoral Aspects;
Enhancing United Nations Coherence; Establishing a
Global Marine Assessment; Advancing Implementation of
the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of
the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities;
Addressing the Issues of Small Island Developing States;
Improving Fisheries Management; Improving Manage-
ment of Marine Protected Areas, Biodiversity, and Coral
Reefs; and Mobilizing Resources towards the Achievement
of WSSD Targets on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands.
For each issue/target, we review: the relevant wording
from the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation; the
history of the issue/target; discussion at the 2003 global
conference; suggested next steps in general and for the
Global Forum specifically (if applicable); major develop-
ments since the global conference (in the period Novem-
ber 2003 to May 2004, whenever data were readily
available); and provide a summary of major conclusions
and outstanding issues.
In Part III are found papers and statements by the Ministe-
rial and high-level participants. Part IV provides a sum-
mary and conclusion.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
PART II. ASSESSING PROGRESS
ON MAJOR WSSD TARGETS
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ADDRESSING CROSS-SECTORAL ASPECTS
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (several sections are relevant to cross-sectoral issues) (empha-
sis added by the authors):
Invite States to ratify or accede to and implement the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea, which provides the overall legal framework for ocean activities; (30a)
Promote the implementation of chapter 17 of Agenda 21 which provides the programme of action for achieving the
sustainable development of oceans, coastal areas and seas through its programme areas of integrated management and sustain-
able development of coastal areas, including exclusive economic zones; marine environmental protection; sustainable use and
conservation of marine living resources; addressing critical uncertainties for the management of the marine environment and
climate change; strengthening international, including regional, cooperation and coordination; and sustainable development of
small islands; (30b)
Encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach, noting the Reykjavik Declaration on
Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem and decision 5/6 of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity; (30d)
Promote integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral coastal and ocean management at the
national level, and encourage and assist coastal States in developing ocean policies and mecha-
nisms on integrated coastal management; (30e)
Assist small island developing States, including through the elaboration of specific initiatives, in
delimiting and managing in a sustainable manner their coastal areas and exclusive economic
zones and the continental shelf (including, where appropriate, the continental shelf areas and
beyond 200 miles from coastal baselines), as well as relevant regional management initiatives within the
context of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the UNEP regional seas programmes; (58c)
Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the ecosystem approach, the elimination of destructive
fishing practices, the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and
based on scientific information, including representative networks by 2012 and time/area closures for
the protection of nursery grounds and periods, proper coastal land use; and watershed planning and the integration
of marine and coastal areas management into key sectors; (32c)
Strengthen regional cooperation and coordination between the relevant regional organizations and programmes,
the UNEP regional seas programmes, regional fisheries management organizations and other regional science, health and
development organizations; (30f)
Assist developing countries in coordinating policies and programmes at the regional and subregional
levels aimed at the conservation and sustainable management of fishery resources, and imple-
ment integrated coastal area management plans, including through the promotion of sustainable coastal and
small-scale fishing activities and, where appropriate, the development of related infrastructure; (30g)
(See also relevant provisions calling for advancement of the Global Programme of Action for the Protec-
tion of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities, making every effort to achieve substantial
progress by the next Global Programme of Action conference in 2006 to protect the marine environment
from land-based activities, discussed in Part II, section 4).
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The Issue
that these issues are discussed in the section on GPA, Part II, section
4), regional-level experiences with ecosystem management,
The first part of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
especially the Large Marine Ecosystem planning and man-
related to oceans and coasts emphasizes that "oceans, seas,
agement, and through the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
islands and coastal areas form an integrated and essential
component of the Earth's ecosystem and are critical for
Participants emphasized the need to think about the interre-
global food security and for sustaining economic prosper-
lationships among these as comprising nested governance--with
ity and the well-being of many national economies, particu-
linkages among regimes addressing watersheds and river
larly in developing countries."
basins, to coastal area management regimes (comprising
coastal lands and nearshore waters), ocean areas further off-
The JPoI provisions on cross-sectoral aspects, noted above,
shore including Exclusive Economic Zones, and regional-
first reinforce the central role of the UN Law of the Sea
level marine ecosystem planning and management.
Convention as the overall legal framework for ocean activi-
ties and of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 as the programme of
1) Integrated Coastal Management
action for achieving sustainable development of oceans,
One of the central goals of Agenda 21, Chapter 17--the
coasts, and seas, and emphasize the need for their imple-
practice of integrated planning and management of coastal
mentation.
areas (ICM) (including both land and generally nearshore
The JPoI calls for a specific timetable for applying the eco-
ocean areas)--has expanded significantly since the Earth
system approach by 2010, one of the few specific time-
Summit. About 100 countries now have experience with
some form of ICM, compared to 59 countries in 1992.
tables related to cross-sectoral aspects.
More extensive work in ICM has been carried out in Europe,
Throughout the discussion of cross-sectoral issues, several
North America, and East Asia, while fewer programs are
major inter-related themes are emphasized:
present in Oceania, Caribbean, Africa, Near East, and Latin
America. In many cases, the ICM programs have involved
--the need for implementing integrated coastal and ocean
many pilot, small scale projects, many of them initiated by
management at the national level and institutionalizing ICM
external donors (Cicin-Sain 2003).
as "the business of government"
--the need for management of Exclusive Economic Zones
Conference participants emphasized the need to scale up
pilot projects to include larger parts of the coastal zone,
(EEZs), including continental shelves
and pointed out the usefulness of setting up specific targets
--the special needs of SIDS in delimiting and managing
in achieving total coastal zone coverage (for example, 20%
their coastal areas and EEZs
of coastlines under ICM by 2012, 60% by 2022, 100% by
2032). As one speaker, Dr. Magnus Ngoile from Tanzania
--watershed planning and the integration of marine and
put it, "if it is worth doing it, just do it! Don't pilot it."
coastal areas management into key sectors (as also reinforced
by the GPA target)
Dr. Ngoile and others also emphasized the importance of
--the establishment of networks of marine protected areas
ICM becoming institutionalized as the "business of
government," with government taking ownership of ICM
by 2012
programs. While successes in ICM typically involve both
--the need for coordination and cooperation among re-
national and local level actors, participants pointed to the
gional programs.
need to engage and catalyze political will at the national level
to insure long-term sustainability of programs.
Discussions at the 2003 Global Conference
Conference participants also emphasized the need to move
from planning to implementation, and pointed out that
Conference participants addressed the interrelated issues of
typically development assistance funds are difficult to obtain
cross-sectoral aspects by discussing the current situation,
for implementation, so that many ICM plans "stay on the
needs, and emerging trends in four interrelated issue areas:
shelf."
1) integrated coastal management; 2) development of na-
tional ocean policies for Exclusive Economic Zones; 3)
Participants also discussed the need for greater focus on
controlling land-based sources of marine pollution through
economic issues/poverty reduction/public health, and
linkages with watershed and river basin planning (please note
generally improvement in the quality of life in coastal
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
communities, especially in the developing world. While also
have undertaken concerted efforts to articulate and imple-
emphasizing conservation and preservation of ecological
ment an integrated vision for the governance of the entire
integrity and biodiversity, ICM programs are, by their very
ocean areas under their jurisdiction--their Territorial Seas
nature, multiple use programs which are also aimed at
and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). This is a very en-
enhancing economic and social opportunities and benefits
couraging development, responding, as it does to the reality
from oceans and coasts.
of serious conflicts of use in most national ocean zones and
to the prescriptions articulated in both the Law of the Sea
Also emphasized were linkages to freshwater management,
("the problems of ocean space are interrelated and must be
watersheds and river basins, and the need to implement the
treated as a whole"), and in the 1992 Earth Summit (given
GPA program in the context of ICM programs.
the interrelationship among uses and processes in the coast
and ocean, ocean and coastal governance must be "integrated
Participants also pointed out that insufficient work has been
in content and precautionary in ambit").
carried out on the performance of ICM programs through
systematic and independent evaluations. Indicators on
The move to create comprehensive national ocean policies
performance and outcomes need to be applied, and good
to harmonize existing uses and laws, to foster sustainable
practice in ICM needs to be codified.
development of ocean areas, to protect biodiversity and
vulnerable resources and ecosystems, and to coordinate the
Similarly, capacity in integrated coastal and ocean
actions of the many government agencies that are typically
management is still quite limited in many countries, especially
involved in oceans affairs, is a growing practice, with more
in the developing world. As noted later in the capacity
and more nations embarking on the development of na-
building section, more systematic capacity building efforts
tional ocean policy. Initial research indicates that there are
need to be undertaken together with the development of
about 20 countries and 3 regions of the world which appear
educational programs in this field in the developing world
to be taking concrete steps toward cross-cutting and inte-
and with appropriate long-term financial support.
grated national ocean policies (not only separate sectoral
policies). Examples include nations already in the phase of
The special needs of SIDS in developing coastal manage-
implementing national ocean policies (Australia, Canada,
ment, particularly in view of their vulnerability to sea level
China, United Kingdom); nations in the process of formu-
rise and their dependence on coastal and marine resources,
lating national ocean policies (India, South Korea, New
need to be addressed more fully. As is reported in the sec-
Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, and United
tion on SIDS, a recent analysis of national actions taken
States); nations in the preparatory phase in planning for na-
since the 1994 Barbados Programme of Action indicates
tional ocean policies (Brazil, Colombia, France, Indonesia,
that integrated coastal management programs have been es-
Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). At the
tablished only in a few SIDS countries in the last decade,
regional level, two regions have undertaken systematic ef-
thus making this area a top need for the next phase.
forts to articulate regional ocean policies: the Pacific Islands
region and the European Union. A third region, Africa, is
The important role of regional entities in promoting national
beginning such a process in the context of the New Partner-
level action on ICM at the regional level (such as Regional
ship for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Seas programs, LME programs) was also emphasized, (see,
for example, new regional protocol in ICM in the
Other countries are also facing important challenges from
Mediterranean).
new uses of offshore waters, such as offshore aquaculture
and wind farming, which may well necessitate the develop-
Box 4 provides a summary of the discussion at the pre-
ment of more elaborate and cross-cutting frameworks for
conference meeting on Integrated Coastal Management, led
national ocean policies.
by Stephen Olsen (University of Rhode Island), Chua Thia-
Eng (PEMSEA) and Indumathie Hewawasam (World Bank,
In all the cases noted, nations are facing the challenge of
Africa Region).
developing new concepts, procedures and structures, and,
as such, stand much to gain from working with one another
2) Establishing National Ocean Policies
to share and draw lessons and best practices.
While most coastal nations of the world already have a vari- As they embark on national ocean policy formulation, many
ety of sectoral policies in place to manage different uses of nations, in particular SIDS, will need assistance in mapping
the ocean (such as shipping, fishing, and oil and gas develop- and delimitation of their EEZs, and development of new
ment), it has only been in the last decade that coastal nations institutions and procedures.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 4
Report of Pre-conference Meeting on Integrated Coastal Management
The discussion at the meeting reiterated the need for specific global targets for ICM formulated in preparation
for the WSSD. These were framed as the following set of eight recommendations:
1. National and local governments, with the assistance of regional and international organizations, should
develop and implement coastal management programs that meet international standards before condi-
tions in coastal populations and coastal ecosystem deteriorate further. The following targets are recom-
mended:
· 20% of national coastlines under management by 2012
· 60% of national coastlines under management by 2022
· 100% of national coastlines under management by 2032.
2. National and local governments should commit to the participatory methods and high standards of
accountability that are the backbone of ICM good practices. They should assemble the domestic and
international financial resources required to sustain effective ICM programs that unite efforts at the
community level with national policies and procedures and thereby enable steady progress towards
sustainable forms of coastal development and conservation.
3. Recognizing the destructive impacts of growing flows of pollutants to coastal waters, national and local
governments should support the implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protec-
tion of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities and, in particular, the Strategic Action Plan
on Municipal Wastewater.
4. A high priority should be given to addressing the challenges faced by small developing island States that
are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of global change and urgently require assistance in meet-
ing multiple challenges that may be most effectively addressed through the integrated practices of ICM.
5. The institutions investing in ICM and those most experienced in its practice should come together to
codify good practices for those implementing programs and formulate a code of conduct for respon-
sible investments in coastal development. A primary objective of such codification must be to put in
place the mechanisms by which effective ICM programs can be sustained through the decades of effort
that will be required to achieve more sustainable forms of coastal development over large geographic
areas.
6. Since coastal management issues and their solution have many similarities despite important differences in
local contexts, and since ecosystems and governance process frequently transcend national boundaries,
regional ICM networks should be formed to exchange experience and forge alliances to meet common
goals. Such regional networks should also be a focal point for further investments in training and institu-
tional capacity building in ICM practices.
7. National governments should extend the inclusive practice of ICM seaward and establish mechanisms to
formulate and implement collaborative policies for the management of exclusive economic zones (EEZs)
that recognize the ecosystem process at work and the urgent need to apply new approaches to managing
common property resources in a socially equitable manner that sustains a flow of societal benefits for
generations to come.
8. National and local governments should utilize ICM frameworks that address priority social as well as
environmental needs to expand coastal protected areas to conserve biodiversity, in accordance with the
Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Regional organizations have a very useful role to play in as- Participants concluded that the LME approach provides a
sisting States in developing national ocean policies for their vantage platform for focused temporal and spatial assess-
ocean zones. Significant work along these lines is already ments and monitoring efforts in support of management
taking place in the Pacific Islands region, the East Asia region aimed at the long-term productivity of marine habitats and
(through PEMSEA), the Asia Pacific region (through APEC), sustainable utilization of marine resources and amenities.
and through the European Union.
As such, it would be particularly useful to build and learn
As nations and regions work on national and regional ocean lessons from the LME experience with the analysis and man-
policy formulation and implementation, it will be important agement of marine ecosystems in the pursuit of the follow-
to consider the role of networks of marine protected areas ing WSSD targets and timetables:
in the national and regional ocean policies. It is important to
keep these two developments coordinated and harmonized · Ecosystem approach by 2010
to insure maximum impact.
· Fisheries-recovery to MSY levels by 2015
· Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and
tools (No timetable)
At the Global Conference, a pre-conference panel held on
national ocean policies, chaired by Daniel McDougall and Current and emerging LME projects are addressing and
Biliana Cicin-Sain, discussed the points noted in Box 5, mak- moving towards WSSD targets for:
ing reference to the evolving policies of the following coun-
tries and regions: Australia, Canada, Colombia, East Asia, a. introducing ecosystem-based management by 2010
India, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Pa- b. moving toward significant reductions of land-based
cific, United Kingdom, and United States.
sources of pollution by 2006
c. the designation of marine protected areas by 2012
d. recovery and maintenance of fish stocks to MSY levels by
3) Regional Efforts at Ecosystem Management: The
2015
Regional Seas Programme and the Large Marine Eco-
system Program
Box 6 summarizes the findings of the pre-conference meet-
Participants discussed in the panel on regional perspectives ings on the LME experience, led by Pablo Huidobro,
the contributions of the Regional Seas Programme to achieve- UNIDO, Carl Lundin, IUCN, and Kenneth Sherman, U.S.
ment of the cross-sectoral goals of the WSSD. The Re- National Marine Fisheries Service.
gional Seas Programme, encompassing 13 regions is under-
going a significant transformation to ensure that the Regional Developments Since the 2003 Global
Seas programs can be used as a platform for implementa- Conference
tion of major international agreements on oceans, coasts, Given that there are over 100 nations working on coastal
and SIDS at the regional level, also reaching out to stake- management and over 20 nations working on national ocean
holders in novel and innovative ways (strategy developed at policies, it is difficult to capture changes that are taking place.
Regional Seas meeting, November 25-27, 2003, Nairobi).
Thus, only some international developments are noted.
Several pre-conference sessions focused on lessons learned 1) Development of indicators for performance of
through the Large Marine Ecosystem (the LME) program coastal and ocean management programs.
funded by the Global Environment Facility, among others. Under the leadership of the IOC, Canada's Department of
LMEs are areas of the ocean characterized by distinct bathym- Fisheries and Oceans, and the U.S. National Oceanic and
etry, hydrography, productivity, and trophic interactions. Atmospheric Administration, a project is developing detailed
LMEs are regions that encompass coastal areas from river indicators to measure the performance of ICM programs
basins and estuaries to the seaward boundaries of continen- examining environmental, socio-economic, and governance
tal shelves, enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and the outer indicators, with the intent of developing international guid-
margins of the major current systems. There are 64 desig- ance on measuring ICM progress.
nated LMEs in the world, which produce 95% of the global
marine fishery catch. In 1995, the GEF Council included the 2) Comparative analyses of national ocean policies.
concept of LMEs in its GEF Operational Strategy as a ve- A cross-national study, with funding from the Nippon Foun-
hicle for promoting ecosystem-based management of coastal dation, Japan, is examining the development and implemen-
and marine resources in the International Waters focal area. tation of national ocean policies in 20 countries and 3 re-
There are 10 approved LME projects and seven in the prepa- gions, with the intent of developing international guidance
ration stage (Sherman 2003).
on principles and processes in national ocean policy forma-
tion.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 5
Report of Pre-Conference Meeting on National Ocean Policies
· National oceans policy and legislation is a "growth industry;" many countries have developed or are
in the process of developing national oceans policies; and, several countries are moving beyond
oceans policy development and are working on implementation of national policies.
· The development of a regional oceans policy is also starting to emerge.
· There are many commonalities and many lessons that can be learned from the various approaches
that have been employed for oceans policy development and policy implementation.
· There are many common thematic areas where the broad outlines of the public policy direction have
been established, but many difficult issues remain for additional discussion and analysis; several that
were mentioned include:
- giving operational effect to ecosystem-based oceans management, including dealing with the pri-
macy of "ecosystem health" considerations, and the incorporation of natural and social scientific
research, knowledge and advice;
- local capacity building, particularly for implementation of integrated coastal zone management,
and in both developing countries and developed countries;
- creating a "whole of government" agenda for national oceans policy (so-called "horizontal man-
agement"), and national/sub-national engagement;
- economic valuation of the oceans, and the application of economics and market-based approaches
to oceans policy;
- public engagement on oceans issues and oceans policy development, including the need to focus on
marketing and communications tools;
- considering the issues of indigenous peoples and corresponding legal issues;
- engaging sectoral interests, and incorporating sectoral management into broader oceans policy for
both resource management (consumptive) and non-consumptive industries; and
- dealing with immediate oceans management issues (most often sectoral) in the context of on-going
policy development and implementation and the long-term orientation of oceans policy.
· Suggestions for consideration:
- promoting the incorporation of integrated management planning within national policies and
legislation
- depositing national oceans policy documents and national legislation with DOALOS; using existing
networks for information dissemination (e.g., Global Forum; the UNDP; Ecolex (IUCN, UNEP
and FAO), the Commission on Environmental Law; etc.)
- developing "model policy" and legislative guidelines, modules and other aides for strengthening
national legal regimes;
- developing a "global oceans policy;"
- creating and expanding networks of oceans policy "practitioners"--within and between national
governments and beyond
3) The Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy, devel-
oped at the highest political level, is providing national guid-
ance on ocean and coastal policy formulation, for all the
nations of the Pacific Islands region.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 6
Report of Pre-Conference Meeting on Large Marine Ecosystems
Major lessons that can be learned from the LME effort:
1. Adaptive process
2. Implement Real Time Assessment (RTA) and management in the most important fish production areas
3. At national level it is highly dependent on local acceptance and political will
4. On a regional basis, LME is based on collaboration background within the region
5. In developing countries, institutional fragility and high level political acceptance are key factors that must
be taken into account
6. Must be outcome oriented (solving regional problems) rather than process oriented
7. It is based on an incremental cost with incremental steps, and therefore incremental results
8. There is no "one-size-fits-all", adjustments are essential
9. Good development and implementation of driving instruments for identification, problem solving,
knowledge base, capacity building, partnerships, and awareness
10. The role played by executing agencies is crucial to achieve effectiveness and efficiency
11. It is important to have a trained Regional Coordinator to facilitate communication and work plan
effectiveness
12. Promote stewardship based on project compliance
13. Enhance communication among natural and social scientists, and policy makers
14. There is confusion on the role each UN agency is supposed to play on ocean matters and countries -
certainly - adapt to this situation, but at a high cost
15. These has been developed within the process of project planning through Transboundary Diagnostic
Analysis (TDA) and Strategic Action Programme (SAP), formulations of a clear vision on how to couple
LME, MPAs and ICZM projects and policies, and watershed management
16. Indicators of project success are included as an integral component of each LME project based on
knowledge, shared and common visions, problem solving orientation, participation, awareness, alli-
ances, wills, benefits, synergies and adjustment), and quantitative indices of sustainable use of LME
resources
17. Synergies with other regional initiatives can be achieved by:
--Establishing clear definitions and competencies on the role to play by international programs and agencies
--Forcing a coordination baseline and clear complementary funding allocation among the different interna-
tional and regional initiatives (Regional Seas Programme, GIWA, White Water to Blue Water, Hilltops 2
Oceans, etc.)
--Inviting new actors to the scene (Freshwater: GWP; GIWA, etc.)
--Knowledge and experience gained through the LME efforts can be most usefully applied to enhance
sustainable development of coastal and ocean zones when LME approach is used as a tool for interven-
tion, replication and adaptation
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Summary and Outstanding Issues
·

Programs in integrated coastal management need to:
--be scaled up to encompass larger parts of coastal areas, and ultimately the entire coastal area
and EEZ. The setting of specific timelines for accomplishing this would be useful.
--receive specific funding to support the implementation of coastal management programs so
that programs can go from planning into the operation phase.
--expand their activities in poverty reduction and public health
--link to watershed and river basin management
·

Management of ocean areas further offshore, including entire EEZs will require:
--new concepts, approaches and structures
--lesson sharing among countries
--assistance to developing and SIDS countries to delimit EEZs and continental shelves and to
establish appropriate governance mechanisms
·

Regional-level marine ecosystem efforts, such as LMEs and regional seas:
--LME experience can be relied upon as a major source of experience for applying the
ecosystem approach by 2010
--LMEs, Regional Seas, and other regional entities, working together, need to develop specific
goals and procedures at the regional level to implement the global WSSD targets
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Co-Chairs´ Report of 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ENHANCING UNITED NATIONS COHERENCE1
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation:
Establish an effective, transparent and regular inter-agency coordination mechanism
on ocean and coastal issues within the United Nations system; (30c)
Related provisions:
Strengthen regional cooperation and coordination between the relevant regional organiza-
tions and programmes, the UNEP regional seas programmes, regional fisheries manage-
ment organizations and other regional science, health and development organizations;
(30f)
Strengthen donor coordination and partnerships between international financial institu-
tions, bilateral agencies and other relevant stakeholders to enable developing countries, in
particular the least developed countries and small island developing States and countries
with economies in transition, to develop their national, regional and subregional capacities
for infrastructure and integrated management and the sustainable use of fisheries; (31g)
The Issue
Background
The issue of international coordination and cooperation Recognizing this need, the 1992 UN Conference on Envi-
on oceans and coasts has been repeatedly raised in various ronment and Development (UNCED) called for the UN
intergovernmental meetings and conferences. It is widely Secretary General and executive heads of United Nations
recognized that there is a need for addressing oceans and agencies and organizations to:
coasts in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive manner, ex-
(a) Strengthen coordination and develop improved ar-
amining the interrelationships among issues affecting these
rangements among the relevant United Nations organi-
areas. The need to examine the interconnection among
zations with major marine and coastal responsibilities,
ocean issues is emphasized in the Law of the Sea ("the prob-
including their subregional and regional components;
lems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be
considered as a whole") and in the 1992 Earth Summit
(b) Strengthen coordination between those organizations
which underscored that given the interrelationships among
and other United Nations organizations, institutions and
uses and processes in the coast and ocean, ocean and coastal
specialized agencies dealing with development, trade and
governance must be "integrated in content and precau-
other related economic issues, as appropriate;
tionary and anticipatory in ambit."
(c) Improve representation of United Nations agencies
Existing UN agencies related to oceans have largely sectoral
dealing with the marine environment in United Nations
mandates, that is, they are charged with addressing differ-
system-wide coordination efforts;
ent aspects of sustainable development of the oceans, such
(d) Promote, where necessary, greater collaboration be-
as fisheries issues, marine science issues, marine navigation
tween the United Nations agencies and subregional and
and safety issues, marine pollution control issues, among
regional coastal and marine programmes;
others. Hence, there is an important need to coordinate
the actions of the various UN agencies dealing with oceans,
(e) Develop a centralized system to provide for informa-
coasts, and islands, to harmonize their activities, to avoid
tion on legislation and advice on implementation of le-
duplication, and to catalyze joint agency action, whenever
gal agreements on marine environmental and develop-
useful and appropriate.
ment issues.
1 This section relies, in large part, on the presentation by Mr. Eckhard Hein, Secretary of the U.N. Chief Executives Board for Coordination
(CEB) High-Level Committee on Programmes on behalf of Mr. Qazi Shaukat Fareed, Director of the U.N. CEB Secretariat.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
As noted by Mr. Eckhart Hein on behalf of the Secretariat
· coherence and consistency at operational, regional and
of the Chief Executive Board (CEB, the system-wide body
global levels and strong linkages among these levels;
presided by the Secretary General of the UN and com-
posed of all the Heads of Agencies and Programmes, and
· country ownership of the follow-up process, coordi-
the World Bank), following the UNCED mandate, from
nation support for capacity-building and full use of
1993 to 2001, the UN Administrative Committee on Co-
existing country- level mechanisms;
ordination (ACC) Sub-Committee on Oceans and Coastal
· a focus on sustainability and productivity and on natu-
Areas (SOCA) functioned as the principal inter-agency
ral resources as the engine for sustainable growth;
mechanism addressing issues of environmental protection
and sustainable development on oceans and coasts
· greater attention to the regional dimensions of the fol-
low-up to WSSD, given the growing need for coopera-
In 1999-2000, the UN Secretary General launched a pro-
tion on issues that cut across national borders;
cess of review of the Administrative Committee on Coordi-
nation and of its subcommittees. The Secretary General
· implementation to be linked to the broader processes
set up a Senior Review Team to draw up proposals for a
of integrated follow up to United Nations conferences
more focused and substance-driven approach to coordina-
and summits, particularly the Millennium Summit;
tion. Based on the report of the Review Team and benefit-
and
ing also from a Joint Inspection Unit report on the subject,
· The High Level Committee on Programmes to assist
CEB changed the name of ACC to CEB, changed also the
in identifying ways of streamlining parallel processes
manner it functioned and delegated much of the standard
and duplicative reporting.
or routine coordination work to two new High-Level Com-
mittees--one on programmes and the other on manage- Based on these general directives, HLCP endorsed a func-
ment. All responsibilities of ACC standing bodies were tion-based approach with emphasis on implementation,
subsumed by the two high-level committees and all the greater integration in follow-up programmes and actions,
permanent standing sub-committees disbanded. In taking while underlining the need for reduction in transaction
this decision, CEB made it clear that the intention was not costs for coordination and for drawing upon the experience
to discourage inter-agency collaborative work in specific of past coordination mechanisms.
areas. Rather, the idea was to enable CEB and its new High-
Level Committees to concentrate on key policy issues and Oceans and Coastal Areas
matters of strategic concern. In addition, the Board con- As noted by Mr. Hein, WSSD emphasized that oceans,
cluded that more dynamic methods were needed to ensure seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated and es-
concrete progress in the different areas of inter-agency con- sential component of the Earth's ecosystem and are critical
cern beyond the UN system involving new stakeholders for global food security and for sustaining economic pros-
and other key external partners. More flexible and func- perity. This recognition led to the adoption of a number of
tion-based approaches were needed to replace the existing concrete goals and specific targets in such areas of the eco-
mechanisms which had become formalistic and bureau- system as fish stocks, biodiversity, protection of the marine
cratic.
environment, particularly from land based activities, mari-
WSSD Outcomes
time safety, and improving the scientific understanding and
assessment of marine and coastal ecosystems.
As noted by Mr. Hein, the Johannesburg Plan of Imple- In adopting these specific goals, the Summit recognized
mentation called for UN inter-agency collaborative arrange- that ensuring sustainable development of the oceans, cov-
ments in four major areas: (i) Freshwater and water and ering a wide range of issues, would require effective coordi-
sanitation; (ii) Energy; (iii) Oceans and coastal areas and nation and cooperation, including at the global and re-
(iv) Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and gional levels as well as among the relevant bodies. In this
production. The CEB entrusted this endeavour to its High context, the JPOI called for steps to "establish an effective,
Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP).
transparent and regular inter-agency coordination mecha-
In discussing the mechanisms for follow-up to WSSD, CEB nism on oceans and coastal issues within the United Na-
highlighted the need for:
tions system."2 The Summit's recommendation was sub-
2 The discussion of this issue at the WSSD echoed discussion at the 2002 Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans (ICP) (April 8-15,
2002) (UN A/57/80, July 2, 2002). ICP noted that it was "essential to establish a new coordination mechanism for issues relating to oceans and seas,
consistent with the new arrangements being developed in the UN system," and underscored that this new mechanism should be "transparent, effective,
and responsive."
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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
sequently endorsed by the 57th session of the UN General ing meetings normally in conjunction with other related meet-
Assembly (A/RES/57/141).
ings; the establishment of written agreements among Heads
It should be emphasized that, from the start of the process of Agencies or Responsible Managers; and open dialogue
in HLCP/CEB, there was a widely shared view that en- with non-UN system actors and transparent communication
hanced coordination of activities relating to oceans and with all partners, including through the use of a dedicated
coastal areas would require both review and harmonization website.
of on-going activities as well as addressing the emerging The new coordinating mechanism is to build on the expe-
challenges and launching of new joint initiatives.
rience, and make full use of, existing inter-agency coopera-
To cover all aspects, including political, legal, security, eco- tive mechanisms or projects, including the Global
nomic, social, and environmental, this mechanism should Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine En-
include not only former SOCA members but also interna- vironment from Land-based Activities (GPA), Global Inter-
tional financial institutions and other relevant institutions national Water Assessment (GIWA), UN Atlas of the Oceans
such as the International Seabed Authority and secretariats (UNAO), Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects
of multilateral environment treaties such as CBD, of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), Global
UNFCCC, etc.
Oceans Observing System (GOOS) as well as others.
All of these elements are present in the approach eventu- In adopting this approach, a process is being set in motion
ally agreed upon by HLCP and endorsed by the CEB, which to draw up the Network's terms of reference and work
is as follows:
programme, which is to be reviewed by HLCP. It was
stressed that OCAN should be involved, with UNDOALOS
· An Oceans and Coastal Areas Network (OCAN) has in the lead, in the preparation of the Global Marine As-
been created. This Network is to build on SOCA cov- sessment (GMA) report. The Committee has also requested
ering a wide range of issues. It will be composed of the UNDOALOS to keep it informed of progress achieved in
relevant programmes, entities and specialized agencies the establishment by 2004 of a regular process for global
of the UN system and the secretariats of the relevant reporting and assessment of the state of the marine envi-
international conventions, including the International ronment, as called for by the JPOI and the GA resolution
Seabed Authority.
57/141.
· This network is to operate as a flexible mechanism to Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
review joint and overlapping ongoing activities and to
support related deliberations of UNICPOLOS.
The Discussion Group on Enhanced UN Coherence stressed
· A steering group of the Network, composed of senior the importance of an effective coordination mechanism in
representatives of the most directly involved organiza- the work of the UN system and secretariats of the relevant
tions/programmes should meet as required to coordi- international conventions as well as with multilateral and
nate programmes, harmonize reporting, and review bilateral financial organizations and other international
ongoing activities. The timing of such meetings could organizations and NGOs, as a pre-condition for a success-
be coordinated with UNICPOLOS sessions.
ful implementation of the WSSD goals contained in the
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation..
· At the same time, the Network can pursue time-bound
initiatives, with well-defined terms of reference, It was recognized that an obstacle to the implementation
through task-oriented groups, open to the participa- of cooperative activities in the past has been the difficulty
tion of NGOs and other international stakeholders.
to secure resources for coordination across the several pro-
grams and agencies, and of the lack "seed money" that would
· Emerging challenges or new initiatives are to be iden- enable the different partners to contribute to and partici-
tified by the Network, based on relevant work inside pate in the development phase of new jointly funded ac-
and outside the UN system. An example of such task- tivities.
oriented groups could be the establishment of a task
force comprising leading agencies dedicated to the co- From a management point of view, it was pointed out that
ordination, planning and implementation of the Glo- on a longer-term basis, stronger coordination would re-
bal Marine Assessment (GMA) or on regional ocean quire major adjustments in the planning and budgeting
governance.
cycles of agencies and programmes in an effort to align
mandates with resources across several budgets.
The modalities of work recommended for the Network in-
cluded the intensive use of electronic communication; hold- In consideration of such a structure, the Discussion Group
had the following recommendations/observations to make:
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· The terms of reference for the OCAN network and
and the JPOI;
Steering Group should be clearly defined and widely com-
c) identification of emerging issues, the definition of joint
municated.
actions, and the establishment of specific task teams to
· An effort should be made to define the membership
deal with these, as appropriate;
in an inclusive way, considering that there are existing
d) promoting the integrated management of ocean at the
fora and bodies already established and working on
international level;
various issues.
e) facilitating as appropriate, the inputs to the annual
· Opinions were divided about the level at which it is best
report of the Secretary General on oceans and the law of
to involve partners external to the UN. One idea is that
the sea;
the core group could remain UN agencies and financing
institutions, with NGOs and other international stake-
f) promoting the coherence of the UN system activities
holders invited to be full members of the specific Task
on oceans and coastal areas with the mandates of the
Forces.
General Assembly, and the priorities contained in the
Millennium Development Goals, the JPOI and of gov-
· In the development and implementation of the inter-
erning bodies of all UN-Oceans members.
agency mechanism, there was a strong plea by mem-
bers of the group to come up with flexible and trans- Initial List of Potential Members of UN-Oceans
parent ways of participation that could help to increase
ownership and accountability of the process.
As for the membership in the former Inter-agency Commit-
tee on Sustainable Development (IACSD), all the members
Developments since the 2003 Global
of the UN System can become a member of the Network,
Conference
through a simple expression of will. In the list that follows,
all the organizations that participated in the previous work
In the period since the Global Conference (November 2003 of SOCA, or in the informal coordination for the ICP meet-
to May 2004), the following activities have taken place to ings have been included, as well as those organizations that
put into place a new UN interagency mechanism on oceans: have expressed their interest to participate.
The CEB Secretariat invited the Executive Secretary of the Departments of the UN Secretariat3
IOC, Dr. Patricio Bernal, former Chair of SOCA, to lead
the process of consultation for the definition of the Terms Office of Legal Affairs (OLA): Division for Ocean Affairs
of Reference of the Network.
and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS)
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA):
On December 5, 2003, a first draft was made available to Division for Sustainable Development
all partners and a final version, after ammendements, was
distributed at the end of January 2004.
UN Specialized Agencies
Responding to the proposal made by UN-DESA, to adopt International Labour Organization (ILO)
the name "UN-Ocean" for the network, to parallel "UN-
Water", the interagency mechanism on water, the group Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na-
enthusiatically endorsed the new name.
tions (FAO)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
The TOR and the change of name proposal were presented Organization (UNESCO)
to the HLCP by Shaukat Fareed, Director of the Secre-
tariat of the CEB in February, receiving a favourable re- World Health Organization (WHO)
view.
World Bank Group: The World Bank (IBRD)
The proposed terms of Reference are:
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
a) strengthening coordination and cooperation of the
UN activities related to ocean and coastal areas;
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO)
b) reviewing the relevant programmes and activities of World Tourism Organization (WTO)
the UN system, undertaken as part of their contribu-
tion to the implementation of UNCLOS, Agenda 21,
3 Names and groupings from "Organization Chart of the UN system", and http://www.un.org/depts
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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
UN Programmes and Funds
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
International Seabed Authority
Related Organizations
Other UN entities
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
United Nations University
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHSP
"UN-HABITAT")
Others
Related Conventions (UN and non-UN) Secretariats
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment (OECD)
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
Convention on Biological Diversity
Summary and Outstanding Issues
· A new interagency mechanism on oceans has been created by the highest levels of the
UN system: the Oceans and Coastal Areas Network, subsequently renamed UN Oceans,
paralleling UN Water, the UN inter-agency mechanism for coordination of water issues.
· New modalities for coordination among UN Agencies and programs, applicable to the
new networks under the High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) have been
defined as part of the follow-up of WSSD.
· The TOR for UN-Ocean have been defined as well as a list of interested agencies identi-
fied. Specifics of how the mechanism will operate are to be defined by the network.
· NGO involvement is expected to materialize at the level of specific Task Forces ad-
dressing different issues.
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Co-Chairs´ Report of 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ESTABLISHING A GLOBAL MARINE ASSESSMENT
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation:
The Plan of Implementation of WSSD (paragraph 36) called on States to improve the scientific understanding
and assessment of marine and coastal ecosystems as a fundamental basis for sound decision-making, through actions at all
levels to:
(a) Increase scientific and technical collaboration, including integrated assessment at the global and regional levels,
including the appropriate transfer of marine science and marine technologies and techniques for the conservation
and management of living and non-living marine resources and expanding ocean-observing capabilities for the
timely prediction and assessment of the state of the marine environment;
(b) Establish by 2004 a regular process under the United Nations for global reporting and
assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic as-
pects, both current and foreseeable, building on existing regional assessments;
(c) Build capacity in marine science, information and management, through, inter alia, promoting the use of
environmental impact assessments and environmental evaluation and reporting techniques, for projects or activities
that are potentially harmful to the coastal and marine environments and their living and non-living resources;
The Issue
nomic aspects, both current and foreseeable, building on
existing regional assessments. That decision was subsequently
The question of a regular process for assessment of the endorsed by the General Assembly in resolutions 57/141
marine environment, including socio-economic aspects, has (paragraph 45) and 58/240 (paragraphs 64-65)" (A/AC.271/
been discussed in international meetings for several years, WP.1, p. 1).
culminating finally in the recommendation of the WSSD Plan
of Implementation Paragraph 36B. The history of this issue In Resolution 57/141, the General Assembly requested the
is laid out in A/AC.271/WP.1 Fifty-eighth session, UN Gen- Secretary-General to prepare proposals on modalities for a
eral Assembly, Agenda item, Oceans and the Law of the regular process for the global reporting and assessment of
Sea, A Regular Process for the Global Reporting and As- the state of the marine environment, and to submit these
sessment of the State of the Marine Environment, Including proposals to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session
Socio-Economic Aspects, and is quoted verbatim here:
for its consideration and decision, including on the conven-
ing of a possible intergovernmental meeting. At its fifty-
"The process of investigating the potential establishment of eighth session, the General Assembly adopted resolution 58/
a regular marine environment assessment to provide accu- 240, paragraph 64 (a) of which requested the Secretary-Gen-
rate information to decision makers on the state of the ma- eral "to convene a group of experts of no more than twenty-
rine environment was initiated in 1999 by national govern- four participants, comprising representatives of States, in-
ments at the seventh session of the Commission on Sustain- cluding all regional groups, and representatives from inter-
able Development. Further Global Marine Assessment governmental organizations and non-governmental organi-
(GMA) initiatives included the technical workshops in zations, including both scientists and policy makers, to pro-
Reykjavik (2001) and Bremen (2002).1 At the World Sum- duce, including through the possibility of hiring a consultant,
mit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), States decided to a draft document with details on the scope, general frame-
seek the establishment by 2004 of a regular process under work and outline of the regular process, peer review, secre-
the United Nations for global reporting and assessment of tariat, capacity building and funding." (A/AC.271/WP.1)
the state of the marine environment, including socio-eco-
1 For details on Reykjavik (12-14 September 2001) and Bremen (18-20 March 2002) meetings, see the United Nations Environment Programme
web site on the GMA: www.unep.org/DEWA/water/MarineAssessment.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Discussions at the 2003 Global Conference
Highlights of the Group of Experts Report on
the GMA
At the 2003 Global Conference, participants benefited from
the presentation on plans for implementing the GMA tar- This section presents the highlights of the report A Regular
gets of the WSSD by Dr. Louise de LaFayette, UN Division Process for the Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the
of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea. No specific working Marine Environment, Including Socio-Economic Aspects (A/
group was established on this question, but extensive infor- AC.271.WP.1) being discussed at the 5th ICP.
mal discussion ensued. Participants emphasized the impor-
tance of a global marine assessment, including socio-eco- Goals. "...the GMA should produce regularly occurring
nomic aspects, to understand (and ultimately manage) major integrated global syntheses of the status and trends of ma-
drivers of environmental change in the oceans and also to rine ecosystems, including socio-economic aspects. The GMA
monitor the health and quality of life of coastal communi- should be built, as much as possible, on integrated regional
ties and to better understand the socio-economic contribu- assessments conducted by regional affiliates. The process of
tions and environmental impacts of ocean industries. Scien- conducting the GMA should facilitate continuous access to
tists present at the meeting underscored the need to coordi- information on the status and trends of marine ecosystems
nate a global assessment effort with important global ocean on diverse geographic scales. The global marine assessments
scientific assessment efforts already underway. UN agencies should inform policy makers, ocean users, the public, and
emphasized the need to involve all the UN agencies in the the scientific community with reliable and objective infor-
effort and to build on existing UN environmental assess- mation, with the ultimate goal of policies, individual choices,
ment efforts such as those of UNEP. NGOs emphasized and research that benefit humanity in a sustainable manner."
the potential of the GMA as a periodic report card on the
state of the oceans and of coastal communities which could Scope. The report notes that the GMA "should address all
be used to both assess the effectiveness of international and dimensions of marine ecosystems including the physical and
national efforts in ocean and coastal management (are con- chemical environment, biota, and socioeconomic aspects. The
ditions better or worse?) and also to communicate with and assessments should address the state of marine ecosystems,
involve the public in important ocean issues. Many put for- causes of change, benefits derived from marine ecosystems,
ward the important point that, while the establishment of and threats and risks. The geographic scope of the assessments
the process of the GMA will be quite complex and will should span coastal and estuarine waters through ocean basins,
require careful planning and a staged approach, that it was taking account of terrestrial and atmospheric influences."
essential to get started on this important effort at the earliest
possible moment.
Startup phase. The report recommends that there should
be a startup phase of up to two years prior to commence-
Developments Since the 2003 Global Conference ment of the regular GMA process which would include an
assessment of past and current assessments in the field; iden-
As noted in A/AC.271/WP.1, the Group of Experts on the tification of regions, consideration of capacity building needs;
Global Marine Assessment was convened in New York, from identification of issues for, and possibly the commencement
23 to 26 March 2004, pursuant to paragraph 64(a) of Gen- of, topical assessments; and scenario analysis.
eral Assembly resolution 58/240, and was composed of
representatives of States, intergovernmental organizations and Conceptual Framework. The report notes that the GMA
non-governmental organizations, including both scientists and requires a common conceptual framework to foster com-
policy makers. The Group of Experts was chaired by Dr. parability among the regional assessments. To foster policy
David Pugh of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com- relevance, the conceptual framework for assessing the present
mission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and state of the marine environment should be framed on the
Cultural Organization.
basis of four general and overlapping themes related to the
health of the marine environment and the societal benefits
The outcome of the discussions of the Group of Experts is derived from it: 1) food security and fisheries; 2) public
a 17-page document (advance, unedited text) contained in health and safety; 3) ecosystem function; and 4) economic
A/AC.271/WP.1 which details an approach to the establish- and social benefits and uses.
ment and regular operation of the GMA. The draft docu-
ment is being presented to the GMA International Work- General Operation. The report recommends that after
shop, held in conjunction with the 5th UN Open-ended In- the startup phase, that the regular GMA process follow a
formal Consultative Process (ICP) on Oceans and the Law five-year cycle, adjustable based on experience gained during
of the Sea, from June 7-11, 2004.
the first cycle. The GMA would operate at both global and
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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
regional levels. At the global level, a global scientific assess- A draft budget suggests that the start up phase would cost
ment panel would produce a general design for the global one to two million dollars for two years. The ongoing work
and regional assessments based, in part, on consultations with of the GMA afterwards is likely to cost 6 to 8 million US$
stakeholders. At the regional level, regional scientific assess- per year.
ments would be the responsibility of regional affiliates to
the GMA.
Next Steps
The Group of Experts Report also calls for extensive coor- The Report from the Group of Experts will be under dis-
dination among UN agencies and others in the design and cussion during the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative
operation of the GMA and sets out modalities for quality Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea in New York,
assurance including peer review.
June 7-11, 2004.
Summary and Outstanding Issues
·

A detailed proposal for the design and operation of the Global Marine Assessment has been
prepared by the Group of Experts
·

States and others are in the process of discussing the draft and of considering the mobiliza-
tion of financial and human resources to put the GMA into effect
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ADVANCING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL PROGRAMME OF
ACTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation:
Advance implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-based Activities and the Montreal Declaration on the Protection of
the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, with particular emphasis in the period
2002-2006 on municipal wastewater, the physical alteration and destruction of habitats, and
nutrients, by actions at all levels to:
(a) Facilitate partnerships, scientific research and diffusion of technical knowledge; mobilize
domestic, regional and international resources; and promote human and institutional capac-
ity-building, paying particular attention to the needs of developing countries;
(b) Strengthen the capacity of developing countries in the development of their national and
regional programmes and mechanisms to mainstream the objectives of the Global Programme of
Action and to manage the risks and impacts of ocean pollution;
(c) Elaborate regional programmes of action and improve the links with strategic plans for the
sustainable development of coastal and marine resources, noting in particular areas which are
subject to accelerated environmental changes and development pressures;
(d) Make every effort to achieve substantial progress by the next Global Programme of Action
conference in 2006 to protect the marine environment from land-based activities. (33)
The Issue
Almost 2.4 billion people live within 100 kilometers of a
coastal region (WRI as cited in Monsarrat 2002), which is
Pollution of the marine environment, as defined by the
commonly threatened by development-related activities.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The intense pressures put on the coastal systems and their
(UNCLOS), is "the introduction by man, directly or indi-
concomitant adverse impacts require serious attention and
rectly, of substances or energy into the marine environ-
protective action at all levels: local, national, regional and
ment, including estuaries, which results or is likely to re-
global (UNEP-GPA 2003).
sult in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources
In response to these major problems, 108 governments and
and marine life, hazards to human health, hindrance to
the European Commission declared their commitment to
marine activities, including fishing and other legitimate
protect and preserve the marine environment from the
uses of the seas, impairment of quality for use of sea water
harmful environmental impacts of land-based activities. The
and reduction of amenities" (UN 1983). About 80% of
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Ma-
the pollution load in the oceans come from land-based
rine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) and
activities, including municipal, industrial and agricultural
the Washington Declaration were adopted in 1995 and UNEP
wastes and run-off, and atmospheric deposition. These
was assigned to lead the coordination effort and to establish
pollutants ecologically and physically affect the most pro-
a GPA Coordination Office. The comprehensive, multi-
ductive areas of the marine environment, on which coastal
sectoral approach of the GPA also reflects the intention of
populations depend for their livelihood and well-being.
33

---

Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Governments to strengthen the collaboration and coordina- Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
tion of all agencies involved in the protection of the marine
environment from land-based activities, through their par- Expert groups in large-marine ecosystem projects (LME),
ticipation in a global programme (UNEP-GPA 2003). coral reefs, and integrated coastal management convened at
the Conference identified GPA implementation as an impor-
The GPA is a source of conceptual and practical guidance tant component of their activities. Among the groups' rec-
for national and/or regional authorities in devising and imple- ommendations related to GPA implementation are the fol-
menting sustained action to prevent, reduce, control and/or lowing:
eliminate marine degradation from land-based activities. The
GPA aims to: 1) Identify the sources and impacts of land-
· LME: Assist in the implementation of the Global
based sources of pollution; 2) Identify priority problems for
Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
action; 3) Set management objectives for these problem ar-
Environment from Land-based Activities within the
eas; 4) Develop strategies to achieve these objectives; and 5)
period 2002-2006 by undertaking baseline assessment
Evaluate the impacts of these strategies. Implementing the
of land based marine pollution, including:
GPA is mainly the task of governments, with support from
1. Assessment and evaluation of legal frameworks
regional and international organizations. Additionally, civil
society has been recognized as a potential contributor to-
2. Development of water quality guidelines
wards the achievement of GPA goals (Osborn 2003).
3. Development of transboundary pollution monitoring
WSSD and Related Outcomes
program
4. Regional oil spill contingency planning
Table 2 summarizes the global and regional conventions and
·
events leading to the establishment of the GPA and subse-
Coral Reefs: Promote and strengthen partnerships, in-
quent developments including the WSSD targets relating to
formation exchange and participatory stakeholder ap-
the protection of the marine environment from land-based
proaches e.g., via the International Coral Reef Action
activities.
Network, and involvement in integrated partnerships
such as the GPA and White Water to Blue Water, and
The WSSD became an opportunity for governments and
promote these recommendations at various global fora.
non-governmental groups to commit to full implementa-
tion of the GPA, motivated by prevailing substantial threats
· ICM: Recognizing the destructive impacts of growing
to the marine environment. The Johannesburg Plan of
flows of pollutants to coastal waters, national and local
Implementation (JPoI, paragraph 33) provides for advanc-
governments should support the implementation of
ing the implementation of the GPA and the Montreal Dec-
the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of
laration, with particular emphasis during the period 2002
the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities
­ 2006 on municipal wastewater, the physical alteration
and, in particular, the Strategic Action Plan on Mu-
and destruction of habitat, and nutrients. This target re-
nicipal Wastewater.
quires actions at all levels to:
At the plenary session, it was noted that UNEP-GPA is
· Facilitate partnerships, research and diffusion of tech- working to help countries develop national programmes of
nical knowledge
action (NPA) by 2006. GPA is a useful tool for improving
ocean governance and complements the freshwater man-
· Mobilize resources
agement and sanitation goals set out in the Millennium
· Promote human and institutional capacity building
Declaration. Noting the example of Iceland and other coun-
tries that have adopted NPAs, it was emphasized that coun-
· Strengthen development of national and regional tries should integrate NPAs with sustainable development
programmes
strategies (Johannesson 2003).
Each country must select an approach that best suits its Several IMO activities focused on marine pollution protec-
geographic characteristics, political, institutional and regu- tion, including two WSSD partnerships -- Ballast Water Man-
latory frameworks, best available science and technology, agement and the Marine Electronic Highway (see Box 9 on
current assessments, inventories and data. The target num- p.63). It was also noted that the GloBallast project assists
ber of national programmes of action by 2006 is 40 (Osborn developing countries in reducing the transfer of invasive
2003).
aquatic species.
34

---

Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Table 2. Major Milestones Related to the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (adapted
from UNEP-GPA 2003).
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Global Forum Next Steps
and the 12th Session of the Commission on Sustainable De-
velopment (19 ­ 30 April 2004), where discussion focused
The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands will on WSSD targets relating to water, sanitation and human
assist in raising awareness and creating linkages to initiate settlements. In this regard, the H O Partnership Conference
2
and facilitate a continuing dialogue among sectors involved provided a timely opportunity to further focus international
in the protection of the marine environment, through:
attention/dialogue on the concrete actions needed to realize
· Assisting in the monitoring/reviewing of progress in the WSSD targets related to freshwater, coasts and oceans,
and specifically the Global Programme of Action for the
the implementation of the Global Programme of Ac- Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
tion for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Activities.
Land-Based Activities by creating a Task Force com-
posed of NGOs, governments, development assistance Specific Objectives of the H 0 Partnership Conference
2
agencies, and private sector representatives. This Task The H 0 Partnership Conference, representing a major mile-
Force will begin by considering the results of the Hilltop
2
stone in the implementation of the H 0 Initiative, was aimed
to Oceans Conference, held in Cairns, Australia on May
2
at Ministers, Senior Government Officials, CEOs and Man-
11-14, 2004, and the specific suggestions emanating from aging Directors of Private Sector firms or industry groups,
this conference to achieve significant progress in the ef- Senior NGO representatives, academia and International
fective implementation of the GPA by 2006.
Agencies.
· Fostering ongoing relationships and collaboration be- In addition to advancing the overall objectives of the H 0
tween the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Is-
2
Initiative, the specific objectives of the H 0 Partnership Con-
lands and the World Water Forum to encourage tan-
2
ference included:
gible and ongoing linkages between freshwater and
ocean issues. The leadership of the Global Forum will
· To renew the commitment of governments and other
thus approach the leadership of the World Water Fo-
stakeholders of the need for sustained and adequately
rum, Global Water Partnership, and World Water
resourced action to protect the marine environment
Council to discuss joint initiatives and to establish a
from the harmful effects of activities from the hilltops
joint Task Force on freshwater/oceans linkages. A
to the oceans;
mechanism will also be established to regularly report
· To identify detailed methods and tools for initiating sus-
the outcomes of the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts,
tained, effective and efficient national action;
and Islands into the program of work of the World
Water Forum and viceversa.
· To further strengthen the links between water supply and
sanitation, and to emphasize the environmental dimen-
Developments since the 2003 Global
sions of realizing the WSSD target on sanitation;
Conference
· To explore Innovative Financial Arrangements for financ-
ing capital intensive initiatives;
Global H2O: Hilltops-2-Oceans Partnership
Conference1
· To review, debate and recommend the appropriate use
Cairns, Australia, May 11-14, 2004
of Wastewater Emission Targets (WET) as a tool for
protecting the marine environment from the harmful
Co-sponsored by the Australian Government's Department
effects of activities from the hilltops to the oceans;
of the Environment and Heritage and the United Nations
· To assist countries and stakeholders to commit to con-
Environment Programme, the conference is an integral part
crete action to protect the marine environment from
of the H2O Partnership Initiative launched during the
land-based activities.
World Summit. The aim of the H O Partnership Conference
2
was to promote realistic actions and partnerships that ad- Major Outcomes of the H 0 Partnership Conference
2
dress river, coastal and marine pollution. Emphasizing the The Global H O: Hilltops-2-Oceans Partnership Confer-
linkages between freshwater and marine environments, the
2
ence reaffirmed the crucial links between watersheds, river
conference provided an open forum for stakeholders to ad- systems, coastal estuaries and the marine environment. It also
dress freshwater and saltwater issues in an integrated fashion. highlighted the interdependence of the respective stakehold-
The H O Partnership Conference followed shortly after the
2
ers in these environments and the critical need to strengthen
Global Ministerial Environment Forum (29 ­ 31 March 2004) cooperation between freshwater, coastal and oceans institu-
1 Prepared by Mr. David Osborn, UNEP-GPA.
36

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
tions. The conference concluded that action is needed at glo-
· The enhancement of the GPA Clearing House Mecha-
bal, regional, national and local levels to foster collaborative
nism, the use of its Marine Pollution Solutions database and
partnerships between government, water resource manag-
the formation of a network of NPA practitioners will fa-
ers, local and indigenous communities, industry, the private
cilitate the continued sharing of experiences, promoting best
sector and research bodies. Such partnerships should address
practices and providing technical assistance to advance imple-
the integration of coastal and marine management with wa-
mentation.
tershed management policies, programs and legislation. Simi-
larly, such partnerships should seek to raise awareness, build
· There are indications that the 2006 H O target of 40 coun-
2
multi-stakeholder capacity at the local level and emphasize
tries actively involved in developing or implementing NPAs
mutual benefits.
will be exceeded.
The conference observed that in many instances voluntary
With regard to Wastewater Emission Targets (WET) as they
multi-stakeholder partnerships provide flexible and effec-
relate to Sanitation, the key outcomes and major points of
tive complements to the implementation of legally binding
discussion included:
instruments. Further, innovative voluntary partnerships may
go beyond binding commitments. Good examples of part-
· Launch of a partnership between UNEP and the Water
nership building initiatives, such as the White Water to Blue
Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), link-
Water Initiative, can be used as a model in other regions.
ing the WET-initiative with the Water, Sanitation and Hy-
giene for all campaign, WET ­ WASH, to ensure that the
The conference focused on National Programmes of Ac- WSSD targets on Water and Sanitation include all aspects, in
tion (NPA) and on the possible use of Wastewater Emission particular hygiene awareness and the safe discharge and re-
Targets (WET) as they refer to sanitation. With regard to use of wastewater.
using National Programmes of Action as frameworks for
multi-stakeholder partnerships, the key outcomes and major · In the implementation of the WSSD sanitation target, all
points of discussion included:
of the water cycle management and hygiene practices should
be considered, from hand washing to sustainable treatment
· Agreement that NPAs provide an effective tool and policy of wastewater, including its reuse.
framework for integrated `whole-of-government' actions to
protect water resources from the Hilltops to the Oceans.
· Considerable progress in the integration of policies for
wastewater management has been achieved in several re-
· NPAs should be long-term iterative processes that con- gions, including in the Pacific Islands and South Asian re-
tribute to poverty reduction strategies and/or national sus- gions. The use of Wastewater Emission Targets (WET) was
tainable development strategies, and should be appropriately highlighted as a potential vehicle to further the implementa-
reflected in domestic priorities and budgets.
tion of the GPA component on municipal wastewater.
· Mobilization of domestic resources is clearly required to · Setting targets is not an end in itself but a tool to achieve
implement NPAs. International financing can only provide a specific policy objectives. Targets will differ at global, re-
stimulus to embed the implementation of the NPA into na- gional, national and local levels depending on specific cir-
tional structures ­ in this regard, the GPA Coordination cumstances. Flexibility is key to an adequate use of targets,
Office has an important role to play as a broker of partner- setting different types of targets addressing various situa-
ships between developing countries and donors/international tions and needs. Once targets are set, progress towards them
financial institutes.
should be monitored and evaluated periodically.
· NPAs can provide a platform to coordinate partnerships · The community should be involved in the process of set-
emerging from multilateral negotiations, e.g. partnerships ting targets.
relating to the WSSD targets on freshwater, coastal and ma-
rine environments.
· NPAs can also provide a platform for Public Private Part-
nerships aimed at protecting and preserving water resources.

37

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Summary and Outstanding Issues
· UNEP-GPA is working to help countries develop national programmes of action (NPA) by 2006.
Building on the experience of countries that have developed NPAs, it is recommended that countries
integrate NPAs with sustainable development strategies and/or poverty reduction strategy papers.
· There is an indication that the 2006 H O target of 40 countries actively involved in developing
2
or implementing NPAs will be exceeded.
· Links between the oceans community and the freshwater community urgently need to be strengthened
and used to build integrated responses to the problems of watershed /coastal/marine degradation.
· The incorporation of GPA objectives into LME, coral reefs, ICM, as well as in biodiversity and marine
protected area programs and strategies is recognized as a key factor towards the successful implemen-
tation of these programs.
38

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Co-Chairs´ Report of 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ADDRESSING THE ISSUES
OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (emphasis added by the authors):
58. Small island developing States are a special case both for environment and development.
Although they continue to take the lead in the path towards sustainable development in their
countries, they are increasingly constrained by the interplay of adverse factors clearly under-
lined in Agenda 21, the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States and the decisions adopted at the twenty-second special session of the Gen-
eral Assembly. This would include actions at all levels to:
(a) Accelerate national and regional implementation of the Programme of Action, with adequate financial resources, includ-
ing through GEF focal areas, transfer of environmentally sound technologies and assistance for capacity-building from the
international community;
(b) Further implement sustainable fisheries management and improve financial returns from
fisheries by supporting and strengthening relevant regional fisheries management organiza-
tions, as appropriate, such as the recently established Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
and such agreements as the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Mi-
gratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean;
(c) Assist small island developing States, including through the elaboration of specific initia-
tives, in delimiting and managing in a sustainable manner their coastal areas and exclusive
economic zones and the continental shelf (including, where appropriate, the continental shelf
areas beyond 200 miles from coastal baselines), as well as relevant regional management initia-
tives within the context of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the
UNEP regional seas programmes;
(d) Provide support, including for capacity-building, for the development and further imple-
mentation of:
(i) Small island developing States-specific components within programmes of work on marine
and coastal biological diversity;
(ii) Freshwater programmes for small island developing States, including through the GEF
focal areas;
(e) Effectively reduce, prevent and control waste and pollution and their health-related impacts
by undertaking by 2004 initiatives aimed at implementing the Global Programme of Action for
the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities in small island develop-
ing States;
(f) Work to ensure that, in the ongoing negotiations and elaboration of the WTO work programme on trade in small
economies, due account is taken of small island developing States, which have severe structural handicaps in integrating into
the global economy, within the context of the Doha development agenda;
(g) Develop community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism by 2004, and build the capacities necessary to diversify
tourism products, while protecting culture and traditions, and effectively conserving and managing natural resources;
39

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: (Continued)
(g) Develop community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism by 2004, and build the capaci-
ties necessary to diversify tourism products, while protecting culture and traditions, and effec-
tively conserving and managing natural resources;
(h) Extend assistance to small island developing States in support of local communities and
appropriate national and regional organizations of small island developing States for compre-
hensive hazard and risk management, disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, and
help relieve the consequences of disasters, extreme weather events and other emergencies;
(i) Support the finalization and subsequent early operationalization, on agreed terms, of eco-
nomic, social and environmental vulnerability indices and related indicators as tools for the
achievement of the sustainable development of the small island developing States;
(j) Assist small island developing States in mobilizing adequate resources and partnerships for
their adaptation needs relating to the adverse effects of climate change, sea level rise and
climate variability, consistent with commitments under the United Nations Framework Con-
vention on Climate Changes, where applicable;
(k) Support efforts by small island developing States to build capacities and institutional arrangements to implement
intellectual property regimes;
59. Support the availability of adequate, affordable and environmentally sound energy services for the sustainable develop-
ment of small island developing States by, inter alia:
(a) Strengthening ongoing and supporting new efforts on energy supply and services, by 2004, including through the United
Nations system and partnership initiatives;
(b) Developing and promoting efficient use of sources of energy, including indigenous sources and renewable energy, and
building the capacities of small island developing States for training, technical know-how and strengthening national institu-
tions in the area of energy management;
60. Provide support to SIDS to develop capacity and strengthen:
(a) Health-care services for promoting equitable access to health care;
(b) Health systems for making available necessary drugs and technology in a sustainable and affordable manner to fight and
control communicable and non-communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes, malaria and
dengue fever;
(c) Efforts to reduce and manage waste and pollution and building capacity for maintaining
and managing systems to deliver water and sanitation services, in both rural and urban areas;
(d) Efforts to implement initiatives aimed at poverty eradication, which have been outlined in
section II of the present document.
61. Undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Barbados
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
in 2004, in accordance with the provisions set forth in General Assembly resolution S-22/2,
and in this context requests the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session to consider
convening an international meeting for the sustainable development of small island develop-
ing States.
40
40

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
"For small island states, the health of the oceans is of paramount importance;
· SIDS have rich and diverse cultures with special adap-
so vital is the exerted influence of the oceans over islands that they impact
tations to island environments and knowledge of the
directly on a spectrum of island issues, including its people, culture, economy,
sound management of island resources
and the environment. Indeed, islands and oceans are an integral part of a
single environment. For small island developing States, the protection and
The Barbados Programme of Action and the WSSD
management of their marine environment are intrinsically linked to their
sustainable development aspirations."
In April 1994, the Global Conference on Sustainable Devel-
-His Excellency Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, AOSIS Chair
opment of Small Island Developing States was convened in
Global Conference on Oceans Coasts and Islands, November 12,
Barbados. This was the first conference that translated Agenda
2003
21 into a programme of action for a group of countries:
the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA). The BPoA
Small island developing States (SIDS) have limited land-based sets forth specific actions and measures to be taken at the
resources. However, with the establishment of the 200 miles national, regional and international levels in support of the
Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), small islands are the sustainable development of SIDS1. The developments and
custodians of vast ocean spaces. As such, SIDS have heavy major outcomes related to genesis and evolution of the
responsibilities for the management, conservation and sus- implementation of the BPoA are shown in Box72:
tainable development of these resources. SIDS are entrusted
with the management of rich and diverse natural resources Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference3
such as biodiversity, fisheries and minerals. SIDS typically have
beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage, providing The discussions on the SIDS at the Conference focused mainly
numerous opportunities for tourism developments. There- on the preparation of SIDS for the Mauritius International
fore, oceans and coastal environment are of vital and strate- Meeting (BPoA+10). The discussion group outlined the fol-
gic importance for SIDS and constitute perhaps their major lowing goals:
sustainable development resource.
· JPoI objectives, targets and implementation need to be
Small island developing States (SIDS) and islands supporting
incorporated into the outcomes of the Mauritius Interna-
small communities are a special case for both environment
tional Meeting
and development as set forth in Agenda 21, since they are · Development of national and regional plans of action and
ecologically fragile and vulnerable. SIDS have all the envi-
of implementation
ronmental problems and challenges of the coastal zone con- · Proper address of the problems of the vulnerability of
centrated in very limited land areas:
small island States
· Promotion of some of the vulnerability features as strengths
· SIDS are considered extremely vulnerable to global
to attract investment and partnerships forms of sustain-
warming, sea level rise and to extreme meteorological
able tourism, based on the cultural and traditional heritage
events, but because small island development options · Mobilization of the international community to participate
are limited, they face special challenges to implement
in the sustainable development of SIDS
sustainable development.
· Enhancement of information access as a key issue to en-
sure sustainable development
· The ocean and coastal environment is of strategic im- · Sharing information on best practices
portance as it constitutes the major natural asset for · Collaboration between communities to overcome small
development, but often lack appropriate management;
scale and dispersion
· The small size, limited resources, geographic disper- · Increasing public participation on sustainable development
sion and isolation from markets of SIDS, prevent
by means of education, including integrating civil society
economies of scale and place them at economic dis-
on early stages of the processes; and
advantage;
· Creation of structures to involve youth on communities'
activities, and on the implementation of the BPoA.
1 UNDESA. 2004. The 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA). Available: www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sids/sids.htm
2 Based on UNDESA. 2004. Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Available: www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sids/sids.htm; and IISD. 2004.
SIDS Preparatory Meeting for the 10-Year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA), United Nations Headquarters, New
York, April 14-16, 2004. Available: www.iisd.ca/sids/bpoa10/sidsprep/
3 This section highlights the outcomes of the pre-conference meeting and discussion group on SIDS led by Dr. Diane Quareless, Chief of
the SIDS unit (UN DESA) and the salient points of the address to the Global Conference by Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Chair of the
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 7. Major Milestones in UN Actions Related to Sustainable Development of SIDS
1989. The 44th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) recognised the vulnerability of islands and coastal areas to
the possible adverse effects of sea-level rise on islands and coastal areas (resolution 44/206).
1992. The UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) adopted Agenda 21, a programme of
action for sustainable development (June 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 on the protection
of oceans, all kinds of seas, and coastal areas brings the special case of small island developing States to international
attention by including a programme area on the sustainable development of small islands and also by calling for a
global conference on the sustainable development of SIDS.
1994. The UN Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of SIDS convened at Barbados (Bridgetown,
Barbados, from 25 April to of 6 May). The Conference adopted the Barbados Programme of Action on the Sustainable
Development of SIDS (BPoA), which identifies priority areas and indicates specific actions necessary for addressing the
special challenges faced by SIDS, as well as the Barbados Declaration, a statement of political will underpinning the
agreements contained in the BPoA. The BPoA is a 14-point programme, whose priority areas include: climate change
and sea-level rise, natural and environmental disasters, management of wastes, coastal and marine resources, freshwater
resources, land resources, energy resources, tourism resources, biodiversity resources, national institutions and admin-
istrative capacity, regional institutions and technical cooperation, transport and communication, science and technology,
and human resource development. The BPoA also identifies several cross-sectoral areas: capacity building; institutional
development at the national, regional and international levels; cooperation in the transfer of environmentally sound
technologies; trade and economic diversification, and finance.
1997. During the 19th Special Session of the UNGA (UNGASS-19), during consideration of the implementation of
Agenda 21, it was decided that a Special Session of the General Assembly would be held in 1999 to conduct a full review
of the implementation of the BPoA, for which CSD would serve as the preparatory committee.
1999. The 22nd Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS-22) undertook a comprehensive review and
appraisal of the implementation of the BPoA. The UNGASS-22 adopted the "State of Progress and Initiatives for
the Future Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS" (BPoA+5),
which identified six problem areas in need of urgent attention: climate change, natural and environmental disasters and
climate variability, freshwater resources, coastal and marine resources, energy, and tourism. Additionally, the BPoA+5
stressed the need to focus on means of implementation through national and international initiatives: the develop-
ment and implementation of national sustainable development strategies, initiatives for information management,
such as strengthening the SIDS Network, and international cooperation and partnership.
2000. The Millennium Summit adopted the UN Millennium Declaration (Resolution 55/2), which also addresses the
special needs of SIDS, by implementing the BPoA and the outcome of the BPoA+5 rapidly and in full.
2002. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, 26 August to 4 September, Johannesburg, South
Africa) adopted the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation (JPoI). The WSSD reaffirmed the special case of SIDS; dedicated chapter VII of the JPoI to the
sustainable development of SIDS, which identified a set of priority actions; called for a full and comprehensive review
of the BPoA in 2004; and requested the General Assembly to consider convening an international meeting on the
sustainable development of SIDS. Non-negotiated partnerships/initiatives for sustainable development, also known
as Type II partnerships/initiatives, are an important outcome of the WSSD. Since the WSSD, over 290 such partner-
ships have been launched4, of which at least 27 address challenges facing small islands5.
2002. The 57th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA-57) decided to convene an international meeting in 2004
to undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the BPoA (resolution 57/262). The review
should focus on practical and pragmatic actions for the further implementation of the BPoA, and a renewed political
commitment by all countries, including through the mobilization of resources and assistance for SIDS. The resolution
further decided to convene regional preparatory meetings and an inter-regional preparatory meeting in order to under-
take the review of the BPoA at the national, subregional and regional levels. The Government of Mauritius offered to
host the meeting. (continued on p. 43)
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 7. Major Milestones of Action and the WSSD (Continued)
2003. The CSD-11 (28 April to 9 May 2003) deliberated to undertake a three-day preparatory meeting during CSD-12 for
an in-depth assessment and appraisal of the implementation of the BPoA, and to finalize the preparations for the
International Meeting in Mauritius. The development communities, international donors, and international organiza-
tions were invited to provide information on their activities in support of the BPoA's implementation.
2003. In preparation for the inter-regional meeting, three regional preparatory meetings and four expert meetings
convened during the second half of 2003. The outcomes of these meetings comprised the background documents for
the inter-regional meeting, held in The Bahamas (26 to 30 January 2004):
The AIMS6, Caribbean and Pacific SIDS regional preparatory meetings7 finalized the regional positions of the SIDS
regions which were to be presented as Regional Synthesis Reports during the inter-regional preparatory meeting.
The four expert meetings addressed: capacity building for renewable energy and energy efficiency; vulnerability of SIDS
and enhancing resilience; waste management; and capacity building for sustainable development.
2003. The UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury, who is also the UN High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries and SIDS, was appointed as the Secretary-General of
the International Meeting in December 2003 (UNGA-58, resolution 58/213). The UNGA-58 decided to convene the
Internatinal Meeting from 30 August to 3 September of 2004. Per request from the Government of Mauritius, the
Intrnational Meeting has been rescheduled to January 10-14, 2005.
4 UNDESA. 2004. Partnerships for Sustainable Development - CSD Database. Available: http://webapps01.un.org/dsd/
partnerships/search/browse.do
5 Belfiore, S. 2004. Voluntary Partnership Initiatives from the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and
Small Island Developing States. Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands, Toward Mauritius Paper Series No.
2003-01.
6 AIMS: Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea.
7 Regional meetings: Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS) SIDS (1-5 September 2003,
Praia, Cape Verde); the Caribbean SIDS (6-10 October 2003, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Pacific SIDS (4-8
August 2003, Apia, Samoa).
tegic action program for the international waters of the
During the workshop the following constraints were identi-
Pacific SIDS and the Pacific Islands Forum
fied:
· Strengthening of regional fisheries organizations: establish-
· Funding to fully implement JPoI and Volunteer Partner-
ment of the Caribbean regional fisheries mechanism and
ships within SIDS
conservation arrangements of fishery resources in the Pa-
· Capacity problems: inadequacy of trained skilled person-
cific
nel in the countries particularly in highly skilled areas (ma- · Development of national assessments for the implementa-
rine science and technology, negotiation skills, research for
tion of the BPoA
development)
· Integrated management of natural areas, taking into ac-
· Vulnerability and small scale
count social and economic aspects, such as health, educa-
· Impacts of military experiments and installations on com-
tion, heritage and quality of life
munities
· Enhancement of public participation
· Lack of capacity to ensure security within the EEZs of
SIDS
The working group on SIDS made the following recom-
mendations:
The working group identified the following actions that have
been undertaken to meet the goals of both the BpoA and · At the Mauritius International Meeting (IM) there will be
the JPoI:
no renegotiation of the BPoA; the BPoA will be the basis
for the discussions, where new issues can be added. The
· Enhancement of regional cooperation between countries
aim is to analyze what went right, what went wrong and
especially at the Pacific and Caribbean regions: Pacific stra-
what needs to be done to ensure that recommendations
are implemented.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· The International Meeting should focus on a very targeted Development of SIDS (from 26-30 January 2004, in Nassau,
agenda and outcomes that are both practical and prag- the Bahamas). The SIDS adopted the Nassau Declaration
matic, including deadlines for implementation. The IM and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Strategy
should come up with a political declaration and a plan of Paper for the Further Implementation of the BPoA. The
further implementation of the BPoA, focusing on:
AOSIS Strategy Paper aims to approach the SIDS problems
in a holistic manner, highlighting the special challenges faced
- Ensuring environmental sustainability;
by SIDS in sustainable development, urging greater under-
- Capacity building;
standing and cooperation from members of the interna-
- New emerging issues, such as security and terrorism tional community regarding their commitments since the
on islands and its ocean waters;
Earth Summit. The Paper identifies the priority areas of the
- Trade and vulnerability; and
BPoA, as well as new and emerging issues, including gradu-
- Translating WSSD outputs into concrete measures on ation of SIDS least developed countries (LDCs), trade, health,
how to address the problems of vulnerability and the and culture. The AOSIS Strategy Paper was endorsed by the
problems of small island states
G-77/China, which proposed to use it as a basis for nego-
tiation for the 10-year review of the BPoA. SIDS renewed
· SIDS and the international community should commit to: calls for political will, increased financial resources, and greater
support from the international community to facilitate SIDS'
- Meet the targets that were set by the JPoI regarding implementation of the BPoA.
waste and pollution initiatives, tourism, and renewable
energy
2) Negotiations at CSD-12. The final preparations for the
- Develop or enhance regional mechanisms for coop- Mauritius International Meeting were undertaken during the
eration between SIDS to overcome small scale dis- 3-day Preparatory Meeting, at the 12th Session of the UN
persion, and to enhance regional management of re- Commission on Sustainable Development (14 to 16 April
sources
2004, New York). The meeting considered the Secretary-
- Enhance cooperation within SIDS, between commu- General's synthesis report based on recommendations from
nities as well as at the national level
SIDS, the reports from the expert thematic workshop, and
- Build capacity to enhance SIDS human resources
the regional and inter-regional preparatory meetings. During
- Ensure environmental sustainability
the three days of the preparatory meeting for the Interna-
- Focus on science and technology development
tional Meeting, informal consultations were conducted for a
- Value cultural and traditional assets to provide new first reading of the Strategy Document on the further imple-
competitive products, in order to enhance economic mentation of the BPoA. The more important remarks were:
diversity and decrease external dependence
- Emphasize the positive aspects of vulnerability
· The UN Secretary-General's report on Review of Progress
- Strengthen the participation of civil society on the pro-
in the Implementation of the Programme of Action for
cess of sustainable development
the Sustainable Development of SIDS (E/CN.17/2004/
- Ensure funding for full participation of the civil soci-
8) reviews the overall implementation of the BPoA, iden-
ety at Mauritius, including youth
tifying the continuing challenges facing SIDS, and the areas
where additional support of the international community
Developments since the 2003 Global Conference
is required;
Since the Global Conference four major developments re-
lated to preparation of the International Meeting have taken · CSD-11 decided to include the vulnerability of SIDS as a
place in 2004: 1) the Inter-Regional Preparatory Meeting for
cross-cutting issue in the CSD's multi-year programme of
the Review of the BPoA was held, 2) the informal consulta-
work;
tive process during the preparatory meetings at the twelfth
session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Develop- · The Mauritius International Meeting objectives were once
ment (CSD-12) was held, 3) the development of a regional
more stressed; in particular the BPoA will not be renegoti-
ocean policy for the Pacific was advanced further, 4) a SIDS
ated. Instead, the International Meeting should focus on
Expert Workshop on Ocean and Coastal Issues outlined
how the Meeting can make a difference in promoting the
major ocean and coastal issues for consideration for the next
well being of the SIDS peoples, how SIDS can gain the
phase.
support, commitment and political will from partners, on
the examination of the shortcomings of the implementa-
1) Inter-Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Ten-year
tion of the BPoA, as well as on the creation of a monitor-
Review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
ing mechanism, which allows the identification of short-
comings on implementation on a periodic basis;
44

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· Review of and negotiations related to the AOSIS Strategy
fore, donors and SIDS are negotiating commitments
Paper are still being undertaken, as several proposals have
to provide finance, in particular ODA, and the estab-
been made to change the text, and as concerns regarding
lishment of new financial mechanisms to support SIDS'
the document's structure have been raised;
implementation efforts.
· The Government of Mauritius has requested the postpone-
· Resolving issues of capacity and representation
ment of the International Meeting. The International Meet-
in international decisionmaking bodies as well as
ing has been rescheduled to January 10-14, 2005.
access to the benefits of the global trade regime, were
seen by SIDS as crucial components of the Interna-
The AOSIS Strategy Paper takes into account the structure
tional Meeting. SIDS need to be recognized as a group
of the BPoA, by analyzing the different themes of the BPoA
with special circumstances by international institutions,
as well as new emerging issues, and stresses the need to rein-
in order for these institutions to take appropriate ac-
force some of implementation aspects such as increasing
tion. Some developed nations did not agree with the
international community involvement on SIDS problem reso-
text calling for special status for SIDS as a group in
lution, namely through the increase of funding as well as the
international institutions and agreements, and for dif-
need of enhancing SIDS representation at international bod-
ferentiated treatment by multilateral institutions. One
ies. During the informal consultations and negotiations on
of the alternatives proposed is that SIDS' special sta-
the document, some concerns and disagreement arose re-
tus can be negotiated within each of those institutions
garding prioritization of actions to be undertaken by both
and agreements;
SIDS and the international community and placing action-
oriented measures within the confines of existing interna-
· Some developed nations stressed that the International
tional agreements on sustainable development. These aspects,
Meeting should reinforce the importance of country-
amongst others, are therefore still under negotiation between
driven and country-owned strategies for poverty re-
SIDS and a number of developed countries. Additional in-
duction and sustainable development, and that it should
formal consultation meetings in order to continue negotia-
focus on the role of the international community in
tions on the Strategy Paper are likely in September 2004.8
supporting these national initiatives.
The most relevant points under negotiation are:
· Regarding coastal and marine resources, the establish-
ment of a new financial mechanism to assist SIDS in
· Structure and prioritization of issues. Some Del-
the implementation of the UN Convention on the
egates considered that the Strategy Paper is too long
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was opposed by some
and detailed and lacking prioritization of issues. Thus,
developed nations who stressed the need to make
the selection of a more restricted set of issues to tar-
better use of existing mechanisms. The G-77/China
get as opposed to the whole list of BPoA items and
emphasized the need to enhance SIDS' access to such
new emerging issues was proposed.
mechanisms. On fisheries management, a number of
developed nations proposed strengthening language
· Situating the Strategy Paper in the context of the
to assist SIDS in addressing illegal, unreported and
international agreements since the Millennium
unregulated (IUU) fishing and problems relating to
Summit, the expected outcomes, their relevance to
flags of convenience.
SIDS, and the selective use of text on good gover-
nance, official development assistance (ODA), and 3) Further Development of Regional Ocean Policy for
trade and finance. SIDS countries recalled the com- the Pacific Islands. As noted in the section on Cross-
mitment of developed countries to contribute 0.7% Sectoral Aspects, further development of the regional ocean
of their GNP to ODA, and that a substantial increase policy for the Pacific Islands took place at the Regional Pa-
in ODA and other resources are required for SIDS to cific Ocean Forum, held in Suva, Fiji, on February 4-8, 2004.
achieve the internationally agreed development goals The Forum delineated steps that need to be taken to further
and objectives, including those contained in the Mil- develop the ocean policy at the regional level, identifying
lennium Declaration. Donors considered that they are gaps in the existing regional ocean regime. The Forum also
not able to move beyond what was previously agreed put forward frameworks and implementation challenges for
on the Monterrey Consensus and the World Trade national-level implementation of the regional ocean policy.
Organization's Doha Development Agreement. There-
8 Based on In ENB, 2004. Preparatory Meeting for the International Meeting on the Ten-Year Review of the Programme of Action on
Sustainable Development of SIDS: 10-16 Aplril 2004. Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), 8(41).
45

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
4) SIDS Experts Workshop on Ocean and Coastal Is- SIDS to fully implement the initiatives. As called for in Agenda
sues. As part of the series of SIDS experts meetings held 21, additional funding, technical support, and capacity building
in preparation for the Mauritius International Meeting, the are needed from the international community to assist SIDS
UNDP sponsored a SIDS Experts Workshop on Ocean in implementating MEAs. Assistance is particularly needed
and Coastal Issues (May 24 to 27, 2004, Suva, Fiji). Partici- in nations with low participation in MEAs.
pants discussed the need to conserve ocean resources while
generating opportunities for alternative revenues, including 3.Small Islands, Large Ocean States: An Analysis of Changes in
user fees for MPAs and power generation (e.g., ocean ther- Coastal and Ocean Management in Small Island Developing States
mal energy conversion). The meeting recommended devel- since the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Develop-
oping stronger negotiating mechanisms for SIDS, particu- ment of Small Island Developing States. 2004.
larly with respect to foreign fisheries valuation, further adop- This paper assesses the implementation of the BPoA related
tion and implementation of the ecosystem-based approach, to oceans and coastal management, focusing on integrated
and development of stronger institutions for ocean and and ocean management, global climate change, development
coastal governance.
of sustainable tourism, and waste management. Regional
institutions have played a key role in interpreting and imple-
Global Forum Next Steps
menting the requirements of the BPoA in all three SIDS re-
The working group on SIDS suggested the following ac- gions--Pacific, Caribbean, and AIMS, since 1994. At the
tions for the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: national level, however, development and implementation
of oceans and coastal policies is lagging regional action. Ex-
· Support SIDS on the development of information useful perimentation with ocean and coastal management has taken
for the Barbados +10 assessment process
place, although much of the management remains largely
sectoral: 7 nations have developed specific institutions or in-
· Capacity building for coastal and ocean management
teragency mechanisms for the coordination of integrated
coastal and ocean management, while 18 nations have en-
· Development of background papers: In support of SIDS trusted the coordination of marine and coastal issues to en-
preparation for the International Meeting at Mauritius, the vironmental institutions. The most important priorities for
Global Forum, supported by UNEP, has developed the the next decade for oceans and coastal management seem to
Paper Series Toward Mauritius 2004. This series consists of be:
a set of analysis to contribute to the deliberations leading
up to the International Meeting to review implementation a. EEZ delimitation and continental shelf delimitation. These
of the BPoA. Three papers have been prepared to date
have to be done in a way that does not jeopardize coop-
and a fourth one is forthcoming in July 2004.
eration among the SIDS themselves, which is so essential
to their well-being and relations with other nations.
1.Voluntary Partnership Initiatives from the 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development and Small Island Developing States. 2003. b. Assessment of needs and opportunities in EEZs con-
This paper examines the potential contribution of the vol-
ducted at the highest levels of government. This can help
untary partnerships emanating from the WSSD and specifi-
focus political attention on oceans and help to mobilize
cally examines the extent to which and how the partnership
resources and political will as well as provide an opportu-
initiatives support the targets and timetables agreed upon in
nity to apply ecosystem and multiple use approaches, iden-
the JPoI. At the present, there are 27 SIDS voluntary part-
tify current and new uses, and anticipate potential benefits
nerships of which 18 are related to oceans and coasts.
and conflicts. Regional organizations can play a key role
by providing the needed expertise to carry out these as-
2.International Environmental Agreements and Small Island Devel-
sessments. A major purpose is to identify new and existing
oping States. 2004.
economic opportunities while preserving the health of the
This paper investigates SIDS participation in multilateral en-
oceans. A part of these assessments should be the identifi-
vironmental agreements, including ratification status and con-
cation of networks of marine protected areas that would
straints to implementation. On the whole, SIDS have shown
be useful in preserving the quality and integrity of marine
high ratification of many environmental agreements, in par-
ecosystems.
ticular the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, SIDS c. Development of institutional structures for ocean and
face serious constraints in fulfilling their convention com-
coastal management, including:
mitments. The funding and assistance provisions within the
- appointment of oceans and coasts focal points in each
conventions themselves have not proven adequate to assist
national government
46

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
-creation of interagency coordination mechanism on
1. Specific aspects of coastal and ocean manage-
oceans and coasts
ment
-sharing of power and authority with local communities
2. Negotiation skills
regarding ocean and coastal areas and resources
3. Skills in EEZ management
4.South/South cooperation
d. Development of an ongoing authoritative decision-mak-
ing process on oceans and coasts
4. Energy Issues and Climate Change in Small Island Developing
States. 2004.
e. Capacity building, e.g.:
This paper assesses the implementation of the BPoA related
-Educational programs in the field to train a new cadre to energy issues and its relation to climate change and sea-
of leaders in the field
level rise (forthcoming in July 2004).
-Workshops for public officials
-Training on specific skills:
Summary and Outstanding Issues
· A draft of the strategy document for the Mauritius International Meeting has been prepared
and agreed to by the SIDS countries and the G77/China, and is now under further negotia-
tion.
· The Mauritius International Meeting has been rescheduled to January 10-14, 2005.
· Assessments conducted for the Barbados+10 preparatory process underscore the central role
of oceans and coasts for the environmental, social, and economic well-being of SIDS.
· An important need of SIDS countries, articulated both in the JPoI and in the preparatory
process of the Mauritius International meeting, is the delimitation and management of coastal
areas, Exclusive Economic Zones, and continental shelves.
· To accomplish the above purposes, the further development of institutional frameworks for
ocean and coastal management and capacity building in the field should take place.
· Important steps in the development of a Regional Ocean Policy, providing guidance for both
regional and national-level ocean policies, have been taken in the Pacific Islands region.
47

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
48

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Co-Chairs´ Report of 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
IMPROVING FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation:
Encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach, noting the Reykjavik Declara-
tion on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem and decision 5/6 of the Conference
of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity; (30d)
Maintain or restore stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield with the
aim of achieving these goals for depleted stocks on an urgent basis and where possible not
later than 2015. (31a)
Urgently develop and implement national and, where appropriate, regional plans of action, to
put into effect the FAO international plans of action, in particular the international plan of
action for the management of fishing capacity by 2005. (31d)
Deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by 2004. Establish effective
monitoring, reporting and enforcement, and control of fishing vessels, including by flag
States, to further the international plan of action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing. (31d)
Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the ecosystem
approach, the elimination of destructive fishing practices, the establishment of marine
protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information, includ-
ing representative networks by 2012 and time/area closures for the protection of nursery
grounds and periods, proper coastal land use; and watershed planning and the integration of
marine and coastal areas management into key sectors. (32c)
The Issue
The situation can be illustrated by two interrelated phenom-
ena that emphasize the deteriorating status of fish stocks
Fisheries and aquaculture produce about 100 million tons worldwide:
of food and 30 million tons of feeds, at a cost of an exces-
·
sive impact on the resource base and the ecosystem. The
In response to overfishing, there have been important
sector now faces the challenge of producing 140-180 mil-
changes in the species composition of world fisheries
lion tons of fish by 2030 (depending on whether the per
catches as fisheries expanded across the whole array of
capita consumption stagnates at the present level (16 kg/
available species resulting in the proportion of low value
person) or improves (to 20 kg/person) possibly with much
species increasing substantially since the 1970s while the
less impact on the aquatic environment (FAO 2002). To this
proportion of traditional target species and average sizes
end, the sector must undergo a significant reduction of its
has decreased. This situation may be aggravated by the
fishing capacity in order to rebuild stocks while increasing
demand for fishmeal for terrestrial animal production
low-impact aquaculture production to meet the future world
and aquaculture feed.
demand. In doing so, it faces huge transitional costs and the
· IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing occurs
risk of unacceptable environmental impacts. The task needs
in both small-scale and industrial fisheries, in marine and
to be undertaken in a rapidly changing context of economic
inland water fisheries, as well as in zones of national ju-
globalization, declining governmental capacity, growing domi-
risdiction and on the high seas. In some important fisher-
nation of concentrating economic interests, trade liberaliza-
ies, IUU fishing accounts for up to 30 percent of total
tion, widening gaps between the poor and the rich, scientific
catches; in one instance FAO has indicated that IUU
uncertainties, environmental degradation and climate change
catches could be as high as three times the permitted
(Garcia and Doulman 2003).
catch level (Doulman 2001). IUU fishing is influenced by
49

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
the existence of excess fleet capacity, the provision of (c) Iceland-Norway-Russian Federation Agreement on co-
government subsidies, strong market demand for par- operation in fisheries; (d) conservation of fisheries resources
ticular fish species and products, weak national fishery in the high seas of the Southeastern Pacific; (e) conservation
administration, poor regional fisheries management and and management of highly migratory fish stocks in the West-
ineffective monitoring, control and surveillance, includ- ern and central Pacific Ocean; (f) conservation and manage-
ing a lack of vessel monitoring system. In some areas, ment of high seas fishery resources in the Southeast Atlantic
flag of convenience vessels are becoming common in Ocean; and the CARICOM Caribbean Regional Fisheries
IUU fishing practices by choosing their flag States through Mechanism. Cooperation among governments, NGOs, and
reflagging (sometimes flag hopping), with the apparent industry has led to the elaboration of a series of Guidelines
aim of circumventing the conservation and management in support of the Code of Conduct.
measures of the regional fisheries management organi- Overall, these international agreements and instruments
zations.
reflect a move towards a global fisheries paradigm that in-
WSSD and Related Outcomes
creasingly recognizes the reality of overfishing and envi-
ronmental degradation and the need for restricted rights of
The working group on fisheries convened at the Global access. These international agreements embody the pre-
Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10, UNESCO, cautionary approach, notably the FAO Code of Conduct
Paris in December 2001 assessed what has been done so far with its concepts of precautionary reference points that were
to address global issues in fisheries, as reported in Pullen et implemented in a number of regional fishery bodies and
al. 2001 (p. 33-36) and reiterated as follows.
countries. There is increasing adoption of participatory ap-
proaches to fisheries management involving local commu-
Progress has been made in the area of responsible fisheries nities. The ecosystem approach, developed for fisheries in a
development and management as a result of the coming special issue of the FAO Technical Guidelines for Respon-
into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of sible Fisheries is also being systematically considered and
the Sea (in 1994) and the adoption of a number of comple- tested. Marine protected areas are increasingly being imple-
mentary international instruments and voluntary agree- mented within broader ocean and coastal management pro-
ments, including:
grams that are integrated and participatory. However, the
· The UN Fish Stock Agreement, coming into force in testing and implementation of these initiatives at a larger scale
December 2001, has strengthened management in the and for specific use in fisheries management would require
high seas;
more scientific, financial and political support.
· The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, The scientific sector, through various initiatives, has provided
adopted in 1995, has influenced the modification of the basis for the transition from, inter alia: (1) using Maxi-
national fisheries laws;
mum Sustainable Yield (MSY) as a target, to using it as a limit
to be avoided; (2) output-oriented fisheries management based
· Through FAO, three International Plans of Action on Total Allowable Catches (TAC) to rights-based fisheries;
(IPOAs) were adopted in 1999 and are being imple- (3) singles species management to multi-species and ecosys-
mented to improve shark management, reduce by-catch tem approaches to management; (4) risk-prone to risk-ad-
of seabirds in long-line fisheries, and control and re- verse, precautionary management; (5) top-down, control-and-
duce fishing capacity. Another IPOA was adopted in command to bottom-up participatory management with
early 2001 to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. A adequate economic incentives; (6) static quota strategies to
Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends dynamic forward-looking (rebuilding) strategies, based on
of Capture Fisheries was also adopted in 2003 and is operational management procedures (OMPs) as well as har-
being implemented; and
vest rules and control laws. The precautionary approach is
· The 1993 Compliance Agreement has potential to fur- being used not only as an exceptional measure to be applied
ther improve fisheries management but still require in case of "risk of irreversible damage" but is increasingly
further accession by States to become effective.
being applied in the elaboration of scientific advice and is
becoming an accepted part of "best practices".
A number of regional fishery management organizations
(RFMOs) have undertaken a systematic review of their In addition, a process of collaboration between FAO and
mandate and functioning with the view to improving their CITES has been established to improve the process of sci-
performance in management. In addition, new institutional entifically evaluating the risk of extinction of fishery spe-
arrangements have been established inter alia for: (a) con- cies subject to trade-related risk. Attempts have been made
servation of southern blue fin tuna; (b) conservation and to develop eco-labeling systems for fisheries and aquacul-
management of pollock resources in the central Bering Sea; ture.
50

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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Biodiversity-related considerations have increased in fisheries A set of recommendations put forward by the working group
and aquaculture management, e.g. in relation to genetic im- on fisheries (see Pullen et al., p. 35-36) was promoted at the
pacts of capture fisheries, by-catch and discards, habitat pro- WSSD by an informal coordinating group on oceans, coasts
tection, introduction of alien species, etc. One of the solu- and islands. Most of the recommendations made it into the
tions to these problems may be the increased use of polyculture Johannesburg Plan of Implementation along with other
and integrated aquaculture.
oceans, coasts, and islands agenda.
A number of promising new and revised management ap- The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPoI) provided
proaches have emerged in recent years and are available for in paragraphs 30 and 31, a plan for addressing the most
use by managers of small-scale fisheries, and by the fishers urgent issues in fisheries, including specific goals and tar-
themselves. These include broader emphasis on fishery and gets. However, there are goals and targets in the JPoI (Table
ecosystem management objectives and participatory deci- 3) whose accomplishment will have a direct bearing on the
sion processes; new governance regimes such as commu- achievement of the WSSD fisheries targets, e.g., targets that
nity-based management and co-management; interdisci- cover the sustainable management and conservation of the
plinary and social science methodologies that use fishers' marine and freshwater environment. Moreover, a closer ex-
local ecological knowledge, and participatory rural appraisal. amination of the whole JPoI will reveal that fish issues are
A reconsidered approach to small-scale fisheries manage- widely and intricately linked to almost every aspect of sus-
ment will involve change on the part of all the stakeholders tainable development (WorldFish Center 2002; Garcia and
in the process of management to become responsible and Doulman 2003). It is also evident that there are issues
precautionary ­ the fishers, their families, resource manag- pertaining to fish and other living aquatic resources that
ers, elected officials, NGOs.
are not covered by the JPoI, as will be mentioned in the
section on discussion at the 2003 Global Conference.
Table 3. JPoI Goals and Targets that Have a Direct Bearing on the Achievement of WSSD Fisheries Targets.
e
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51

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
2. Agreement of definitions and measurements of Fishing
The JPoI targets, along with the 1982 UN Convention on
Capacity and Excess Capacity need to be obtained as a
the Law of the Sea and all the international instruments
priority, leading to the development of a system of indi-
adopted since UNCED, represent an overwhelming set of
cators;
commitments that fisheries authorities have to implement.
The 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisher-
3. Harmful subsidies should be identified and gradually
ies is the agreed voluntary framework for implementation,
eliminated;
integrating all the requirements of relevance to fisheries.
4. Develop and implement education programs aimed at
developing an early sense of sustainable fisheries among
Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference1
children;
The Working Group on Fisheries at the 2003 Global Con-
5. Strengthen formal reporting of actions taken and
ference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands considered that the
achievements in implementing the FAO IPOAs;
target dates given in WSSD, not based on any analysis of
6. Enhance public awareness about the true meaning
processes and capacity required to achieve those targets, were
of fisheries and fishermen's life with the assistance of
optimistic, particularly in regard to IUU and reduction in
aquariums and museum associations;
fishing capacity. In these areas, national plans (NPOAs) might
already be developed but not yet fully implemented, particu-
7. Increase international/bilateral cooperation on highly
larly if the technical and ODA (overseas development assis-
migratory species and shared stocks;
tance) support needed is not mobilized.
8. Foster the direct involvement of the fishing industry
The ecosystem approach to fisheries is likely to be well imple-
(even in small-scale fisheries) in the implementation
mented in 2012 both in capture fisheries and aquaculture.
of responsible fisheries strategies as contained in the
The degree of compliance will be linked to the success of
Code of Conduct;
capacity-reduction programmes and the degree of uptake
9. Involve retailers and all stakeholders in fisheries man-
and success of ICAM (integrated coastal area management)
agement;
as a central paradigm for coastal area management.
10. Ensure that the WSSD targets (and the FAO IPOAs)
Many presently overfished fisheries might recover to MSY
are explicitly considered in the agendas of the RFMOs;
by 2015, depending presumably on progress made in con-
trolling and reducing capacity. There is a need to empha-
11. Encourage all fisheries organizations to incorporate
size that while this was not apparent in the Johannesburg
WSSD targets within their priorities;
Plan of Implementation text, the WSSD targets are con-
12. Incorporate fisheries into pertinent international ini-
nected to each other in terms of drivers, processes, mea-
tiatives;
sures and impacts. The target dates do not explicitly re-
13. The FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) should con-
flect these connections.
tinue to play its role as a global fisheries forum;
Global Forum Next Steps
14. Since only 10% of the total fisheries captures take
place in the high seas, it would be very important to
The discussion group on fisheries outlined the following ac-
more forcefully develop national ocean policies with
tions that would be useful to accelerate the implementation
integrated fisheries policies for the EEZs2 ;
of the WSSD targets in fisheries, which the Global Forum
could help promote:
15. In order to have healthy capture fisheries, aquaculture
capacity must be developed, exploring alternative (less
1. Elements of demand-oriented management should be
impacting) production strategies;
developed to complement the conventional supply-ori-
ented management. This implies the development of
16. While a global ecosystem is required, the develop-
equitable ecolabeling systems (an issue "forgotten" by
ment and implementation of the ecosystem approach
WSSD);
to fisheries (EAF) need to be pursued actively;
1 Material for this section is based on the report of the Conference discussion group on Fisheries led by Dr. Serge Garcia, UN Food and
Agriculture Organization.
2 In November 2002, a new international initiative called Fish for All (www.fishforall.org) was launched, which is a global science and policy
dialogue designed to elevate fisheries issues through the active participation of senior policy makers, opinion leaders and researchers at
various levels of the community. One of its major targets is the formulation of national fisheries policies for sustainable development
taking in to account the needs of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors as well as opportunities for domestic and international trade.
52

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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
17. The LME approach should be adopted to provide a The Workshop found that basic identification guides neces-
vantage platform for focused temporal and spatial sary for accurate data collection needed for their manage-
assessments and monitoring efforts in support of man- ment are lacking, many species are undescribed and a large
agement aimed at the long-term productivity of ma- number of sympatric species complexes are unresolved.
rine habitats and sustainable utilization of marine re- Further, the understanding of age, growth, reproduction,
sources such as fisheries. Better connections should trophic ecology and physiology is poorly known, if at all,
be developed, however, with existing decision-mak- for many species. Age estimates for deepwater
ing systems.
chondrichthyans are not yet validated and the reproduc-
tive cycle of many species is non-seasonal and annual fe-
Developments since the 2003 Global
cundity estimates are not available. Diet information, also
Conference
not available, will help define community structure and
provide data for ecosystem models.
Deep-Sea Fisheries Workshop3
The Workshop further found that much additional infor-
mation is required to identify unit stocks and define geo-
In November 2003 in New Zealand, FAO co-sponsored graphic and depth distributions and that the movement
with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural patterns of deepwater elasmobranchs is often unknown.
Affairs, United Kingdom, a Workshop on the conservation These data and stock structure information are essential
and management of deepwater chondrichthyan fishes. The for determining the proportions of stocks exploited by fish-
Workshop provided an opportunity for international spe- eries and thus in developing appropriate management plans.
cialists to review the ecology, taxonomy, stock status and
threats to deep-sea chondricthyans and to discuss conser-
vation and management recommendations for these highly
vulnerable fish.
The Workshop noted that management of these fishes, espe-
cially those that inhabit the relatively unproductive deep-sea
areas, is difficult, as their stock sizes and potential yields are
lower than for other more traditionally fished species. Thus,
it is essential that the precautionary approach to their man-
agement be taken to ensure the sustainability of these fishes
and fisheries.
3 Based on the report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Concerning the UN General Assembly Resolution A/58/L.19 on Oceans and the
Law of the Sea, January 2004.
53

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Summary and Outstanding Issues
1. The JPoI targets, along with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and all
the international instruments adopted since UNCED, represent an overwhelming set
of commitments that fisheries authorities have to implement.
2. In regard to deterring and eliminating IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported)
fishing (by 2004) and reduction in fishing capacity (by 2005), the development and
implementation of national plans of action (NPOAs) is constrained by the lack of
mobilization of technical and ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) support
required.
3. The WSSD targets are connected to each other in terms of drivers, processes, mea-
sures and impacts, which are not explicitly reflected in the target dates. The degree of
adoption of the ecosystem approach in fisheries and aquaculture by 2012 and the
extent of recovery of many presently overfished fisheries to MSY by 2015 are linked to
the success of capacity-reduction programmes, the elimination of harmful subsidies,
and the degree of uptake and success of ICAM (Integrated Coastal Area Management)
as a central paradigm for coastal area management. In order to have healthy capture
fisheries, aquaculture capacity must be developed with less impacting production
strategies.
4. Though overlooked by WSSD, elements of demand-oriented management should be
developed to complement the conventional supply-oriented management, e.g., the
development of equitable ecolabeling systems.
5. Agreement in definitions and measurements of Fishing Capacity and Excess Capacity
needs to be obtained as a priority, leading to the development of a system of indica-
tors. Formal reporting of actions taken and achievements in implementing the FAO
IPOAs (International Plans of Action) should also be strengthened.
6. The importance of effective and targeted public awareness and educational programs,
the direct involvement of key players such as the fishing industry, retailers, and other
stakeholders in fisheries management, and increased international/bilateral cooperation
on highly migratory species and shared stocks in the implementation of responsible
fisheries strategies, cannot be over-emphasized
7. Since only 10% of the total fisheries captures take place in the high seas, it would be
very important to more forcefully develop national ocean policies with integrated
fisheries policies for the EEZs. Furthermore, the LME approach should be adopted to
provide a vantage platform for focused temporal and spatial assessments and monitor-
ing efforts in support of management aimed at the long-term productivity of marine
habitats and sustainable utilization of marine resources such as fisheries. Better connec-
tions should be developed, however, with existing decision-making systems.
54

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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
-
EXPANDING AND IMPROVING MANAGEMENT OF MARINE
PROTECTED AREAS, BIODIVERSIT Y, AND CORAL REEFS
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation:
32. In accordance with chapter 17 of Agenda 21, promote the conservation and manage-
ment of the oceans through actions at all levels, giving due regard to the relevant interna-
tional instruments to:
(a) Maintain the productivity and biodiversity of important and vulnerable marine and
coastal areas, including in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction;
(b) Implement the work programme arising from the Jakarta Mandate on the Conser-
vation and Sustainable Use of Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity of the Conven-
tion on Biological Diversity, including through the urgent mobilization of financial
resources and technological assistance and the development of human and institu-
tional capacity, particularly in developing countries;
(c) Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the eco-
system approach, the elimination of destructive fishing practices, the establishment of
marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific infor-
mation, including representative networks by 2012 and time/area closures for the pro-
tection of nursery grounds and periods, proper coastal land use; and watershed plan-
ning and the integration of marine and coastal areas management into key sectors;
(d) Develop national, regional and international programmes for halting the loss of
marine biodiversity, including in coral reefs and wetlands;
(e) Implement the RAMSAR Convention, including its joint work programme with the
Convention on Biological Diversity, and the programme of action called for by the
International Coral Reef Initiative to strengthen joint management plans and interna-
tional networking for wetland ecosystems in coastal zones, including coral reefs, man-
groves, seaweed beds and tidal mud flats.
Related provisions:
30d. Encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach, noting the Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible
Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem and decision 5/6 of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity;
31a. Maintain or restore stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield with the aim of achieving these
goals for depleted stocks on an urgent basis and where possible not later than 2015;
The Issue
· Of 126 species of marine mammals, 88 are listed on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Marsh et al. 2001).
· The conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity rep-
resents a major area of concern in ocean and coastal
· It is estimated that overall 50 percent of the world's man-
management, due to continuing alarming trends:
grove forests have been lost (WRI 2001).
· 58 percent of the world's reefs are at risk from coastal
· Important seagrass habitats, occupying over 600,000 km2
development, marine pollution, overexploitation and
are rapidly being destroyed; in South East Asian coun-
land-based pollution, with about 27 percent of reefs at
tries, 20 to 60 percent of seagrass beds have been lost
high or very high risk (Bryant et al. 1998).
(Fortes 2001).
55

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· Trawling on the seafloor represents a major threat to the
· 2015: the maintenance or restoration of depleted fish
biodiversity of coastal ecosystems: it is estimated that the
stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sus-
world's trawling grounds could total approximately 20
tainable yield.
million km2, or nearly two and one-half times the size In 2003, the 5th World Parks Congress (Durban, Septem-
of Brazil (WRI 2002 after UNDP, UNEP, WB, and WRI). ber 8-17) reinforced these interconnected commitments
Although the full global extent of deep sea coral ecosys- through Recommendation 5.22 on Building a Global Sys-
tems has not been described as scientists have only ex- tem of Marine and Coastal Protected Area Networks, which
plored less than 1% of the seafloor, recent scientific studies partly reiterates other IUCN recommendations adopted in
as well as fisheries observer data have documented re- 1988 and 1992. The achievement of the 2012 target for
ductions in the quantity and quality of deep sea corals in MPA networks will require the continuation or undertak-
several regions. For example, it has been estimated that ing of a series of actions related to, in particular: the de-
30-50% of the deep sea coral Lophelia reefs in Norway signing, planning, and designation of MPA networks based
have been damaged by bottom trawling and that fisher- on scientific information; the devising of appropriate policy
men claim that catches are significantly lowered in areas and legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms; the
where the reefs are damaged.
building of capacity and the mobilization of adequate fi-
· 12 billion tons of ballast water containing, at any one nancial resources; the coordination of activities at the re-
time, 3,000 marine species are shipped around the globe gional and international level; and the routine monitoring
each year, spreading alien and invasive species (GESAMP of the implementation and effectiveness of MPA networks
2001).
in achieving their goals.
As a tool to address conservation of coastal and marine Discussion at the Paris Global Conference1
biodiversity, as well as to contribute to sustainable fisher-
ies, marine and coastal protected areas (MPAs) are being The working group on coastal and marine biodiversity and
established:
MPAs recognized that:
· It is estimated that 1,500 MPAs have been established
· MPAs provide a good model for conserving marine
around the world, covering about 2 million km2 or 10
biodiversity and developing sustainable fisheries that
percent of the world's territorial sea (GEO-3); how-
can be implemented from the poles to the tropics.
ever, the number of implemented MPAs is estimated
to be much less than the existing one.
· Marine biodiversity goals are different from, but not
necessarily incompatible with sustainable fisheries man-
WSSD and Related Outcomes
agement goals. The success of fisheries management is
measured in terms of sustainable catches. Successful
Following the commitments agreed upon through legal and
biodiversity conservation is measured by long-term
programmatic agreements such as the Convention on Bio-
maintenance of the diversity and viability of all species
logical Diversity 1992 and its Jakarta Mandate on Coastal
and habitats.
and Marine Biodiversity of 1995 and the International Coral
·
Reef Initiative (ICRI) of 1995, objectives and targets con-
The establishment of MPA networks is a basic tool
cerning the conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity
but not the only one required to conserve marine
have been recently restated.
biodiversity, to improve fisheries and aquaculture man-
agement, promote public/stakeholder participation, etc.
In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD) called on the international community to implement
· The WSSD targets are reasonable and institutional ar-
various targets related to oceans, coasts and islands with spe-
rangements exist and are available to move the targets,
cific deadlines, including:
including ICRI, CBD, SIDS, and others.
· 2010: the application of the ecosystem approach to Nations have adequate legal frameworks and are proceed-
sustainable fisheries and the conservation of ing to develop networks of MPAs within their jurisdictions.
biodiversity;
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides a basis
for implementing high seas MPAS. However, there is a
· 2012: the establishment of representative MPA net- need to better utilize and build on existing legal regimes to
works based on scientific information and consistent enable effective implementation and enforcement of the
with international law; and
global network of MPAs that includes the high seas.
1 Material for this section is based on the report of the Conference discussion group on Biodiversity, Marine Protected Areas, and Coral Reefs
led by Charles Ehler, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
56

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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The Working Group on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity
- Promote dialogue between sustainable fisheries and
and MPAs noted that the following actions are underway
biodiversity communities (e.g., World Fisheries Con-
to meet the targets and timetable of WSSD concerning
ference, Deep Seas Fisheries Conference).
coastal and marine biodiversity and MPAs:
- Continue development and implementation of per-
· IUCN's development of a global strategy for a global
formance indicators in order to quantify global im-
network of MPAS. including MPAs on the high seas.
pacts of biodiversity loss.
· The use by nations and regional institutions of tools Regarding the conservation of coral reefs, an expert group
for addressing biodiversity conservation and MPA net- meeting at the Global Conference recommended that that
work goals, e.g. Regional Seas Program, World Heri- countries and organizations adopt integrated approaches
tage Convention, the GBRMPA's network, and the to halt and reverse the decline of coral reef ecosystems
Mediterranean High Seas MPA in the Ligurian Sea, through: further implementing the ICRI Calls for Action;
marine biosphere reserves, China's sea-use zoning sys- developing networks of MPAS; and providing adequate fi-
tem that includes MPAS, Samoa's community based nancial resources and called for the following actions:
MPA program.
· Partnerships and Coordination--Countries and coral reef
· Advancements in the development of performance in-
partners should:
dicators such as IOC's ICM indicators, COOP's indi-
- Strengthen participation of developing countries, es-
cators, IUCN's indicators for MPAS, and Regional Seas'
pecially SIDS, organisations, NGOs and the civil
indicators, such as OSPAR's Ecological Quality Ob-
society in achieving the objectives of ICRI and op-
jectives.
erational networks;
The working group on coastal and marine biodiversity and
- Improve co-operation and co-ordination with relevant
MPAs made the following recommendations for:
MEAs and the NGO community
· Implementing the WSSD targets and timetables
- Develop or strengthen national and regional Coral
- Countries and organizations should adopt integrated
Reef Task Forces to involve all stakeholders to co-
approaches to halt and reverse the decline of coral
ordinate sectoral activities; and
reef biodiversity through further implementation of
- Promote and strengthen partnerships, information
ICRI Calls for Action, development of MPAs net-
exchange and participatory stakeholder approaches
work, long-term sustainable funding mechanisms.
e.g. via ICRAN, and involvement in integrated part-
- Identify existing transboundary tools and programs
nerships such as the GPA and White Water to Blue
for addressing biodiversity conservation and MPAs
Water.
network goals (e.g. Regional Seas Program, World
· Management Tools--Countries and coral reef partners
Heritage Convention, Convention on Migratory Spe-
should:
cies, and CBD).
- Develop networks of larger MPAs based on scientific
- Promote discussion and use upcoming and appro-
assessment to ensure sustainability;
priate fora and meetings to explore new mechanism
and actions to promote biodiversity conservation that
- Ensure that national legislation facilitates commu-
complement the emerging role of MPA networks in
nity-based resource management and effective en-
the context of fisheries management, LMES, sea use
forcement mechanisms;
planning and zoning, and application of the ecosys-
- Encourage governments to participate in co-manage-
tem approach in marine environments (e.g., Regional
ment of MPAS and coastal areas with local commu-
Fisheries Management Organizations).
nities, NGOs and the private sector;
- Work with stakeholders, including user groups, indus-
- Provide tools on best management practices and de-
try associations and organizations, to promote the de-
velop appropriate technologies; and
velopment of environmentally friendly technologies.
- Provide MPA case studies and demonstration sites for
Reach consensus on appropriate approaches and par-
peer-to-peer exchanges illustrating economic benefits
ticular sets of tools for biodiversity conservation and
from sustainable fisheries and tourism.
establishing MPA networks.
· Monitoring and Research--There is a need for improved
- Convene discussions during fora such as: UN Infor-
monitoring and research for better decision making,
mal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the
thus communities and countries are advised to:
Sea, CBD, and SIDS.
57

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
- Develop and strengthen capacity in marine science tar- munity organizations and non-governmental organizations,
geting coral reefs and related ecosystems;
attended the meeting. Thirty-six decisions were adopted during
- Expand monitoring, information gathering and data this meeting, all of which are available at the following website:
management via greater involvement in GCRMN, http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/.
Reef Check and ReefBase;
Amongst the important results of COP 7 is decision VII/5
- Implement research to prioritise MPA sites that have on marine and coastal biological diversity. This decision
maximum resilience against global change impacts.
adopted the elaborated programme of work on marine and
coastal biological diversity, which includes new material
Global Forum Next Steps
on marine and coastal protected areas, mariculture, high
seas biodiversity, and coral bleaching. In addition, relevant
The working group on coastal and marine biodiversity and activities from the Plan of Implementation of the World
MPAs suggested the following actions for the Global Fo- Summit on Sustainable Development have been incorpo-
rum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands:
rated into the programme of work.
· Collate and publish achievements in biodiversity con- The topic of marine and coastal protected areas (MCPAs)
servation and promote activities on a national and re- created substantive discussion and resulted in several pages
gional level to achieving WSSD targets. Invite to fu- of decision text, including recommendations on national
ture Global Forums resource economist specialists (in- systems of MCPAs and guidance on how a country might
cluding ecological economists) to address economic go about developing such a system. Noting the low level of
value of biological diversity as a component of ecosys- development of MCPAs, the COP agreed that the goal for
tem function; and to underline the full range of mon- work related to MCPAs under the Convention should be
etary and non-monetary goods and services provided the establishment and maintenance of MCPAs that are ef-
by marine ecosystems.
fectively managed, ecologically based and contribute to a
global network of MCPAs, building on national and re-
· Support the coordination of efforts and resources of gional systems, and including a range of levels of protec-
international organizations, NGOs and governments, tion. The COP, in both decision VII/5 on marine and
specifically related to capacity building, public par- coastal biological diversity and decision VII/28 on protected
ticipation and local community based management in areas, adopted the target of developing such MCPA sys-
achieving WSSD targets. Global Forum conference tems by the year 2012, echoing the commitment made in
secretariat and co-chairs should identify relevant confer- the WSSD Plan of Implementation. The COP agreed on
ences and meetings to promote and move the agenda the establishment of a national framework of MCPAs con-
from this forum, such as:
sisting, in the context of integrated marine and coastal area
- 5th UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process management, of areas allowing sustainable uses and areas
on Oceans and the Law of the Sea
where extractive uses are excluded.
- 10th International Coral Reef Symposium
The COP also underlined that there is an urgent need for
international cooperation and action to improve conserva-
- SIDS Experts Meeting and Mauritius conference
tion and sustainable use of biodiversity in marine areas be-
- IUCN World Conservation Congress
yond the limits of national jurisdiction, including through
the establishment of MCPAs consistent with international
- International MPA Congress, November 2005
law and based on scientific information. In this regard,
Developments since the Global Conference
seamounts, hydrothermal vents, cold water corals and other
vulnerable ecosystems were identified in paragraph 59 of
decision VII/5 as threatened areas in need of rapid action
Advances on Biodiversity and Marine Protected Areas at
to address those threats in the context of the precautionary
the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 72
approach and the ecosystem approach. As one of the next
The seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) steps in the process, the Convention's Ad Hoc Open-Ended
to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Kuala Working Group on Protected Areas will be considering this
Lumpur, Malaysia, from 9 to 20 February 2004. Repre- issue in 2005.
sentatives from 162 countries, as well as representatives The CBD work plan on coral bleaching was also updated
from international organizations, indigenous and local com- by COP-7, and is contained in Appendix 1 of the elabo-
2 Prepared by Ms. Marjo Vierros, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
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Co-Chairs´ Report - 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 8. NGO Support for MCPA Partnerships in SIDS
Functional marine and coastal protected areas (MCPAs) in small island developing States (SIDS) are critically important
for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity and for the provision of essential goods and services to
support local livelihoods. As part of the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) for the Sustain-
able Development of Small Island Developing States, a number of consultations have been undertaken with SIDS to
explore collaboration on the new global agenda for marine conservation. These discussions determined the value and
substance of partnerships that would bring together the priorities set by SIDS in terms of MCPA establishment and
strengthening and the commitment made by the consortium of NGOs. The consultations revealed strong support for
a broad SIDS MCPA Partnership composed of national and local governments, international and local NGOs, and donor
agencies that would:
1. Contribute to the global target adopted by CBD and endorsed by WSSD of a significant reduction in the rate of
biodiversity loss by 2010;
2. Support SIDS to build comprehensive, effectively managed and ecologically representative MCPA networks by 2012
that ensure sustainable livelihoods;
3. Be a significant outcome of the International Meeting on SIDS (Mauritius, Jan 2005), and contribute directly to the
further implementation of the BPoA;
4. Increase financial and technical assistance at the national and local levels; and,
5. Leverage the NGO commitment1 made at CBD COP7.
Based on the lessons learned over the last 10 years, SIDS representatives have identified the following priorities for such
a partnership:
· Focus on establishing and improving community-based MCPAs and sustainable livelihoods
· Enhance baseline data and information
· Improve linkages with existing commitments and Multilateral Environment Agreements
· Build information and awareness of MCPA benefits at national and community levels and within the private sector
· Strengthen capacity and participatory processes
· Bring science and traditional knowledge together to improve management effectiveness
· Implement sustainable financing mechanisms at the national and community levels
Operationalising the SIDS MCPA partnerships
To achieve these goals, MCPA partnerships in SIDS would aim to provide the broadest possible base for collaboration.
This would include, for example, continuing and boosting on-going work in various countries with governments, local
organisations and existing networks, and to mobilize broad stakeholder agreement around national MCPA strate-
gies. Such a strategy could focus on natural resource management frameworks to ensure the integrity of the full range of
ecosystems, with MCPA networks a key tool for achieving this.
In a sustainable development context, coastal and inland fisheries represent a critical management challenge for
SIDS, whereby provision of co-management regimes or recognition and reinstatement of traditional management
measures should be incorporated within management systems that include networks of MCPAs. The partnership could
be mobilized to strengthen the related policies emerging from the CBD, such as the forthcoming Programme of Work
on Island Biodiversity, and identify sustainable means for implementation on the ground.
An MCPA partnership could also be useful as a platform from which to develop regional strategies, such as for trans-
boundary ecosystems and for shared stocks and migratory species. In the large areas of ocean dominated by SIDS
and high seas, regional strategies and actions would ensure the persistence of such stocks and species, including provision
for regional management frameworks as part of regional networks of MCPAs. Only through effective management of
stocks, will countries ensure equitable benefits to their populations and sustainable yields into the future.
Climate change impacts is yet another focal area for SIDS which can be addressed by an MCPA partnership that ensures
incorporation of management measures to build resilience in the face of climate change into MCPA networks and
anticipation of sea level rise as part of sustainable development strategies, and presses for further international action and
engagement.
Prepared by Mr. Gerald Miles, The Nature Conservancy
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Summary and Outstanding Issues
· Tangible steps in operationalizing networks of MPAs have been taken, in the 7th meeting of the
Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which has specified guidance for
national frameworks of MPAs in the context of integrated coastal and marine management
· The CBD, among others, has emphasized the urgency of also developing MPAs in marine areas
beyond national jurisdiction
· Mobilization of people and resources to achieve the WSSD goal of networks of MPAs by 2012 is
beginning in some places, e.g., in the Pacific Islands through an NGO coalition
· Some unmet needs in this area:
- operationalizing the notion of "networks of MPAs" in the context of specific marine regions
- setting up of sub-targets or intermediate goals to be reached prior to 2012
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
MOBILIZING RESOURCES TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT
OF WSSD TARGETS ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND SIDS
Introduction
Commentary on WSSD Targets and Timetable
While no general targets and timetables have been and can
Mobilization of resources covers increasing the flow of be set for partnerships, which are conceived as multi-
targeted financing to implement WSSD goals, better utilization stakeholder voluntary initiatives, it is important that they
of human resources, increasing technical capacity, establishing generate and disseminate results in their specific contributions
and maintaining new partnerships, and creating an overall to the advancement of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg
enabling environment for development. In this report, Plan of Implementation (JPoI). In this perspective, the two-
discussions from the Global Conference and subsequent year UN reporting requirement could be supplemented by
developments from November 2003 to May 2004 are accountability frameworks at the regional level, tied to the
reported on WSSD informal partnership initiatives, capacity major WSSD targets and timetables.
building, NGO and foundation perspectives, targeting
development assistance and options for a global oceans fund, Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
private sector perspectives, and generating and maintaining
public support for oceans, coasts, and islands.
Lessons learned
Although partnerships are still in their early stage of imple-
mentation, valuable lessons can be learned. In the Pacific,
WSSD Informal Partnership Initiatives1
umbrella partnerships such as the Pacific Island Oceans Ini-
tiative and multi-agency cooperation provided platforms for
The Issue
regional coordination and involvement of a wide range of
Twenty-six (26) partnerships on oceans and coasts and 17 stakeholders as well as inputs to the development of specific
partnerships on SIDS were launched at the WSSD. Only a regional policies, forums, and implementation action plans.
little over one year has elapsed since the WSSD and advance-
ment of most partnerships is therefore limited to prepara- In Southeast Asia, wide participation of stakeholders in the
tory activities. However, some main obstacles involved in Sustainable Development in the Seas of East Asia initiative
the development and implementation of partnerships on has strengthened partnership development and mobilization
oceans, coasts, and islands are emerging associated with their of resources from both the public and private sector. High-
composition, sustainability, and focus:
level endorsement through the direct participation of mu-
nicipal and national authorities has also strengthened regional
· Government involvement and commitment is limited
collaboration, with the signature of an agreement among 12
· Few partnerships include the private sector
countries and 60 international organizations for the develop-
· Funding allocations for ocean, coast and island issues are ment of activities related to land-based pollution, biodiversity,
often not properly targeted or are duplicative or insuffi- and maritime transportation.
cient
· Certain issue areas are barely addressed by partnerships In the Caribbean, the White Water to Blue Water initiative is
(e.g., fisheries)
stimulating regional cooperation through dialogue among
· Certain regions are less represented in partnerships, possi- countries at a high political level using the political and legal
bly due to limited information about the opportunities framework of the Caribbean Environment Programme
offered by this instrument
(CEP) and the Cartagena Convention, one of the UNEP
· Limited regional and thematic coordination might lead to Regional Seas Programmes. The identification of regional
duplication or dispersion of efforts, which could be ad- priorities is the direct responsibility of country teams and is
dressed through coordination platforms at the regional leading to the development of cross-sectoral partnerships
and national level
and management strategies for nautical and coastal tourism,
· Linkages with different sectors (e.g., water, transportation, enhancement of regional fisheries, and monitoring and con-
energy) are rarely addressed and potential lessons from servation of reefs and other habitats also in implementation
other experiences remain unutilized
of the recommendations of the 5th World Parks Congress.
1 This section highlights the report of the pre-Conference meeting on Sustainable Partnership Initiatives led by Thomas Laughlin, U.S. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
could be mobilized, also through better linkages with the
Networking of partnerships and practitioners is proving vi- operations of international donors (e.g., World Bank, GEF,
tal to the sharing of experience and lessons learned, particu- or IMF). The Coral Reef initiative, for example, started
larly on a regional basis. Networks of ICM experts, for with limited allocated resources but was able to mobilize
example, could provide further support to existing regional resources also by involving the tourism sector.
partnerships. Positive linkages could be established also with
global and regional and subregional observation and moni- Principal elements of a strategy for advancing
toring and assessment programs such as the coastal module partnership initiatives
of GOOS.
A strategy for the enhancement and development of part-
nerships on oceans, coasts and islands could be based on the
IMO has joined forces with the Global Environment Facil- development of a "mechanism for partnership facilitation"
ity (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme led by the Global Forum. The mechanism could have four
(UNDP) to assist developing countries to reduce the trans- elements:
fer of invasive aquatic species by establishing the Global Ballast · A list of ongoing and potential partnerships, identifying
Water Management Programme (GloBallast). GloBallast has
lead organizations, other partners, goals, contact informa-
achieved an exemplary level of awareness raising nationally,
tion, and a written partnership description in sufficient detail
regionally and globally and enjoys a strong commitment from
to determine the relevance of the partnership to the reader's
the Pilot Countries and impressive participation and support
interest.
from the various stakeholders involved (Box 9) (Sekimizu · A description of "lessons learned" (as supplied by Global
2003).
Forum participants on the basis of their experience in part-
nership implementation).
Participation in partnership fairs and forums can provide · A description of potential sources of resources to support
inputs on how to establish and build partnerships and to
partnerships.
facilitate matchmaking, as well as lessons on how to secure · A description of partnerships activities organized on a re-
resources for these initiatives in the future. This is also valu-
gional and subregional basis aimed at practitioners.
able for bringing together different actors­governments,
NGOs, IGOs, and the private sector­as well as for enhanc- The Global Forum should draw the attention on this new
ing cross-sectoral communication and collaboration.
effort of appropriate UN agencies associated with imple-
mentation of the JPoI. It should be noted that this new
As for the most relevant lessons of broad application: (a) function is not cost-free and that resources would need to
the involvement of high-level political actors is fundamental be identified for this effort.
to the identification of priorities and the mobilization of
funding support for the partnerships; (b) multi-agency par- Global Forum Next Steps
ticipation is helping improve institutional coordination at both As a first next step, the Global Forum could identify lessons
the national and regional levels; and (c) partnerships can pro- learned from and potentials for synergies among partner-
vide an important opportunity to introduce the application ships, including communicating to a wider audience the op-
of the ecosystem approach to meet the 2010 target recom- portunities offered by engaging in partnership initiatives, shar-
mended by WSSD.
ing of experiences among regions (e.g., from Pacific to the
Indian Ocean) or countries facing similar issues (e.g., SIDS),
Principal entities involved in advancing the agenda
and promoting the development of regional partnerships
As multi-stakeholder initiatives, partnerships involve a vari- on fisheries.
ety of actors and their voluntary character should be main-
tained. However, some of the major players, such as fi- In terms of priorities, partnerships linking freshwater and
nance ministers and the private sector, are not sufficiently coastal and marine waters (e.g., H20 and WW2BW) and based
involved in existing initiatives. Their involvement would help on the ecosystem approach should be promoted and their
identify key funding activities and allocate related resources approach experimented in other regions (e.g., exchange of
for strengthening existing partnerships and for developing experience between the Pacific and Indian Ocean).
new initiatives.
Developments Since the 2003 Global Conference
Existing funding could also be optimized through better tar- Several developments have taken place since the 2003 Glo-
geting of WSSD commitments. Based on successful experi- bal Conference with regard to the Sustainable Development
ences in partnership implementation, additional resources Partnership initiatives: 1) an International Forum on Partner-
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 9. Sustainable Development Partnerships to Prevent Marine Pollution
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is leading two Sustainable Development initiatives to prevent marine pollution:
1. GloBallast Project
IMO has joined forces with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to
assist developing countries to reduce the transfer of invasive aquatic species by establishing the Global Ballast Water Management
Programme (GloBallast). This co-operative initiative is implemented in six initial demonstration sites around the world and
includes: education and awareness; ballast water risk assessment; training and capacity building; legal assistance on conceptual re-
forms; and regional cooperation.
GloBallast has achieved an exemplary level of awareness raising nationally, regionally and globally and enjoys a strong commitment
from the Pilot Countries and impressive participation and support from the various stakeholders involved. The programme has
created a solid foundation of support for the anticipated Ballast Water Convention and has initiated many activities, which will stand
the participating countries in good stead when the Convention is adopted. GloBallast represents a unique and model example of
GEF assistance being used during the developing stages of an international instrument directly related to GEF aims and objectives.
Due to the transboundary character of the ballast water issue, IMO firmly believes that the successful implementation of the new
Convention significantly depends on countries adopting proactive strategies co-ordinated at regional level. This would prevent
unfair competition among ports of a region and adverse collateral effects derived from unilateral actions. Aiming to protect the
investment to-date by GEF and to ensure that this investment is further leveraged, IMO is currently exploring possibilities to
continue the unprecedented momentum of concerted international action precipitated during GloBallast pilot phase. A proposal
for partnership towards sustainable continuation of the programme was submitted by IMO on the occasion of the WSSD in
Johannesburg last year and included among the so-called Type II outcomes of the Summit. Currently IMO together with UNDP
are developing a concept for a new phase named GloBallast Partnerships. This phase will be a logical continuation of the pilot
programme, building on its excellent achievements and focusing on replication of best practices and lessons learned at regional level.
The ultimate goal of the new phase will be to induce conceptual reforms embedded in national policies to minimize the risk posed
by invasive species in ships' ballast water. GloBallast Partnerships will seek to adopt a holistic and integrated approach to aquatic
invasive species by liasing, coordinating and collaborating with other international groups working on this issue. IMO is particularly
pleased to acknowledge the interest expressed by IUCN, UNEP and a number of regional programmes in becoming partners for the
implementation of the new phase.
2. Marine Electronic Highway Project
The Marine Electronic Highway in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore represents another new initiative of IMO during the WSSD
and is a partnership among the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), International Hydro-
graphic Organization (IHO) and IMO aiming to use innovative maritime and environment management technological tools to
create, network and maintain a marine information infrastructure for enhanced maritime services, navigational safety standards,
integrated marine environment protection and sustainable development of coastal and marine resources.
In addition to the establishment of infrastructure, networking and institutional arrangements, this initiative aims to demonstrate
the economic, financial and social benefits of the MEH system by promoting public private partnerships with the industry and
relevant stakeholders. In the case of the shipping sector and the maritime community in general, their participation in this initiative
is crucial in demonstrating the effectiveness, viability and value-added contribution of the MEH system to maritime safety and
marine environment protection. The various stakeholders envisaged for this project include: national and local governments in the
region, shipping industry and maritime communities, technology providers and users.
The establishment of an effective and financially viable pilot MEH system, which is one of the major outputs of this demonstration
project, will pave the way towards a full-scale MEH system covering the whole Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The MEH will
integrate high technology navigational aids with chemical and oil spill modelling facilities and transboundary marine pollution
prevention, response and management leading to improved monitoring and better preparedness in case of accidents.
The overall enhancement of the safety of navigation throughout the region will encourage regional cooperation and provide the
necessary impetus for the ratification of relevant international conventions, protocols and agreements on marine environment
protection, maritime safety and sustainable development of the coastal and marine resources. The preparation of the project is well
advanced and it will be considered for approval by the World Bank Board at the beginning of 2004 with a view towards commence-
ment of implementation in May 2004.
For further information on these two initiatives, please contact Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Marine Environment Division, IMO
(ksekimizu@imo.org).
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 10
International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development
March 4-6, 2004
Rome, Italy
The International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development was convened in Rome, Italy on March 4-6, 2004. The
Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory organized the International Forum, in cooperation with the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Presided over by Italy's Minister for the Environment and Territory, H.E. Mr.
Altero Matteoli, as Forum Chair, along with Mr. Corrado Clini, Director General of the Ministry for the Environment and
Territory, the International Forum drew 700 representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society,
and private sector who are involved or interested in partnership initiatives.
The meeting aimed to generate dialogue on ways to enhance the contribution of partnerships towards the implementation of
sustainable development goals and objectives, particularly those related to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, adopted
at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and other international agreements related to sustainable devel-
opment. More than 200 partnerships were launched at the WSSD, and more continue to be initiated. These partnerships range
from consortia to networks, from local to international, from formal arrangements to informal structures. Some initiatives carry
out advocacy and mobilization of public opinion through knowledge generation and providing access to information. Others
develop tools and technological solutions to specific natural resource problems. Most importantly, partnerships represent a way
for governments, civil society and the private sector to pool their energy and other resources in addressing difficult economic,
social and environmental problems.
The International Forum conducted discussions of partnerships for sustainable development along the following themes:
a) Partnerships for sustainable development as model of technology transfer and use of innovative financial mechanisms; b)
The added value of partnerships in the global strategy of sustainable development: equal opportunities, equal responsibilities;
c) Improving the credibility of partnerships: transparency and accountability; d) Water and sanitation, and human settlements;
e) Agriculture, rural development, and desertification; f) Air quality, climate change, and transport; g) Energy efficiency and
renewable energy; h) Forests, biodiversity, and mountains; and i) Oceans and seas, marine resources, small island developing
states, and disaster management.
The Forum discussions centered around three major questions: 1) Are partnerships recognized as an essential tool towards
achieving sustainable development? 2) What are the elements that make a partnership successful? 3) How can we foster the
development of new successful partnerships in the future?
Partnership initiatives can add value to sustainable development efforts by increasing the involvement of stakeholders at all
levels, by increasing participation of sectoral experts and by their capacity to address goals such as poverty reduction, environmental
protection and social development using a synergistic approach. Although partnership initiatives do not substitute for multilateral
processes, they nevertheless are an important component of the international dialogue on sustainable development.
Partnerships should have the following characteristics to be potentially successful:
1) Equal participation among partners with clearly defined roles and expectation of benefits; 2) Realistic goals and a good system
for monitoring and reporting; 3) Increased role and involvement of the private sector; 4) Appropriate local institutional
framework
Self-financing; 5) Effectiveness, accountability and local ownership; 6) In compliance with Multilateral Environmental Agree-
ments; and 7) With long term feasible and strategic plans.
In order to foster the development of new successful partnerships, the International Forum put forward the following among
its recommendations: 1) Discussion at the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) for a recommendation to pro-
mote successful partnership initiatives, evaluate how to proceed in the future, and how to use them to contribute to the
implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The CSD Partnerships Database can be used as a reference tool in this respect, to share good practices and information on
partnerships at a global level; 2) A system of "Certification for Sustainable Development", as a means of recognizing account-
ability, and encouraging successful replicability in other geographical areas; 3) Local authority involvement in the partnerships;
and 4) Good communication and timely sharing of information
The Chairman's Summary of the International Forum outcomes was reported during the 12th Session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development in New York, 14-30 April 2004, UN Headquarters, and may be accessed from the International
Forum website at http://www.minambiente.it/Sito/settori_azione/pia/docs/forum_chairman_summary.pdf
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Box 11
White Water to Blue Water Partnership
The "White Water to Blue Water" Partnership (WW2BW) is an international alliance of governments, international organiza-
tions, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, and corporations. WW2BW aims to stimu-
late partnerships that will promote integrated watershed and marine ecosystem-based management. The objectives of White
Water to Blue Water include:
· Strengthening national and regional institutional capacity to implement cross-sectoral watershed and marine ecosystem manage-
ment.
· Facilitating closer cooperation and good governance within and among nations, regional agencies, and civil society in coastal and marine
resource management, water management, health, environmental protection, agriculture, and urban planning.
· Engaging business partners in the major global growth sectors, such as tourism and shipping, to promote best business and
environment practices, and to support regional activities in watershed and marine coastal management.
The WW2BW Partnership Conference was held in Miami, Florida on March 22-26, 2004, attended by over 700 people from 36
countries. The Conference was divided into overlapping thematic areas including, Integrated Watershed Management, Marine
Ecosystem-based Management, Environmentally Sound Marine Transportation, and Sustainable Tourism, with several cross-
cutting themes, such as Education and Youth, Marine Science, and Adaptation to Climate Change.
The Conference was designed to create as many partnership opportunities as possible. Plenary sessions were short; most of the
Conference was organized into small breakout sessions; and evening opportunities were set aside for country teams to meet and
compare notes. The first plenary session of each day was set aside for announcements of new partnerships, and two evenings
were set aside for informal matchmaking socials and for those who wished to gather to discuss specific topics. The Conference
was a large success with over 70 partnerships created or further expanded.
The WW2BW Steering Committee was tasked to follow-up on the Conference outcomes by encouraging partners to implement
identified partnerships and incipient partnerships to develop into full-fledged initiatives, by exploring further partnership oppor-
tunities for development, and by encouraging organizations to adapt the partnership meeting organization and approach used in
the Miami Conference at the national level.
For further information on the WW2BW partnership, please contact Thomas Laughlin, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (Tom.Laughlin@noaa.gov) or Richard Wilbur, U.S. Department of State (WilburRM2@state.gov), or visit
www.ww2bw.org.
ships for Sustainable Development was held in Rome in strain the implementation of UNCLOS, related conventions,
March 2004 to bring together all the WSSD partnerships chapter 17 of Agenda 21 and related programmes. The
and to exchange lessons and experiences (see Box 9); 2) the UNCLOS does not contain any provision for any fund or
White Water to Blue Water Partnership conference was also assistance for its implementation. Agenda 21, chapter 17 in-
held in March 2004 (see Box 11) and was successful in spur- cludes suggestions about capacity-building as a means of
ring the creation of a number of other partnerships; 3) the implementing the programme of action on oceans and seas,
Hilltops to Oceans (H2O) Conference was held in May 2004, for each of the seven identified programme areas (UN 2002).
bringing together information and commitments for advance- Both financial assistance and in-kind assistance can be useful
ment of the implementation of the GPA (reported on in the for implementing capacity-building measures. Essentially such
GPA section).
measures broaden and deepen the human resource base,
strengthen the institutional structure and the institutions them-
selves, and expand the physical resource base. A wide range
Capacity Building2
of measures can be relevant which involve, inter alia, execut-
ing technical cooperation projects, including those related to
The Issue
transfer of technology and know-how; undertaking educa-
Limitations in capacity among many countries, particularly in tional, training, research and public awareness programmes
developing countries and small island developing States, con- and strengthening institutions capable of carrying out such
2 This section highlights the report of the Conference discussion group on Capacity Building, co-chaired by Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam (World
Bank) and Dr. François Bailet (International Ocean Institute).
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
programmes; exchange of data, information and experiences; subregional, and at the international level, with particular
creating and strengthening physical as well as institutional in- emphasis on developing countries and small island develop-
frastructure; and provision and mobilization of raw materi- ing States.
als, equipment, facilities and vessels (UN 2002).
Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
Measures of national agencies and institutions as well as those Capacity building for ocean and coastal initiatives was rec-
of regional and international organizations contribute sig- ognized as a cross-cutting issue, and as such addressed under
nificantly to capacity-building, focusing on oceans, coastal different related programs. It was agreed that there was a
and small island issues. While there are significant successes, need to identify gaps and set priorities.
there are key obstacles that prevented scaling up, coordina- The key goals noted were:
tion, and targeting of these initiatives. Main obstacles noted · Need for a critical mass of integrated coastal and ocean
include:
managers and professionals,
· More ICM capacity building at the national level
· Short term nature
· Need to move from capacity building to capacity utiliza-
· Fragmented and uncoordinated
tion and enhancement.
· Not in keeping with local, national or regional priorities
· Not context specific
In follow-up to the general discussion, small working groups
· Not addressing all of the needs at all levels
at the conference assessed the above goals in detail and iden-
· Not supported through long-term targeted financing
tified possible future actions. Subsequently, a capacity-build-
ing strategy to promote sustainable ocean and coastal gover-
A strategy needed to be developed to identify key constraints nance was outlined as follows.
and options in a systematic manner.
Towards a strategy for enhancing capacity building
WSSD and Related Outcomes
It was agreed that capacity building should consist of several
The Working Group on Capacity Building at the Global basic components depending on actual needs including:
Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10 (Paris, 2001)
had recommended the following key elements of capacity · Human resource development through education and train-
building:
ing. This should target increased knowledge as well as
skills development.
a) Human resource development through education and · Institutional and infrastructure development that meets hu-
training. This should target increased knowledge as well
man resource development needs
as skills development;
· Development of a favorable policy environment. Sup-
port should be related to and integrated into national goals
b) Institutional and infrastructure development that meets
to ensure continuity of support once external assistance
the human resource development needs;
ceases.
· Strengthening of governance skills including development
c) Development of a favorable enabling policy environment.
of legislation, implementation, enforcement, compliance,
Human resource development support should be related
monitoring and evaluation; and
to national goals to ensure continuity of support once · Building civil society skills in participation, negotiation and
external support ceases; and
networking.
d) Capacity building programs based on actual needs. The 1) Principal elements of the strategy
needs should be determined through careful needs as- A. Undertake an assessment of existing capacity building
sessments to ensure that the mode and methods of human programs to identify whether the programs are:
resource development are appropriate to the level of educa-
tion and training that exist. The programs should involve · Achieving their stated goals and if not, assess the key rea-
local institutions and be sustained over time.
sons and gaps
· Addressing the current and evolving issues in oceans, coasts,
These elements are included in the Johannesburg Plan of
and islands
Implementation, which provides for human and institutional · Resulting in improved governance for ocean, coasts, and
capacity-building in the areas of fisheries, biodiversity, pro-
islands at regional, national and local levels
tection of the marine environment from land-based activi- · Also aimed at capacity utilization
ties, and Global Marine Assessment, at the national, regional, · Contextually relevant
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· Coordinated, and if not, to identify a mechanism for ad- 4) Possible role of the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts,
dressing the problem
and Islands
The Global Forum could champion the development of the
B. Formulate an action plan to assess the demand and also strategy, coordinate partnerships and mobilize financial re-
mobilize demand
sources for implementation on a regional/national basis. The
· Determine and demonstrate economic value and social Global Forum could also facilitate the development of re-
and political relevance of ocean and coastal management
gional clearing houses and/or training modules.
· Identify partnerships for building a broader constituency
for ocean and coastal management within the donor com- 5) Funding required and sources
munity, governments and civil society
The scope and financial commitment needed to develop such
C. Define modalities to make current capacity building pro- strategies on a global or even regional scale is expected to be
grams more relevant to end-users and sustainable
determined as part of the proposed strategy.
· Identify mechanisms for capacity utilization and enhance-
ment
6) Next steps, including where to take the issue next
· Define activities to enhance existing efforts and help with · Agree on who should lead, coordinate and finance the de-
implementing good practice
velopment of the strategy
· Develop a program to advance the knowledge and expe- · Prepare a proposal for carrying out this task, including a
rience to civil society
cost estimate and timeline
· Identify current financial and technical resources and gaps
· Contextualize academic programs to build a critical mass
of in-country ICM professionals and practitioners
NGOs, Foundations, and Private
· Build broad-based partnerships to urgently mobilize tech-
Sector Perspectives3
nical and financial resources to achieve the outcomes above
· Tie training efforts to current, real needs in the locality/ Over the last two decades, especially following UNCED
nation/region
and Agenda 21, we have seen major changes in the roles that
· Scale efforts and resources to where needs are greatest
NGOs and foundations play in development initiatives, roles
· Identify and promote indigenous knowledge
that have been increasingly essential to project/program
· Transfer knowledge and experience - development of net- success. At the WSSD, NGOs, foundations, and the private
works and knowledge sharing
sector were important players in informal partnerships, now
· Promote more hands-on training, based on mentoring and called sustainable partnership initiatives. This section covers
real life experience
the discussion on NGO, foundation, and private sector
· Emphasize continuity, long-term needs and financing for perspectives on WSSD implementation at the Global
capacity building programs
Conference.
2) Regional connections or applications
NGO and Foundation Perspectives
Possible role of the intergovernmental organizations should In the past two decades, NGOs and foundations have been
be considered in terms of providing resources and technical playing a major role in advocating and implementing policy
assistance for capacity development and utilization. One idea changes in marine conservation at local, national, and global
might be to develop regional clearing houses and relevant ge- levels. Their contributions take the form of information
neric training modules/curricula for local adaptation. Informa- gathering and dissemination; capacity building, promotion
tion could be made available on a web- based forum to train and facilitation of civil society participation; development
trainers.
and implementation of new policies and programs; and
mobilization of existing and additional sources of funding
3) Analyses that need to be done
(Bailet 2003).
Needs assessments based on existing knowledge and train-
ing context and political reality. Attempt some kind of assess- Today, while continuing to function in the same way, NGOs
ment of the costs of achieving the WSSD targets.
and foundations are working increasingly in partnerships
3 This section highlights the discussion at the Conference session on NGO and Foundation Perspectives on WSSD Implementation led by Dr. Lynne
Hale, the Nature Conservancy, and at the Conference session on Private Sector Perspectives on WSSD Implementation and on the Global Oceans
Agenda led by Mr. Paul Holthus, Marine Aquarium Council, USA.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
among each other and with government organizations, civil Private Sector Perspectives
society/local organizations, the private sector, and "(But) Governments cannot do it alone. (...) Without the
intergovernmental organizations, in addressing oceans, coastal private sector, sustainable development will remain only a
and islands issues. At the Global Conference, NGO distant dream. We are not asking corporations to do
presentations emphasized the following common themes in something different from their normal business: we are asking
their collaborative initiatives (Bailet 2003; Bryant 2003; them to do their normal business differently." U.N. Secretary
Hatchwell 2003; Lundin 2003; Terashima 2003):
General Kofi Annan, World Summit on Sustainable
Development, Johannesburg, 2002
1. WSSD targets:
· Promoting integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral This statement is fully applicable to marine and coastal related
coastal and ocean management at the national level
industries, such as coastal tourism, aquarium fish trade,
· Application of ecosystem approach to management by fisheries, and dive tourism industries which are factoring in
2010
environmental considerations in the way they do business, as
· Restoration of fisheries where possible to maximum sus- described in the following summary of private sector
tainable yields by 2015
interventions in the Global Conference.
· Establishment of a representative network of MPAs by
2012
Aquarium Fish Trade
The initiative of the U.S. Marine Aquarium Council
2. How to deliver the targets:
"International Certification for Quality and Sustainability of
· Building political will
Marine Ornamentals" from the reefs to the retail stores
· Working with partners
involves the transformation of the marine aquarium trade.
· Demonstrating good practice
This initiative entails making sure that aquarium fish are
· Implementing on the ground projects
captured in a gentle manner to protect the coral reefs on
· Contributing to scientific debate
which the industry depends, along with a number of other
stakeholders, such as sustenance fishers dependent on the
3. Specific strategies focused on two WSSD targets
coral reefs for their livelihoods (Holthus 2003).
Establishment of a representative network of MPAs by 2012:
Fisheries
· Establishing networks of marine protected areas
Unilever's "Fish Sustainability Initiative" is a partnership
· Building networks
initiative between Unilever and WWF. This initiative is
· High seas MPAs
motivated by Unilever's desire to 1) secure the fisheries
· Improving MPA management effectiveness
resource base in the long term; 2) meet their consumers'
· Working with industry, governments, and communities to expectations on the quality of the fish they sell; and 3) earn
address threats
the lisence to operate the business. In 1996, Unilever pledged
· Preventing illegal activities in MPAs
to obtain all their fish from sustainable sources as defined by
the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, by
Restoring fisheries to maximum sustainable yields by 2015:
2005. By the end of 2002, more than a third of the fish they
· Providing market incentives
sell came from sustainable fisheries (Peters 2003).
· Eliminating subsidies
· Forging equitable access agreements
Coastal Tourism
· Operationalizing ecosystem-based management
Three ways of steering private sector towards a more
· Eliminating IUU (Illegal, Unregulated & Unreported) fish- sustainable approach to tourism investments and operations
ing
have been put forward by the World Tourism Organization.
First is the establishment of fiscal or financial incentives that
4. Outstanding issues:
help direct investments towards the type of tourism projects
· Providing sustainable financing for MPAs
that are compatible with the agreed coastal management plan
· Developing a legal framework and implementation of high and that are within the carrying capacity. Second is the
seas MPAs
reinforcement of environmental legislation and regulations
· Developing a global baseline of current MPA coverage
applicable to large private tourism development projects,
· Building political will to implement MPAs and sustainable and/or the reinforcement of supervision of voluntary, self-
fisheries
regulatory schemes, e.g., the Blue Flag program. Third is the
· Implementing an effective monitoring and evaluation sys- designation of marine protected areas (Yunis 2003).
tem for MPAs
· Developing new approaches to mitigate IUU fishing
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Recreational diving provides a wealth of opportunities to --generally, achievement of the sustainable development of
promote sustainable practices in coastal tourism. One prime oceans, coasts, and islands (e.g., addressing simultaneously
example is PADI's (Professional Association of Diving environment and development aspects in these areas), in-
Instructors) initiative called "Project AWARE", which aims cluding the top priority of eradicating poverty in coastal ar-
to contribute to the conservation of the underwater eas and in SIDS.
environment through education, advocacy, and action
(Pleydell 2003).
--have the capacity for responding to important "soft law"
international agreements (such as WSSD).
Targeting Development Assistance
--foster cross-sectoral analyses and dialogue among all parts
4
of the oceans, coasts, and islands communities on important
global issues affecting oceans, coasts, and SIDS
The Issue
--act as an observatory analyzing, interpreting, and foster-
The increasing poverty in 54 countries and the decrease in ing action on important trends and issues affecting oceans,
Official Development Assistance from 1990-2001, indicate coasts, and islands.
the need for increased targetting of ODA to meet interna- --to respond to global, regional or national ecological ca-
tionally accepted goals. Within Aid Agencies there appears tastrophes when there is no alternative or adequate source
to be a more serious appreciation of the value of these goals of financing
and targets, like the ones coming out of the WSSD for oceans,
coasts and small island developing States. These are not nomi- --fund activities at the global level (and where appropriate
nal goals and targets. They are now at the heart of many Aid at regional and national levels) to foster the purposes noted
Agencies and their staff.
above.
Global funds related to oceans, coasts, and islands are typi- Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
cally tied to specific global conventions (such as biodiversity
and climate change), and do not centrally address sustainable Targeting Development Assistance to Meet WSSD
development of these areas. Other global funds related to Goals
oceans, coasts, and islands, tend to be of a sectoral nature International finance institutions, bilateral donor agencies,
(e.g., related to fisheries, pollution, etc.) and are not aimed at international organizations, and governments of the North
addressing, in a comprehensive way, the sustainable devel- and South all must realign their policies and programs if
opment of oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
progress in WSSD is to be made. Since 1992, the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) has supported countries to
There is no global (or regional fund) for advancing the imple- address Chapter 17 of Agenda 21. Many thematic actions
mentation of integrated ocean and coastal management pro- GEF has supported on a pilot basis have been incorporated
cesses. There are no global funds readily available for imple- into the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPoI), and
mentation of important "soft law" international agreements in early 2003, GEF adjusted its strategic priorities to align
related to oceans, coasts, and islands, such as those emanat- with WSSD goals. GEF has been providing support for
ing from the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Develop- countries in the biodiversity and international waters focal
ment. The implementation of many of the WSSD commit- areas related to oceans, coasts and SIDS since 1992. GEF
ments and targets, will require the devising of innovative projects implement interventions at different scales as part
financial instruments complementary to those already avail- of its ecosystem-based approach involving Large Marine
able. While SIDS countries have responsibilities over vast Ecosystems (LMEs) that address WSSD mandates. The
areas of the world's oceans, they do not receive adequate LME approach intends to facilitate integration across sectors
funding for sustainable development of their oceans and and develop adaptive management frameworks with site-
coasts.
specific targets. Since 1991, GEF has approved 46 projects
in its international waters focal area for $440 million GEF
Conference participants considered the possible need of es- and $1.38 billion in total cost, as well as 58 projects in the
tablishing a global oceans fund (including both public and biodiversity area for $330 million from GEF and $1.22
private funds) for the following purposes:
billion in total cost, for some 118 countries supporting
4 This section highlights the discussion at the Conference session on Targeting Development Assistance to Meet WSSD goals led by Mr. Phil Reynolds,
and at the Conference session on Options for a Global Oceans fund led by Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
marine ecosystem interventions described in paragraphs 30-
ing Committee member Indumathie Hewawasam) addresses
34 and paragraph 58 of the JPoI. There are other additional
the question of whether or not a Global Fund for Oceans,
GEF support in the pipeline along with reforms needed in
Coasts and Islands is warranted; and if so, how might such a
both northern as well as developing countries in order to
fund be structured and operationalized. A review of existing
reverse marine ecosystem decline (Duda 2003).
funds demonstrates that a global fund explicitly targeting
oceans, coasts, and islands is needed. The existing programs
The World Bank (WB) has an on-going and proposed fisheries and funds are essentially inadequate because their mandates
program based on its mandate of poverty reduction, do not target all of the needs of oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
economic growth, and sustainability. The WB fisheries Coastal areas that are not of interest in terms of their bio-
program was also designed in response to the imminent logical diversity are low priority funding targets. Another
collapse of global fisheries systems, increasing awareness in problem with available funding mechanisms stems from the
the international community and at the World Bank about complexity of accessing funds for the long-term require-
this situation, and the WSSD call for the global community ments of institutional capacity building in coastal areas. Ad-
to act speedily to reverse declines. The World Bank has ditionally, the overall level of funds available is arguably in-
ongoing lending activities in this area; a Trust Fund for sufficient (Cartier 2003).
sustainable Fisheries Development is operational; and a
partnership among the GEF, WWF, FAO, and the World Drawing on the structures and lessons learned from existing
Bank is being developed (LeGall 2003).
environmental funds, a Global Oceans Fund is proposed
initially to be tested as a Pilot fund. A key lesson of environ-
Bilateral donors match the standard, if not the scale, in which mental funds is that the success of a fund is more likely if it
international aid agencies follow in the implementation of starts with a narrow focus, building a track record of exper-
development assistance projects. Although bilateral and multi- tise that it can apply as it expands its portfolio. It is proposed
lateral donors follow a different approach to extending that the Pilot be located in a coastal area with a wide range
development assistance, they are similar in the belief that of development issues, thereby facilitating the acquisition of
using inter-agency mechanisms in addressing ocean, coastal a comprehensive base of experience (Cartier 2003).
and island issues is the preferred strategy (Blom 2003).
Another perspective was provided by Smith (2003), who
put forward key considerations for national and global
The Aid Activity database of the Development Assistance funding mechanisms, as well as key questions that need to be
Committee (DAC) of the OECD contains information on considered before embarking on the development of a
financial flows of official development assistance. It provides global oceans fund, including: "Is there a need for a new
a set of basic data that can be used to analyse where aid mechanism to catalyze partnerships or innovative financing
goes, what purposes it serves and what policies it supports and management approaches? If so, what is the most effective
on a comparable basis for all DAC members. The data is role a Global Oceans Fund might play in this regard?" "Is
compiled according to internationally agreed definitions and there a need for additional funding mechanisms that have
classifications. The Aid Activity database aims to cover the important characteristics different from existing ones?" "How
totality of all Aid flows in all DAC members which limits might a fund be structured to catalyze or reinforce high
the information covered to basic financial information and standards of efficiency, transparency, and accountability for
only limited project descriptions (Benn 2003).
resources devoted to meeting the WSSD oceans, coasts, and
islands commitments?" "Would the creation of a `virtual'
Conference participants noted the need to carry out analyses Global fund ­ a coordinated network to help existing
of flows of development assistance related to oceans, coasts, financing mechanisms at the local, national, regional, and
and SIDS. At present, it is difficult to put together an overall international levels realize their strengths and enhance their
picture on development assistance on oceans, coasts, and effectiveness ­ provide an efficient, non-competitive, and
SIDS from bilateral and multilateral sources.
high value-added alternative to developing a new, independent
mechanism?"
Conference participants also discussed the desirability of
mechanisms for bringing together multilateral and bilateral Global Forum Next Steps
development assistance agencies to better coordinate their It was agreed at the Conference that further study of a global
programs to achieve maximum impact.
oceans fund should be pursued, collecting more data and
information on existing global funds in various areas
Towards a Global Oceans Fund
(examples, water, HIV/AIDS, etc.) to ascertain how they
A paper prepared specifically commissioned to study the are structured, how they work, and how effective they are,
option of a global oceans fund (overseen by Global Steer- e.g.:
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
· Passport and Ambassadors (issued to any member certify-
· the fund's goals and purposes
ing participation in the action) (See Box 12)
· the fund's sources of funds
· Field actions (identify and inform members; campaign to
· the fund's structure
convince members to commit to at least one local and one
· the fund's administration
global action)
· the fund's range of activities
· World Ocean Day (proposed by the Earth Summit in 1992)
·the results achieved by the fund
WSSD Outcomes
On the basis of the above analysis and keeping in mind the The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation contains several
purposes noted earlier, the study will:
provisions (paragraphs 13-18 and 109-117) reiterating edu-
· Identify various options for establishment and manage- cation as an essential means of implementing sustainable
ment of a Global Oceans Fund
development. Among the more important targets are:
· Offer specific suggestions on the design of such a fund
· Offer specific suggestions for the funding base of such a -Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production by
fund
promoting sustainable consumption and production and supporting re-
· Offer specific suggestions for next steps that could be taken gional and national initiatives in this area. (14-19)
to explore the possible development of such a fund.
-Means of implementation should include education at all levels, provid-
ing community with educational opportunities and adopting a decade of
Public Information, Education and Awareness
education for sustainable development, starting in January 2005. (124d)
5
The U.N. declared the ten-year period beginning on January
The Issue
1, 2005 the United Nations Decade of Education for Sus-
The main issue in public information, education and aware- tainable Development to emphasize that education is an in-
ness is how to make communication efforts more far-reach- dispensable element for achieving sustainable development.
ing and effective in changing people's behavior. It is impor-
tant to consider what part can education systems play in re- Discussion at the 2003 Global Conference
versing the degradation of the marine environment. As part The discussions focused on the following targets to support
of that system, aquariums, museums and science centers need JPoI commitments on oceans, coasts and islands as follows:
to realize what they can do to more aggressively effect
changes in behavior toward the environment.
a. Raising and maintaining mass media interest. Ocean issues must
reach millions of people and this can be done through the
WSSD Outcomes and Public Education
media by providing them information on conservation ac-
tion involving the public at large, e.g., bringing environment
Changing Environmental Behavior through Public
issues into popular programs on radio and TV and by em-
Education
bedding environment messages into stories/plots.
The World Ocean Network (WON) is a worldwide net-
work of aquariums, zoos, non-profit organizations, mari- b. Mobilizing educational organizations in reaching very large audi-
time museums, education centers, and other institutions deal- ences. There is a need to define the level of details that need to
ing with public education. The main objective of the net- be communicated depending on the targeted audiences, i.e.,
work is to make people change behavior and act on envi- children, work force, tourists, divers, aquarists.
ronmental issues. Currently, there are 120 network partici-
pants from 600 organizations in 30 countries, with sponsor- c. Mobilizing educational organizations at all levels in order to inte-
ship from UNESCO-IOC, NGOs, and government orga- grate ocean issues into programs implementing the U.N.
nizations.
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development begin-
ning in 2005. Raising public awareness is an essential element
The network targets to make contact with over 200 million in implementing all the WSSD targets. In order to accom-
people annually, through a coordinated program of work plish that, there is a need for educational organizations to
as follows:
engage people into action that is beneficial to the environ-
ment by focusing on communicating priority messages to
· Joint information modules
the public, e.g., success stories based on community initia-
5 Based on outcomes of the Pre-Conference meeting and discussion group on Public Information, Education and Awareness led by Philippe Vallette,
NAUSICAA, France, and World Ocean Network.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
tives, and messages that use scientific information in order tions, NGOs, public and private sector, regional and inter-
to provide motivation to act.
governmental organizations.
d. Mobilizing all stakeholders to get involved in Ocean Day and
Global Forum Next Steps
other events. People must feel the impact of ocean issues in The discussion group suggested the following actions for
their everyday life in order to get involved in ocean issues. the Global Forum:
They can get this exposure by participating in major ocean
activities such as ocean/coast days.
· Provide the media with stories of human interest such as
people-centered and community programs
e. Determining the best tools for specific target groups. There is a · Set-up dialogues among scientists, decision-makers, and
need for exchanges of best practices and educational tools
media in order to determine what specific target clients
that are easily adapted, attractive and credible, at the inter-
need in order to act positively towards the oceans and its
national level, through affiliation with professional educa-
resources.
tors. There are existing tools on all WSSD issues that can · Assist in communicating priority messages to the public
be exchanged. However, other tools can be developed · Incorporate more public awareness components into con-
for better communication results.
servation projects in order to provide more opportunities
for the public to get involved in conservation efforts
f. Identifying and providing funding for educational activities and
· Provide information on available tools and methods that
campaigns. There is a need to develop educational materials
can be adapted for public education and awareness pro-
that can be used for special events, like the World Ocean
grams
Day, to be used globally but especially for use in develop- · Provide information on funding sources for public educa-
ing countries, with support from government organiza-
tion initiatives
Box 12
The Passport of the Citizen of the Ocean
As a Citizen of the Ocean, everyone on earth can contribute to the promotion of a new international policy to foster sustainable
use of the ocean and our planet. The Passport of the Citizen of the Ocean will be officially launched on June 8, 2004 during
World Ocean Day.
A passport represents the culture and country in which the passport holder lives. Beyond national borders however, people live
on one planet, a blue Planet. It is this planet that Citizen of the Ocean Passport holders belongs to. The passport will show not
only the identity of the holder, but also one's commitment to contribute, on a daily basis, to preserve the balance and resources
of the world's oceans.
The passport represents certain rights and responsibilities:
· The right to receive a special welcome in the venues and organisations taking part in the WORLD OCEAN NETWORK
activities.
· The right to have the passport holder's voice heard as a defender of humanity's world heritage.
· The honorific right for passport holders to be recognised as Ocean Ambassadors.
· The responsibility to obtain information from WORLD OCEAN NETWORK institutions and be a spokesperson for these
institutions.
· The responsibility to promote sustainable management of marine ecosystems and resources.
· The responsibility to make this same voice be heard whenever the ocean is endangered.
As a Citizen of the Ocean, the passport holder pledges to carry out a certain number of actions that contribute to the
preservation and protection of oceans, or simply to spread the message of his/her commitment and its importance to our
planet. These combined actions may secure the future of our oceans. The Citizen of the Ocean Passport holder is not a mere
spectator. He/she becomes a true actor who takes charge of the future of his/her blue planet. Tomorrow, children should be
able to admire an ocean that will continue to feed them, provide them with energy, entertain them, and continue to contribute
to the climactic balance of the planet.
The Passport of the Citizen of the Ocean may be obtained from WORLD OCEAN NETWORK members on request (please visit
www.worldoceannetwork.org for a list of institutions delivering the Passport).
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Summary and Outstanding Issues
Mobilization of human and financial resources on a timely basis, growth in management capacity, greater
involvement by the private sector, greater involvement of NGOs and the public, are all essential for the
attainment of the WSSD goals related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
Financing
--There is a need to carry out analyses of flows of development assistance related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
At present, it is difficult to put together an overall picture on development assistance on oceans, coasts, and
SIDS from bilateral and multilateral sources.
--There are perceived gaps in development assistance on oceans, coasts, and SIDS--especially for the imple-
mentation of ICM programs and of multilateral "soft law" agreements.
--To enhance coordination among development assistance efforts from bilateral and multilateral donors,
periodic Roundtables of Donors should be convened, at both the global level and in various regions.
--Further study of the need for and possible modalities of a global oceans fund should be pursued, learning
from the experience of existing global funds in other areas.
Sustainable Development Partnerships
--Regarding the WSSD Sustainable Development Partnerships, preliminary analysis of the status of partner-
ships in the oceans, coasts, and SIDS area suggests a mixed picture, with some partnerships being well fi-
nanced, effective, and generating additional partnerships, while other partnerships are getting off the ground
very slowly. Some obstacles mentioned included: limited government involvement and commitment, few
partnerships include the private sector, funding allocations for ocean, coasts, and SIDS issues are often not
properly targeted or insufficient, certain issue areas are barely addressed by partnerships, certain regions are less
represented in partnerships, limited regional and thematic coordination might lead to duplication or dispersion
of efforts, linkages with different sectors (e.g., water, transportation, energy) are rarely addressed and potential
lessons from other experiences remain unutilized.
--The most relevant lessons of broad application are: (a) the involvement of high-level political actors is
fundamental to the identification of priorities and the mobilization of funding support for the partnerships; (b)
multi-agency participation is helping improve institutional coordination at both the national and regional levels;
(c) networking of partnerships and practitioners is proving vital to the sharing of experience and lessons
learned, particularly on a regional basis. (d) Participation in partnership fairs and forums can provide inputs on
establishing and building partnerships to facilitate matchmaking, securing resources for these initiatives in the
future, bringing together different actors, and enhancing cross-sectoral communication and collaboration; and
(f) partnerships can provide an important opportunity to introduce the application of the ecosystem approach
to meet the 2010 target recommended by WSSD.
--A strategy for the enhancement and development of partnerships on oceans, coasts and islands could be
based on the development of a "mechanism for partnership facilitation" led by the Global Forum. The
mechanism could have four elements:
1. A list of ongoing and potential partnerships, identifying lead organizations, other partners, goals, contact
information, and a written partnership description in sufficient detail to determine the relevance of the
partnership to the reader's interest. (Continued on p. 74)
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
2. A description of "lessons learned" (as supplied by Global Forum participants on the basis of their
experience in partnership implementation).
3. A description of potential sources of resources to support partnerships.
4. A description of partnerships activities organized on a regional and subregional basis aimed at practitio-
ners.
Capacity building
--While there are many capacity building efforts related to ocean and coastal management, there are key
obstacles that prevent scaling up, coordination, and targeting of these initiatives. These include short-term
nature of the efforts; fragmentation and lack of coordination; not context specific and responsive to local,
national, or regional priorities; not supported through long-term targeted financing.
--In order to develop a critical mass of integrated coastal and ocean managers and professionals, there is a
need to develop a global strategy for capacity building in the field which assesses existing programs and
identifies gaps, formulates an action plan for sustained capacity building and utilization, and defines modali-
ties to make capacity building programs more relevant to end users.
NGOs and Private Sector
--NGOs and foundations are approaching WSSD targets by: developing policies, building political will,
working with partners, demonstrating good practice, implementing on the ground projects, and contributing
to scientific debate. NGOs may vary in specific implementation techniques but they carry out common
strategies, especially in addressing WSSD targets in MPAs and fisheries. Outstanding issues that they would
like to address include: providing sustainable financing for MPAs, developing a legal framework and imple-
mentation of high seas MPAs, developing a global baseline of current MPA coverage, building political will
to implement MPAs and sustainable fisheries, implementing an effective monitoring and evaluation system
for MPAs, and developing new approaches to mitigate IUU fishing.
--A growing number of industries are beginning to factor in environmental considerations in the way they
do business, e.g., the aquarium fish trade, fisheries, and coastal tourism. Sustainable practices, based on
international prescriptions, such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the principles
of integrated coastal management are finding their way into private sector initiatives. In coastal tourism,
strategies to influence the private sector into adopting a more sustainable approach to tourism investments
include: establishment of fiscal or financial incentives that help direct investments towards sustainable tourism;
reinforcement of environmental legislation and regulations applicable to large private tourism development
projects and/or the reinforcement of supervision of voluntary, self-regulatory schemes; and designation of
marine protected areas.
Public Involvement
--Public involvement in the resolution of oceans, coasts, and islands issues requires a change in environmental
behavior that may be facilitated by public education initiatives. Concerned public education and media
organizations actively involved in oceans issues agree that the following are all essential in facilitating the
achievement of WSSD targets in oceans, coasts, and SIDS: raising and maintaining mass media interest;
providing adequate information on oceans issues; mobilizing educational organizations in reaching very large
audiences; mobilizing educational organizations at all levels in order to integrate ocean issues into programs
implementing the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; engaging people into action that
is beneficial to the environment by focusing on communicating priority messages to the public; mobilizing all
stakeholders to get involved in Ocean Day and other events; determining the best tools for reaching specific
target groups; and identifying and providing funding for educational activities and campaigns.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
PART III. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
AND SPECIAL ADDRESSES
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
CHINA´S ACTION FOR MARINE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Sun Zhihui
Deputy administrator
China
State Oceanic Administration, China
Agenda 21 provides the programme of action for achieving However, these marine development activities have not only
the sustainable development of oceans, coastal areas and seas provided great profits, but also given rise to the problems
through its programme areas of integrated management and of resources and environment. The main problems being
sustainable development of coastal areas, including exclusive faced include:
economic zones; marine environmental protection; sustain-
· Lack of integrated planning and coordination mecha-
able use and conservation of marine living resources; ad-
nism among ocean-related sectors, which lead to promi-
dressing critical uncertainties for the management of the
nent conflicts among different sectors, and irrational uti-
marine environment and climate change; strengthening inter-
lization of marine resources;
national, including regional, cooperation and coordination;
and sustainable development of small islands.
· Increase of gross pollutants into the sea, which exacer-
bates the continuing degradation of marine environment,
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), in
especially in coastal waters.
2002, recognizes that oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas
form an integrated and essential component of the Earth's
· Deterioration of marine ecosystem, and reduction of
ecosystem and are critical for global food security and for
biodiversity and rare species and introduction of exotic
sustaining economic prosperity and the well-being of many
species.
national economies, particularly in developing countries. The It is estimated that the loss of coastal wetlands has amounted
WSSD also appeals that ensuring the sustainable develop- to about 2.19 million hectares, 50 percent of the total. The
ment of the oceans requires effective coordination and co- Mangrove has less than 15 thousand hectares, a reduction of
operation, including at the global and regional levels, between 73 percent. The coverage of coral reef has reduced 80 per-
relevant bodies, and actions at all levels
cent. Rare species such as Chinese White Dolphin has be-
Zhu Rongji, the Former premier, made a firm promise, when come endangered species owing to the sharp decrease in
addressing the World Summit on Sustainable Development, number. Exotic species such as spartina had a severe impact
that China will continue to work hard, unflinchingly shoulder on some local ecosystems.
our responsibilities, honor our commitments with deeds, and
· Overexploitation of coastal fisheries due to illegal catch.
steadfastly take the road of sustainable development. The
· Frequency and types of marine disasters such as storm
Chinese Government also pays great attention to the sustain-
surge, red tide, tsunami and oil spilling has increased, which
able development of oceans and coasts. The major leaders
contribute to great loss of property and human lives. In
give emphasis, on many occasions, to perfect the framework
2002, the direct property loss amounted to 6.6 billion
of marine planning and programming, legislation and man-
RMB Yuan, and 124 persons lost their lives. Nearly 10
agement, to reinforce marine law enforcement and strengthen
million people suffered from various types of marine
marine environmental protection.
disasters.
I would like to take this opportunity to brief you on the
The Measures Taken Toward Achieving
problems we have encountered, measures we have been tak-
ing and future work we intend to do.
Marine Sustainable Development.
What are the Problems?
Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in 1992, the Chinese government,
There are more than 400 million people living in the coastal has been actively responding to the call of UNCED. We
areas in China. The GDP in these areas makes up 60 percent formulated the China Agenda 21, which regards the sustain-
of national total. Over the past years, marine economy has able development and protection of marine resources as one
grown at very high rate, with the GDP derived from marine of priority areas. On such basis, the Chinese government also
industries reaching 100 billion USD in 2002. Marine industry set down the China Ocean Agenda 21, providing the guide-
has become a new booming industry in national economy.
lines for marine sustainable development and utilization. In
recent years, particularly since WSSD in 2002, to implement
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development the Compendium, is to increase the contribution of marine
and the Plan of Implementation, China promulgated the economy in the National Economy, optimize the marine
National Marine Functional Zonation Scheme in 2002, and economy structure and industry layout, rapidly develop back-
issued/approved the National Programming Compendium bone industries and new-booming industries, apparently im-
on Marine Economic Development in May of this year. Be- proved the quality of marine ecological environment. The
sides, China recently revised the Fishery Law and Law on GDP derived from the marine economy will amount to 4%
Marine Environment Protection, and put into force the law of national total by 2005, and over 5% by 2010.
on Management of Sea Area Use and other marine-related The Compendium also puts forward the following objec-
laws and regulations. In this regard, I would like elaborate on tives of the protection of biological environment and re-
some of the specific and important actions China has taken sources: the amount of main pollutants into the sea in 2005
to realize the marine sustainable development.
will be reduced by 10% compared to 2000. Further improve
Planning and Programming
the capability to monitor red tide, make efforts to mitigate
the loss by red tide, gradually realize the conservation and
China Ocean Agenda 21
sustainable utilization at key river mouth, wetlands and tidal
flats.
China formulated the China Ocean agenda 21, which set forth
the strategy, objectives, countermeasures and major action The National Marine Functional Zonation Scheme
areas. The overall objective is to restore healthy marine eco- To plan all relevant ocean-related use as a whole, protect and
system, develop rational marine development system, and ameliorate the ecological environment, promote the sustain-
promote the marine sustainable development.
able use of sea area; secure the safety at sea, the State Council
The countermeasures include: guiding the establishment and approved the National Marine Functional Zonation Scheme
expansion of marine industry on the principle of sustainable in 2002, which provides a scientific basis for sea area use
development; placing equal stress on development and social management and environmental protection, to ensure a sound
and economic sustainable development; gradually solving the development of national economy.
constraint problems such as freshwater and energy shortage In this scheme, in light of the requirement of location, natu-
in coastal areas by means of well-planned marine develop- ral resources and utilization, all jurisdictional sea areas are di-
ment activities; sustainably utilizing the resources of islands vided into ten types of functional areas for port and trans-
and protecting its ecologic balance and its biodiversity; set- portation, utilization and conservation of fisheries, tourism,
ting up marine protected areas such as coral reef, mangrove and marine reserve, and so on.
and sea grass bed, spawning grounds, protecting special spe-
cies and ecosystem; promoting the sustainable development
Legislation
by reliance of science and technology; establishing ICM sys-
tem; intensifying ocean observations, forecasting, disaster Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
warning and mitigation; strengthening international coopera- Sea, the Law on Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone of the
tion; enhancing public awareness.
People's Republic of China and the Law on Exclusive Eco-
nomic Zone and Continental Shelf of the People's Republic
National Programming Compendium on Marine Economy
of China , in recent years China has stipulated or amended
following laws:
To provide macro guidance, coordination and programming,
the State Council approved and publicized the National Pro- The Law on Management of Sea Area Use
gramming Compendium on Marine Economy this year. The
main marine industries referred to include marine fisheries, In order to protect the ownership of the national sea area
marine transportation, oil and gas, tourism, ship, sea salt and and the legitimate rights and interest of the users of the sea
chemical engineering, seawater desalination and comprehen- area, prevent exhaustive development and utilization of the
sive utilization, marine biological medicines. The program- marine resources, protect the marine ecological environment,
ming period lasts 10 years from 2001 to 2010.
ensure scientific and rational use of the marine resources, and
promote sustainable development of the marine economy,
The principles of the Compendium is adhering to the prin- the National People's Congress promulgated the Law on
ciple of placing equal stress on economical development and Management of Sea Area Use and put it into effect as of 1
protection of resources and environment; intensifying the January 2002.
protection and construction of marine ecological environ-
ment; accommodating the development scale and growth to This law has established the following three basic systems:
the carrying capacity of environment, etc.
the sea area entitlement system, the marine functional zoning
system and the sea area paid-use system. The sea area entitle-
The overall objective of marine economy, put forward in ment system clearly defined that the sea area is owned by the
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
State, and any organization or individual who intends to use also provided the propagation and protection of the fishery.
the sea area, must apply in advance according to relevant
regulations. They are entitled to use the sea area only after Regulations on Management of Protection and Utilization
approval from the government. The marine functional zon- of the Uninhabited Islands
ing system is the foundation for marine development and Recently China has just promulgated the Regulations on Man-
management, under which the sea area is divided into differ- agement of Protection and Utilization of the Uninhabited
ent types of functional zones according to the standard of Islands for the purpose of strengthening the management of
the functions of the sea area and the optimum order of the uninhabited islands and protecting the island ecological
functions of the sea area use so as to control and guide the environment of the uninhabited islands. Although it is only a
direction of the sea area use and provide scientific basis for regulatory document at present, it will play a positive role to
rational use of the sea area. The sea area paid-use system a large extent in the protection of the islands and their re-
embodied that the sea area is the state-owned asset, and any sources since there is no formal legislation for the islands in
organization or individual who intends to use the sea area to China now.
carry out production and business activities must pay for sea The regulations have clearly defined that "the State shall imple-
area use. According to the provisions, the fee of sea area use ment the system of functional zoning and protection and
may be reduced or exempted based on the purpose of use. utilization planning for the uninhabited islands, encourage ra-
The Marine Environment Protection Law
tional development and utilization of the uninhabited islands,
of the People's Republic of China
strictly restrict such activities that cause damage to the unin-
habited islands and the marine environment and natural land-
In order to protect and improve the marine environment scape around them as explosion, excavation of the sand and
more effectively, protect marine resources, prevent pollution gravels, construction of dams to link the islands. The unin-
damage, ensure human health, and promote sustainable de- habited islands that are of special value for protection and
velopment of the economy and society, the National People's the sea area around them will be built into marine nature
Congress amended the original Marine Environment Pro- reserves or special marine protected areas, etc., according to
tection Law of the People's Republic of China, and put it into law through application by the competent oceanic adminis-
effect as of April 2000.
trative agencies above the county level.
The amended Marine Environment Protection Law provides In addition, according to the Law on Territorial Sea and
that "the State shall establish and implement the control sys- Contiguous Zone of the People's Republic of China and the
tem for gross pollutants discharged into the sea in the key Law on Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf
areas, define the index of gross control of the major pollut- of the People's Republic of China, etc., other laws and regu-
ants discharged into the sea, and distribute the controlled dis- lations concerning ocean administrative management have
charge volume for the major pollution sources".
been stipulated and promulgated by the State Council such
Some new contents have been added in this amended Law, as the Regulations on Dumping of Wastes at Sea, Regula-
mainly including: protection of marine ecology, prevention tions of the People's Republic of China Concerning Envi-
of the pollution damage to the marine environment by land- ronmental Protection in Offshore Oil Exploration and Ex-
sources pollutants, prevention of the pollution damage to ploitation, Regulations on Management of the Fishing Per-
the marine environment by coastal construction projects, pre- mit, etc.
vention the pollution damage to the marine environment by
marine construction projects, prevention of the pollution
Management
damage to the marine environment by dumping at sea, and
prevention of the pollution damage to the marine environ- Management of the Sea Area Use
ment by ships and other related operation activities.
The public awareness is increasing continuously, and the sup-
The Fishery Law of the People's Republic of China
porting bylaw system has been gradually completed. The four-
level marine functional zoning system involving the central
In order to strengthen protection, propagation, development government, provincial government, municipal government
and utilization of the fishery resources, the National People's and the county government has primarily taken shape. Above
Congress amended the Fishery Law of the People's Repub- two thirds of the cities and counties of the 11 coastal prov-
lic of China recently.
inces and municipalities have completed the drafting of their
The amended Fishery Law provides that "the State shall de- functional zonation scheme and most of them have been
termine the total catch ability based on the principle that the approved and implemented. The sea-area-use rights confir-
catch is lower than the increase of the fishery resources and mation and certificates issuance have been carried out steadily.
practice fishing quota system. The state shall practice fishing The phenomena of irrational use of the sea area have been
license system for the fish catching industry". Besides, the law comprehensively straightened out. The management of col-
79
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
lection of the fee for sea area use has been strengthened which ecological environment in the near-shore areas.
has ensured maintenance and increase of the value of the
national resources assets of the sea area. Boundary delimita- Marine Public Service
tion of the administrative divisions has been carried out in an Through decades of development, comparatively complete
all-round way. The construction of demonstration sites for system for marine environmental monitoring and forecast
management of sea area use at national level has gained promi- service has been established to carry out real-time opera-
nent results and 30 national-level demonstration sites for tional forecast for storm surges, sea waves, sea ice and sea-
management of sea area use have been established.
water temperature. At the same time, research on the phased
Management of the Marine Environment
forecast and pre-warning of various kinds of marine haz-
ards such as the phenomena of El Nino and La Nina, coastal
The supporting regulations and bylaw system have been per- erosion, the seawater flowing intrusion, as well as sea level
fected. The Environmental Protection Program has been rise has been conducted. This work has played an important
formulating. The national marine environmental monitoring role in prevention and mitigation of the marine disaster as
and assessment have been enhanced. The three-level marine well as in the service to the sea-related trades. Since last year,
monitoring operational systems involving the central govern- in particular, we have initiated the environmental forecasting
ment, provincial government and municipal government have for the major bathing beach in the country. The forecasts are
preliminarily come into being. The red-tide monitoring has made public timely through China Central Television (CCTV)
been intensified, and the oceanic administrative agencies of and other major news media. We have started the report on
the coastal local governments have put in place a monitoring environmental quality for aquaculture in the monitoring and
system and an emergency response system in the red-tide control areas of the red-tides, which provides good guid-
monitoring and control area. Protection of marine ecology ance in the local fishery and aquaculture production.
has also been consolidated, and 76 marine nature reserves,
among which 21 are at the national level and 55 at the local
Future Efforts to Take
level, have been set up. Some representative marine ecosys- In response to the calls of the Summit Conference on Sus-
tems of rare and endangered marine animals, mangroves tainable Development and carry out well the plans of imple-
and coral reefs have been brought under protection. In 2002, mentation of Agenda 21, China will put greater emphasis to
the national marine ecological investigation was carried out, push forward the work in the following fields:
which lasted for 8 months. And strict supervision and man-
agement of dumping at sea and prevention of the pollution
a. Perfect the planning and programming system and work
caused by marine construction projects has been strength-
out the National Environmental Protection Program and
ened.
integrated management programs for key sea areas like
the Bohai Sea.
Management of the Marine Fishery Resources
b. Perfect the marine legal system and realize more effec-
In response to the significant impact of the new international
tive marine/coastal integrated management;
marine legal regime brought forth by the UNCLOS, China is
c. Perfect the marine environmental monitoring system and
working out and implementing relevant policies and mea-
assessment system, set up ecological monitoring and con-
sures to guide the fishermen to reduce the number of fishing
trol areas, and continue to strengthen the construction
boats and turn to other jobs. Some provincial governments
and management of marine protected areas;
allot financial subsidies for the fishermen and direct them to
d. Improve the capability to prevent and mitigate marine
shift to non-catching industries.
disasters, and complete marine service system;
China is carrying out the general investigation of fishing
e. Consolidate development, utilization and protection of
boats,exploring actively the system of quota management of
the uninhabited islands;
the fishery resources and the compulsory end-of-life system
for fishing boats, reducing gradually the number of fishing
f. Promote international cooperation in the region, and
boats, and controlling fishing intensity. China is also continu-
further push primarily such international programs as the
ously carrying out fishery administration and effectively prac-
Marine Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas
ticing the system of fishing closed season in summer, for
of East Asia, as well as such projects on the Protection
2~3 months a year, involving over a million of the fisher-
of the Marine Biodiversity in the south China seas and
men. Positive progress has been achieved in the protection
Protection and on the Management of the Large Marine
and management of the ecological environment in fishing
Ecosystem in the Yellow Sea (YSLME) in cooperation
areas. Pilot projects on artificial fish reefs have been carried
with GEF and other related countries.
out in provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian, etc.
and they are actively exploring the measures to recover the
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WSSD COMMITMENTS:
THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
Dr. Harsh K. Gupta
India
Secretary to Government of India
Department of Ocean Development, India
Introduction
bally and within the region in particular.
The vital role of oceans in sustaining life on planet Earth has
India has a coastline of about 7500 kilometres, and the seas
been recognised in India from its ancient past. As an integral
around India influence the life of the coastal population of
part of the global sustainable development process, oceans,
about 370 million and the livelihood of a 7 million strong
coasts and islands support a diverse array of activities yield-
fishing community. We have two island systems viz, Andaman
ing enormous economic and social benefits. The Earth Sum-
& Nicobar and Lakshadweep with their special geographical
mit of 1992 and the World Summit on Sustainable Devel-
connection with the seas around them. Further, we have a
opment (WSSD) of 2002 brought the global community
fragile but precious coastal ecosystem that needs to be pre-
together to address holistically and collectively, among other
served for posterity.
issues, the ecological, economic, and social importance of
The Vision and Perspective Plan 2015
oceans, coasts, and islands for the global well-being and to
for Ocean Development in India
prepare a time-bound action plan that needs to be imple-
mented with the synergy of several actors. It is heartening to
Our recognition of the intricate and long-term role that the
note that oceans, coasts and islands received the due impor-
ocean plays in determining our environment and the equally
tance in the WSSD, as indicated in its major outcomes viz. (a)
critical role that we play in modifying its characteristics, coupled
the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sus-
with our realisation of the incompleteness of the understand-
tainable Development, (b) the Johannesburg Declaration on
ing that we have on this complex process, has been the driv-
Sustainable Development and (c) Partnership initiatives to
ing force for setting out, in the year 2002, a Vision and Per-
strengthen the implementation of Agenda 21.
spective Plan 2015 for Ocean Development in India. The
The WSSD has given us a time-bound action plan over a
mission is to improve our understanding of the ocean, espe-
wide spectrum of areas covering fisheries, biodiversity and
cially the Indian Ocean, for sustainable development of ocean
ecosystem functions, marine pollution, maritime transporta-
resources, improving livelihood, and for timely warnings of
tion, marine science, small islands, developing States and sev-
coastal hazards. The Vision 2015 hinges around improving
eral related cross-sectoral aspects. The Global Forum on
our understanding of ocean processes through conceiving
Oceans, Coasts and Islands is indeed an important platform
and implementing long-term observational programmes and
for ensuring this implementation process. India would be
incubating cutting edge marine technology so that we are
pleased to join this global effort, particularly by contributing
able to (i) improve understanding of the Indian Ocean and
to the Indian Ocean region, and focussing her national ef-
its various inter-related processes; (ii) assess the living and
forts in ocean development.
non-living resources of our seas and their sustainable level of
utilization; (iii) contribute to the forecasting of monsoons
The Indian Ocean - A Complex Oceanic Realm
and extreme events; (iv) model sustainable uses of the coastal
zone for decision-making; (v) forge partnerships with our
The Indian Ocean, the third largest ocean in the world, has a
Indian Ocean neighbours through the awareness and con-
unique geographic setting with more than 1.5 billion people
cept of one ocean; and (vi) secure recognition for the inter-
living around its edge, who are predominantly agrarian and
ests of India and the Indian Ocean in regional and interna-
monsoon-dependant. The frequent cyclones of the Bay of
tional bodies. This vision is congruent with the WSSD out-
Bengal, the unique biogeochemical processes of Arabian Sea
come on oceans, coasts and islands.
as well as the bi-annual reversal of monsoon winds and cur-
rents make the Indian Ocean a complex oceanic realm. The
The national agenda for ocean development in India during
Indian Ocean has been a subject of serious concern for the
the coming decades, as set out in the perspective plan are:
countries around this region as well as the international com-
(i) Promoting ocean science, supporting technology
munity. It is also recognised that, as compared to the Atlantic
development and strengthening observations, so as to
and Pacific, the Indian Ocean still lacks systematic observa-
continuously improve our understanding of local and
tions that are essential for understanding the oceanic pro-
remote processes;
cesses and their impact on the sustainable development glo-
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
(ii) Modelling sustainable uses of the coastal zone and IOGOOS, along with a group of experts has initiated sev-
reliably predicting extreme events;
eral time-bound actions in the area of ocean & climate, the
(iii) Understanding the influence of the ocean on mon- coastal ocean, and data management and satellite applica-
soons and contributing to the capability to forecast them; tions, such as:
(iv) Strengthening programmes in the southern ocean
(i) IOGOOS Workshop on "Capacity Building and Strat-
and Antarctica that offer unlimited opportunities to study
egy for Data and Information Management" to be held
planet Earth in its pristine state;
in December 2003 at Colombo, as a prelude to the estab-
lishment of an ocean data and information network for
(v) Mapping ocean resources and evolving guidelines
the Indian Ocean;
for proper stewardship so that they are sustainably uti-
lized with minimal environmental impact;
(ii) IOGOOS Workshop on "Marine Biodiversity" to be
held in December 2003 at Goa to evolve a strategy and
(vi) Developing reliable and safe deep sea technology
action plan for long-term sustained monitoring of coastal
that permits man to understand, quantify and harness
and ocean biodiversity in the region;
ocean resources;
(iii) Formulation of a "Strategy for Capacity Building in
(vii) Partnering Indian Ocean neighbours in mutually
the Indian Ocean region on remote sensing applications
beneficial programmes;
for oceanographic and coastal studies";
(viii) Creating awareness in stakeholders about the com-
(iv) Setting up of a "Joint CLIVAR/IOC-GOOS Indian
plex functions of the ocean and the inherent limits to the
Ocean Panel on Climate" that would coordinate and plan
predictability of ocean processes; and
a unified approach to all the basin-scale observations in
(ix) Creating an Ocean Commission as a national frame-
the Indian Ocean for both research and operational ocean-
work so that national efforts on ocean issues are effec-
ography;
tively coordinated.
(v) Pursuing a project proposal on Marine Impacts on
GOOS Regional Alliance
Low lands Agriculture and Coastal (MILAC) resources
in Indian Ocean
jointly with JCOMM to contribute to natural disaster re-
duction in coastal lowland impacted by tropical cyclones;
The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) of the Inter-
(vi) Formulation of a pilot project on the Monitoring and
governmental Oceanographic Commission, which evolved
Management Systems for the Shallow Water Penaeid
in 1992 and is co-sponsored by WMO, UNEP and ICSU, is
Prawns for the Indian Ocean region; and
an internationally organized system for effective management
of the marine environment and sustainable utilisation of its
(vii) Participation in the GOOS Regional Alliances Net-
natural resources. Along with the Global Climate Observing
working Development (GRAND) Project that would fa-
System and the Global terrestrial Observing System, GOOS
cilitate knowledge networking among all regional GOOS
will play a key role in the observation of oceans, atmosphere
alliances and also benefit from the advances made by
and land. GOOS envisages (i) an internationally accepted glo-
EuroGOOS and MedGOOS over the last decade.
bal design to address the broad realms of ocean & climate
Indian Contribution to Ocean Observing
and the coastal ocean; (ii) a set of regional alliances of coun-
in the Indian Ocean
tries that will focus on issues of common concern and inter-
ests of the region; and (iii) national contributions for imple- India's plan for the near future is to establish a well-planned
mentation of the observational systems.
network of in-situ ocean observing system in the north In-
India is playing an important role for ocean observations in dian Ocean with 150 Argo profiling floats, 40 moored data
the Indian Ocean by (i) leading the process of establishing of buoys, 150 drifting Buoys, 4 equatorial current meter moor-
the GOOS Regional Alliance - IOGOOS - for the Indian ings, expendable bathythermograph surveys along three ma-
Ocean region in November 2002; (ii) being called upon to jor shipping routes, and tide gauges, all complemented by
host the IOGOOS Secretariat for the next 6 years as well as satellite observations through the Oceansat series of India.
to lead IOGOOS in the coming years to formulate and guide The progress of implementation has been quite good.
projects on ocean observations and applications of com- India had the opportunity to host the Argo Implementation
mon concern in the region; and (iii) taking decisive roles in Planning Meeting in July 2001 and this marked the beginning
IOC and other important international forums pertaining to of Argo float deployment in the Indian Ocean by several
GOOS. Already 19 Institutions from Australia, India, Iran, countries. India was then called upon to be the Regional Co-
Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion, South ordinator for the international Argo project in the Indian
Africa and Sri Lanka have become Members of IOGOOS Ocean and also to be the Regional Data Centre. It is satisfy-
and a few more are expected to join soon.
ing to note that within a span of two years, the Argo array in
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
the Indian Ocean has reached 50 % of its target (of 450
Ocean Information
floats by 2006).
and Advisory Services
India has already deployed 31 Argo floats and 20 more are
in India
scheduled to be deployed soon. The first results with Argo
data are very encouraging. We have also mounted a national The concerted efforts of the Indian scientific community have
effort with the oceanographic and atmospheric community culminated in a unique service to provide reliable and timely
for assimilation of Argo data with the end goal of improv- potential fishing zone advisories using satellite data to the fish-
ing the predictability of the upper ocean and our climate. ing community along the entire coastline of the country. Fre-
Capacity building in this area is crucial if we need to harness quent and intense interactions between the scientists and fish-
the full benefit from this valuable stream of data.
ing community at the fishing harbours, and use of a wide
range of media such as faxes, telephones, electronic display
India has already established a network of 20 Moored Data boards, radios and the internet have ensured that these advi-
Buoys in both deep and shallow waters to measure a host of sories provided in local languages have become extremely
met-ocean parameters. Surface Drifting Buoys (for measur- important to the fishing community. The search time for fish-
ing sea surface temperature and atmospheric pressure); Cur- erman lost at sea has been reduced by 30 to 70 % due to the
rent Meter Arrays (for time series profiles of current speed usage of these advisories. This is an excellent example of
and direction at fixed locations); Expendable Bathythermo- passing of the benefits of science to society. Experimental
graphs (for temperature profiles); and Tide Gauges (for sea Ocean State forecasts that are being provided on a daily basis
level) in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and tropical Indian are a typical example of multi-institutional endeavour to trans-
Ocean that have been providing very valuable data for op- late scientific knowledge into a service useful for safe opera-
erational oceanography, weather forecasting and research. tions in the sea. The setting up of an Ocean Information
There is an active programme for ship observations using Bank supported by a national chain of Marine Data centres
the four Research Vessels of the Department of Ocean De- and Observation systems as well as Web-based on-line ser-
velopment, in addition to ships of opportunity.
vices are significant milestones towards the mission to pro-
Storm Surge Forecast
vide the ocean information and advisory services in a timely
for North Indian Ocean
manner.
The coastal regions bordering the Bay of Bengal are severely
Integrated Coastal and Marine
affected by the storm surges associated with tropical cyclones,
Area Management (ICMAM)
particularly for the East Coast of India and Bangladesh. Since
the coastal regions are densely populated, it is important to
make realistic forecasts of inundations caused by such storms Agenda 21 adopted in UNCED (1992) emphasises the need
in order to prepare contingency plans to prevent the loss of to adopt the concept of Integrated Coastal and Marine Area
life and property. A project entitled "Storm Surges Disaster Management (ICMAM) for the sustainable utilisation of
Reduction in the Northern part of the Indian Ocean," aimed coastal and marine resources and the prevention of degrada-
at developing the capability and infrastructure to provide tion of marine environment. The ICMAM project has been
storm surge and disaster warning to save lives, reduce dam- implemented in India since 1997-98, with two major com-
age and encourage sustainable development in coastal regions ponents viz. capacity building and the development of infra-
had received much consideration by IOC, WMO and the structure for R&D and training. The capacity building activi-
International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO in the ties cover development of GIS-based information system
recent past. However, this Project is yet to take off. JCOMM for 11 critical habitats; determination of waste assimilation
and IOGOOS are pursuing this.
capacity in estuaries and coastal waters; EIA studies; and de-
velopment of ICMAM plans for major cities. A world class
Also, India has developed software to predict storm surges facility has been created for the development of human re-
and estimate coastal inundation due to surges, along the East sources in this important area.
coast of India. Using this software and the available data
sets, the path and height of storm surges have been success-
Coastal Monitoring and Prediction System
fully hindcasted. It is pertinent to note that a bilateral pro-
posal has been prepared for implementation between India A national programme on Coastal Ocean Monitoring and
and Bangladesh for an operational oceanographic and hy- Prediction system (COMAPS) was launched in 1991 by In-
drological storm surge prediction facility along with the im- dia to constantly assess the health of our marine environment
provement of meteorological, marine and hydrological ob- and to indicate areas that need immediate and long-term re-
serving systems and data processing systems. A key compo- medial action. To consider the levels and sources of pollut-
nent of the proposal is capacity building and human resources ants, data on nearly 25 environmental parameters are col-
development in the region.
lected at 82 locations in the 0-25 km sector of the entire
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
coastline using two dedicated vessels. Mathematical models
are being developed to predict diffusion and dispersion char-
acteristics of pollutants in specific areas. The data and infor-
mation are regularly disseminated to the State Pollution Con-
trol Boards for legal/remedial action.
National Institutional Framework
Modern oceanographic research in the country has a heritage
of four decades. Over the years, India has set up the Depart-
ment of Ocean Development and a chain of leading na-
tional institutions with a primary focus on Ocean Sciences
and Research, Ocean Technology, Antarctic and Polar Sci-
ences, Ocean Observation, Information and Services, Costal
Area Management, and Marine Living Resources. These in-
stitutions are supported by a large network of academia and
industry. Close interaction at both the research and opera-
tional levels between the ocean, atmosphere, and space scien-
tific communities has ensured that there is a seamless flow of
data, information and knowledge that percolates down to
the end users, thereby getting integrated with the develop-
ment process in the country.
Conclusion
India has been pursuing its efforts in ocean development with
a missionary zeal, addressing not only the imperatives for
sustainable development of its coasts, islands and seas but
also contributing to the well-being of the entire Indian Ocean
region. India would thus be an active contributor as well as a
beneficiary of the implementation of the action plan on
oceans, coasts, and islands that were set out at the WSSD.
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SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES, OCEANS AND
COASTS, AND THE MAURITIUS INTERNATIONAL MEETING
H.E. Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul
Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United Nations
Mauritius
and Chair, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
I would like to thank the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts
nancial shocks, lack of natural resources and heavy depen-
and Islands for organizing this Conference and for its con-
dence on importations are known in addition to other con-
tinued dedication and devotion to the improvement of glo-
straints. Oceans and coastal environment are of vital and
bal, regional, and national policies relating to oceans, coasts
strategic importance for SIDS and constitute perhaps their
and islands. I have the honour today to address you as the
only real sustainable development resource. With the estab-
Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States AOSIS, an
lishment of the 200 miles economic zone, small islands are
association, which has 44 member countries.
the custodians of vast ocean spaces and as such have heavy
We often say that what happens in your neighbor's house
responsibilities for the management, conservation and sus-
affects your own house. Likewise what happens in the coun-
tainable development of these resources.
tries which are your immediate neighbors is also going to
While progress in the implementation of the provisions of
affect your own country. For us islanders the ocean is not
Agenda 21 and the BPOA in the area of sustainable develop-
only our immediate neighbor but also a source of livelihood
ment has been varied, regional-scale ocean governance has,
and subsistence and what happens to the oceans is therefore
in some cases, produced very positive results. Indeed re-
bound to affect us. For small island states, the health of the
gional approaches have been developed by some SIDS re-
oceans is of paramount importance. So vital is the exerted
gions for example in the Pacific Region which represent a
influence of the oceans over islands that they impact directly
great potential for improving our understanding of the ocean;
on a spectrum of island issues including its peoples, culture,
sustainably developing and managing the use of ocean re-
economy and the environment. Indeed islands and oceans
sources, including the promotion and utilization of traditional
are integral parts of a single environment. For SIDS the
practices; maintaining the health of the ocean; promoting the
protection and management of their marine environment
peaceful use of the ocean; and creating partnerships and pro-
are intrinsically linked to their sustainable development aspi-
moting co-operation.
rations.
Oceans and coasts are critical to the natural and cultural heri-
At the Global Conference on the sustainable development
tage of the world, not just for SIDS. While many marine
of Small Island Developing States in 1994, the international
areas support a great diversity of plants, animals and natural
community recognized the special case for SIDS in regard to
habitats, oceans also play an essential role in the climatic cycles
both the environment and development. The Barbados Pro-
and other global processes. Coastal marine areas are domi-
gram of Action highlighted the dependence of Small Island
nated by a living fringing reef, which helps protect the coasts
Developing States on coastal and marine resources. Because
from the onslaught of the waves. Associated with the reefs
of our small land area many of our States are effectively
is a complex and diverse system of animals and plants, which
coastal entities with the concentration of population and eco-
use the reef as a habitat, but at the same time, create the
nomic development - both subsistence and cash - in the
conditions, which are essential for the very survival of the
coastal zone making our renowned biological diversity among
reef.
the most threatened in the world.
The marine environment includes unique ecosystems and
The world's oceans play a crucial role in maintaining the health
threatened species that are increasingly menaced by unsus-
of the planet's ecosystems and serve as a valuable current
tainable use and water pollution. With rapid industrialization
and future source of food for mankind. For the coastal
and absence of strict enforcement of regulations, the envi-
populations of SIDS the oceans represent the only means of
ronment is exposed to increasing stress. In the SIDS, activi-
subsistence.
ties along the shorelines are increasing, as the economy is de-
SIDS are widely acknowledged to be ecologically fragile and
veloping. Rapid tourism expansion in just about every SIDS
vulnerable. They face specific and unique constraints arising
region has also given rise to unplanned development along
from their smallness, isolation, geographical dispersion and
the coastline, increasing pressures on the limited resources in
vulnerability to natural disasters. Fragile ecosystems, difficul-
these areas.
ties with transportation and communications, remoteness
SIDS have some of the most vibrant and vital fishing re-
from markets, vulnerability to exogenous economic and fi-
gions of the whole world. The tuna fish stock in the Pacific
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
alone is the largest in the world, and is as far as we can tell in island or islet may appear to be local in nature; however,
fairly good health. The catch has been increasing, but reports isolated populations of organisms evolve and form distinct
suggest that it may just be within the sustainable ranges. For components of the global genetic pool. At our recent Car-
the most part the commercial exploitation of the tuna is car- ibbean regional meeting, the participants emphasized the need
ried out by distant water fishing fleets. Despite the very well to develop integrated coastal zone management policies and
negotiated agreements, the Pacific Island Countries today only plans and the establishment of coastal zone units in all SIDS.
receive a small proportion of the actual benefits. And while Important aspects of Integrated Coastal Zone Management
it is true that these distant water fishing fleets have beneficial include addressing beach erosion, sand mining and coral reef
financial impacts on the ports where they refuel and re-sup- conservation and protection, all of which are so vital to the
ply, we also know that in some cases there is widespread survival of the islands. These concepts are difficult to apply
pollution and dumping from these fleets.
in practice but they form part of a holistic approach to con-
The challenge will therefore be to keep a steady level of de- servation and management and to the interaction between
velopment in the industry, and to gradually make the industry the island and the seas.
predominantly indigenous, so as to achieve the flow on ef- The Caribbean Sea, one of the most important semi-enclosed
fects to other sectors of the economy. It is also important to seas in the world, is the main resource linking Caribbean SIDS
ensure that over capacity and over exploitation do not occur, and its fragile ecosystem, which is routinely exposed to heavy
as we have seen in many other regions.
traffic for cargo and cruise tourism, demands a comprehen-
Most of the SIDS have ratified the United Nations Conven- sive scheme for its protection in order to ensure its continued
tion of the Law of the Sea as well as the UNEP regional seas contribution to their sustainable development and in particu-
conventions. Some 20 SIDS have also ratified the United lar to the sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities.
Nations Agreement on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Caribbean SIDS therefore continue to advocate the designa-
Stocks Agreement. However, implementation continues to tion of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of
be impeded by financial constraints and a lack of capacity. sustainable development, and have taken this concern to the
Added to this are the continuing challenges inherent in exist- United Nations General Assembly, which has recognized the
ing international legislative frameworks and mechanisms. Il- Caribbean Sea as having a unique biodiversity and highly fragile
legal Unreported and Unregulated fishing as well as the moni- ecosystem. The General Assembly has called upon the United
toring and surveillance of the countries' respective EEZs, Nations system and the international community to assist, as
continue to pose a tremendous challenge to the small island appropriate, Caribbean countries and their regional organi-
developing states. They also encounter difficulties in relation zations in their efforts to ensure the protection of the Carib-
to the monitoring and assessment of straddling and highly bean Sea from degradation as a result of pollution from
migratory fish stocks. There is a need therefore to create and ships, in particular, through the illegal release of oil and other
where already available strengthen existing regional fisheries harmful substances, from illegal dumping or accidental re-
management mechanisms to conserve and manage this valu- lease of hazardous waste, including radioactive materials,
able resource. We also need to develop and implement sur- nuclear waste and dangerous chemicals, in violation of rel-
veillance and monitoring systems, and we need the necessary evant international rules and standards, as well as pollution
tools to analyze and assess the status of fish stocks in our from land based activities.
seas. The database on marine resources developed by In our preparations for the International Meeting to review
CARICOM is a successful venture of the region.
the Barbados Programme of Action, the SIDS have exam-
In many SIDS, effluents from industries and coastal urban ined these issues very closely and have undertaken to commit
areas have impacted heavily on the coastal systems, and along themselves to a series of actions in addition to the many that
with other forms of pollution, are endangering the marine already exist aimed at protecting the marine environment and
habitats. Intensive fishing practices have contributed to the conserving the marine resources. I have already outlined some
degradation of the lagoon and reef ecosystem. Significant of these actions earlier.
marine and coastal habitats are being adversely affected as a Equally we have, inter alia, underscored the importance of
result of increasing pollution, over-exploitation, conflicting completing the work on the mapping of Exclusive Eco-
resource use, and habitat damage and destruction. Mangroves nomic Zones and depositing the charts with the United Na-
and wetlands are filled, small bays are being closed to create tional Convention on the Law of the Sea Secretariat. We
real estate, or are leased for aquaculture and mangrove-de- have also recommended the emulation of the success stories
pendent flora and fauna are threatened.
such as the Meso-American Barrier Reef Systems Project and
This degradation is traceable directly to damage by over fish- the International Coral Reef Action Network in the Carib-
ing, tourism and development activities, and inactive reef bean region, as examples of how the SIDS can seek to pro-
management. Protection of the coastal biodiversity on an tect this valuable resource, which is protecting the very fabric
of island life.
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But for us to succeed it is essential that we get the critical At the national level, in terms of island management, there is
support to build our capacity and fund our projects. The a need to establish and strengthen new institutional and ad-
Type II Initiatives emerging out of the Johannesburg Plan of ministrative arrangements for the development and consoli-
Action represent a tremendous potential for action by orga- dation of integrated island management plans. We need to
nizations like the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Is- ensure capacity building for implementing integrated island
lands in support of the Small Island Developing States. And management.
we are very grateful for the important work that has already In terms of transfer of clean technology, we need to facili-
been undertaken by various partners in the different AOSIS tate such transfers to reduce pollutants at their source and we
regions. To name just a few let me first mention the initiative need to have appropriate methods for treating sewage, in-
on `Sustainable Development and Management of the Car- dustrial waste and solid waste.
ibbean Sea' which is aimed at developing capacity to address
the current threats to the environmental quality of the Carib- At the level of community-based management, there's a need
bean Sea. The lead agency for this initiative is the Caribbean to support the development of guidelines and the imple-
Community (CARICOM). Another interesting one is the mentation of pilot projects for community-based manage-
U.S Department of State led `White Water to Blue Water' ment of coastal resources as well as the development of
initiative which is a crosscutting approach to regional oceans alternative livelihoods like aquaculture and ecotourism.
and coastal ecosystem management. This initiative in par- With regard to marine resources, we believe that the need is
ticular aims at increasing coastal state and regional capacity there for exploiting living and non-living resources in the EEZ.
for cross sectoral approaches to the management of water- We need to assess and monitor the fish catch, processing and
sheds and marine ecosystems.
marketing by foreign and domestic fishing companies need
In the Pacific region we have the `Pacific Islands Oceans Ini- to be encouraged. We need also to develop legal frameworks
tiative' with the overarching goal of healthy oceans that sus- for sustainable fisheries activities. We need to develop man-
tain the livelihoods and aspirations of Pacific Island commu- agement plans and policies for assessing, monitoring and ex-
nities. This initiative is intended to assist with the implemen- ploiting the resources in the EEZ.
tation of the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy. The `Ca- At the regional level, we believe that there is a need to assist
pacity Building for Pacific Island Countries in Ocean Policy the regional institutions to strengthen their capacity to negoti-
Implementation' is another initiative led by the National ate agreements related to the use of marine resources. There's
Oceans Office of Australia to increase the regional capacity a need also to strengthen the capacity to develop and imple-
in sustainable development, integrated oceans management, ment national and regional action plans consistent with the
regional cooperation and partnerships.
goals of the Global Programme of Action for the Protec-
We at AOSIS would like to see more of such initiatives and tion of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activi-
more of such partnerships. But what is also important is to ties. In the field of ocean energy, SIDS have a high depen-
ensure that there can be some coordination and consultation dence on fossil fuels, there's a need to shift from that source
in order to avoid duplication and work at cross-purposes.
to new and renewable forms of energy like that of ocean
energy such as thermal and mechanical energy. And we need
This Global Conference will be discussing a range of issues also to develop specific initiatives for sustainable manage-
during this week all of which are likely to have an impact on ment of the oceans. And in that regard, there's a need to
the most effective way to approach the various concerns re- ensure that the implementation of UNCLOS and other in-
lating to the oceans, coasts, and the islands. It is our hope that ternational instruments can be done in an integrated manner
the concerns, which we as small island developing states have which would support the development of related national
expressed over the years, could in the course of the discus- ocean policies and legislations.
sions get translated into concrete proposals for action. Let
me mention such recommendations for action which are not We need to have improved access to survey and monitoring
new but which remain as valid to the sustainable develop- technologies, which will help us with boundary delimitation,
ment of small islands today as they did when they were first which in turn will help to ensure responsible and sustainable
raised during the Rio conference.
use of ocean resources and the completion of marine bound-
aries delimitations. With respect to ocean policies we think
At the local level, there is a need to ensure the dissemination that we need to encourage the development and implemen-
of information. We need to prepare the versions of interna- tation of regional and national policies so as to enhance the
tional instruments related to sustainable use of marine and sustainable management of oceans and their resources. The
coastal areas that are easily understood by local communities promotion of total ecosystem marine resource management
and the lay people showing the linkages between different through capacity building and pollution control measures
agreements and the benefits, as well as the responsibilities, of needs to be encouraged and there is a need for further devel-
small island developing states.
opment of policy and program options to assist countries to
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
sustainably manage their own marine and ocean jurisdictions.
We also need to carry out coastal vulnerability assessments in
order to undertake qualitative improvements in such assess-
ments. There needs also to be proactive coral reef monitor-
ing. We also, and more importantly, need greater global co-
operation to monitor the activities of illegal fishing, dumping
pollution and shipment of toxic, hazardous and nuclear
wastes. In that respect there were some suggestions earlier
this morning about the need to get all vessels which are fish-
ing in the territorial waters to be equipped with the GPS
system so they can be located and then action can be taken if
needed.
Madame Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, the scale of human
activities today affects not only the large-scale physical sys-
tems of the planet but also has consequences that reach far
into the future. Most environmental problems that will re-
quire policy attention are the ones that are well known. And
as time goes on, these problems will become more severe
and pose more local as well as global challenges. The future
impacts of today's decisions thus need to become more and
more prominent in current policy-making. The need for
broader integrated coastal and marine resource management
approaches cannot be delayed any further. The consequences
of non-action are too risky and are likely to be catastrophic
for the small island developing states.
I thank you for your attention.
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ADDRESS*
Mr. Daniel McDougall
Director-General of Oceans
Canada
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Co-chairs, conference participants, it continue our collaborative and innovative approaches to
is with great pleasure that I join you today on behalf of the oceans issues with the international community.
government of Canada, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, We have also put in place the necessary legislation and policy
to share Canada's perspective on implementing the WSSD framework to support a modern oceans management agenda
commitments. There are three aspects of the WSSD Plan of domestically. We have created a national Oceans Act that pro-
Implementation that I would like to touch on this morning. vides the basic framework for oceans management, such as
The first is dealing with implementation of those commit- integrated management planning, the establishment of ma-
ments and targets at the national level. The second is dealing rine protected areas, and the development of marine envi-
with the linkages between the national, and the international ronmental quality guidelines. The government of Canada last
and the intergovernmental aspects of the targets. The third year also released a National Oceans Strategy, that articulates
aspect, the one that is indeed critical to the gathering here this the overall policy direction and principles we will use to manage
morning, is the broadening of the WSSD agenda and the our oceans. The strategy again complements the WSSD
need to move the agenda beyond just a governmental and agenda, in that it indicates we will be moving towards the
intergovernmental agenda, and to engage better civil society, implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to man-
the private sector and the others that are necessary for the agement, the broad application of the precautionary prin-
effective implementation of the WSSD Plan of Implemen- ciple for the protection of the marine environment and the
tation.
promotion of sustainable development overall. We have also
Regarding the first aspect, I'd like to highlight that we need to established a national program of action for the protection
remember very clearly, as has been noted earlier this morn- of the marine environment from land-based activities. Re-
ing, that the WSSD Plan of Implementation is itself very cently, we have enacted legislation for the protection and re-
much an integrated agenda. Accordingly, we need not only covery of endangered marine species and we've established
make progress in specific areas, but we also have to under- our first marine protected area ­ the Endeavor hydrother-
stand how these issues fit together and how we can draw mal vents. A suite of fifteen other marine protected areas
from each aspect of the broad WSSD Plan of Implementa- have been proposed for the protection of areas of high
tion to deal with progress on sustainable development.
biodiversity such as sea mounts, important marine habitats
I would like to turn briefly to the Canadian experience. In such as soft-bottom marshes and species, and for marine
Canada we think that we have created a strong congruence mammals and significant marine resources.
between our domestic oceans agenda and moving forward We are also implementing large-scale integrated marine man-
on WSSD implementation. We very much consider the Plan agement planning projects, in the Arctic, in the Pacific, and in
of Implementation to be a plan of action and we are start- the Atlantic EEZ areas. Within those projects, we are work-
ing to make, at least, very significant progress on that imple- ing with coastal communities, to create the local capacity for
mentation. For example, one aspect I would like to highlight participation in new oceans management structures.
today is the WSSD's call for countries to ratify the United In short, work is underway for the implementation of the
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. I'm very pleased WSSD Plan of Implementation. We do know, however, that
to indicate that last week, the Government of Canada de- there are and will be many challenges. As only one example,
posited our instrument on ratification for UNCLOS. Canada experiences have shown that achieving the WSSD target of
has long viewed UNCLOS and the United Nations Fishing maintaining or restoring fish stocks to levels that can produce
Agreement as two complementary building blocks to the their maximum sustainable yield, will present a considerable
enhanced management of our global oceans. We believe our challenge for governments and stakeholders globally. Fish
ratification of UNCLOS and our participation in UNCLOS stocks are subject to illogical shifts and pressures that are com-
institutions will provide a strong foundation for Canada to plex in their origins and effects. Different species rebuild at
different rates. So we have to explore what this commitment
on MSY really means and how it can be realistically achieved.
* Transcribed address.
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
To do this, governments will have to agree on what consti- domains where we strive, for example, to achieve ecosys-
tutes success under this target, measure progress based on tem-based management. We need to develop new scientific
those indicators of success and report on their progress. We and management tools and develop new approaches to ap-
also know that unless we get a handle on issues such as illegal, plying these tools, in areas where we have capacity challenges
unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and overcapacity, and in areas where we have significant limits in our scientific
reaching maximum sustainable yield will continue to be ex- knowledge. In our view, ecosystem-based approaches are
tremely challenging.
the foundation for an integrated oceans agenda. Our collec-
Determining these types of linkages among the various com- tive understanding of ecosystems has improved over the years
mitments of the WSSD Plan of Implementation, must in- but we still have a long way to go.
clude an exploration of the underlying issues, the appropri- This demands information on emerging issues, such as the
ate tools and the institutional mechanisms necessary for achiev- conservation of high sea resource and habitat. Of course,
ing success. Again, another example may be constructive. we need to keep in mind that data collection and analysis is
Canada expects to implement its National Plan of Action on even more challenging for developing countries. We need
IUU fishing this winter. In so doing, we are taking into ac- strong, clear frameworks to guide and target our actions. So
count the framework of the FAO, the analysis of the OECD, it will be imperative to determine in advance what type of
and how best to apply the range of policy program and data are needed to ensure the successful application of an
regulatory instruments we have available to us. We can make ecosystem approach and, more importantly, how we can apply
these connections at the national level. Making comparable that data and knowledge in a management context. We also
linkages on issues such as this, and on the full range of WSSD need to consider how to include the social and economic
commitments, is necessary not only at the national level, but forms of knowledge such as local and traditional knowl-
also at the regional and global levels and this will indeed be edge into the decision-making process for oceans manage-
extremely challenging. It is these types of issues that we are ment. Communities depend on the health of their oceans for
hoping that fora such as these will help address and help to social, economic and cultural well-being. We need informa-
create the linkages that will be necessary for progress.
tion and management decision-making processes that can
WSSD recognizes that global actions are indeed necessary. make these linkages between environmental conditions and
Particularly we need to make stronger linkages amongst those social and economic outcomes.
institutions and agencies responsible for global actions. Not In conclusion, the overall message I would like to convey
everything can, or should, be done at the national and today, is that while the WSSD Action Plan sets out a difficult
subnational scale. For example, the Plan of Action calls for and challenging agenda with ambitious targets and timelines,
improvement in the scientific understanding and assessment it is nonetheless an agenda that is easily transposable to the
of marine and coastal ecosystems as a fundamental basis for national level for implementation and meaningful progress is
sound decision-making. This is an enormously costly and chal- doable. However, the pace and effectiveness of national
lenging undertaking, for the WSSD calls for interagency col- progress is very much dependent on action taken on issues at
laboration. In order to achieve this objective, I would sug- the regional and global level and is dependent on strengthen-
gest that this is one area where we might need to look at ing governmental and interagency collaboration and coop-
deepening the WSSD commitment, going down to the level eration. All of these efforts, must also be supplemented by
of inter-program collaboration, not just interagency collabo- the broader engagement of citizens, oceans users, and civil
ration. We need to ensure that, at a minimum, there is no society generally.
duplication of effort and beyond that, we are taking advan- Thank you.
tage of the synergies that are possible, particularly in scientific
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ADDRESS
Ms. Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin
Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development
France
France
Ladies and Gentlemen,
been the inclusion in our Constitution of an Environment
It is with great pleasure that I come here "as a neighbour", Charter, whose preparatory work I had the honour of over-
my ministry being just a step away, to take part in your sym- seeing.
posium on the sustainable management of oceans and coastal France has the second largest maritime zone in the world,
environments. I should also like to say that I am happy that which gives it access to many resources.
you have chosen France as the venue for this international But our knowledge of marine ecosystems generally falls short
event.
of enabling us to understand how they function and to ex-
At the Johannesburg Summit, the President of the Republic, ploit environments in a responsible and environmentally
Mr. Jacques Chirac, made this historic remark "the house is friendly manner.
on fire and we are gazing out of the window".
The first component of France's strategy thus involves ac-
The reference to fire is obviously somewhat distant when tion to improve knowledge of the marine environment in
oceans are the topic of discussion.
order to exploit its resources in a sustainable manner and
But it is clear that the Johannesburg Summit provided the evaluation of the impact of various activities.
opportunity to place the spotlight on sustainable ocean man- France's action in this field consists, in particular, in improv-
agement and the current emergency situation in which we ing knowledge of fish ecosystems, taking stock of the po-
find ourselves, as underlined in paragraph 30 of the Summit's tential of the continental shelf, conducting studies on new
report, in a sentence that I endorse today:
energies harnessed from the marine environment and con-
"Oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated solidating its position in operational oceanography, which will
and essential component of the Earth's ecosystem and are be one of the keys to sustainable marine exploitation.
critical for global food security and for sustaining economic It must also be said that the European Water Framework
prosperity and the well-being of many national economies, Directive too has set us the ambitious goal of achieving good
particularly in developing countries".
chemical and ecological status in all water environments, in-
I want you to know that France has made a strong commit- cluding coasts and estuaries, by 2015. To do so, we must, in
ment in this field:
particular, significantly develop our marine environment
monitoring networks so that we shall be able, among other
· a national sustainable development strategy, compris- things, to evaluate the status of and changes in the quality of
ing a comprehensive maritime component, has been coastal waters and subsequently develop medium- and long-
developed and was submitted to the interministerial term management plans to attain the established goals.
maritime committee on 29 April 2003;
The second component covers the application of the Rec-
· the strategy highlights governance issues specific to ommendation concerning the implementation of Integrated
marine environments and coasts, with particular refer- Coastal Zone Management in Europe. The first stage will be
ence to knowledge and observation, a theme that was carried out in close cooperation with local actors and will
addressed at greater length at last summer's Washing- involve one or more voluntary regions, possibly coordinated
ton Summit;
by a pilot region. In parallel, a major effort must be made to
· lastly, it must not be overlooked that such governance collect and correlate geographical coastal data and make them
concerns the international community first and fore- accessible.
most and therefore requires tools for concerted action Policy briefs outlining sectoral policies for the development
by the various States.
of new marine activities (such as wind power, the extraction
I shall begin, by way of illustration, with the maritime com- of marine aggregates or aquaculture) will be drawn up as
ponent of the national sustainable development strategy, which part of our thinking on the future national integrated coastal
is a practical expression of France's policy commitment. It zone management strategy.
forms part of an ambitious approach, whose high note has Lastly, in regard to maritime transport, the Government has
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
decided to adopt the conclusions of the report submitted by of data on the status of fish ecosystems.
Senator Henri de Richemont, particularly as regards the es- In particular, observation is a topic of capital importance
tablishment of marine highways.
whether in the form of:
These, ladies and gentlemen, are the lines of emphasis that
· detailed observation of environments, for which pur-
France has placed at the core of the maritime component of
pose my ministry's research programmes will soon lead
its national sustainable development policy.
to the introduction of permanent instruments to ensure,
I must add that France aims to draw up a national strategy
as stated earlier, the requisite follow-up to the European
on biodiversity in the next few months in order to attain the
Water Framework Directive;
goal of halting biodiversity loss in our territories by 2010.
· global oceanographic observation, which I should like
From the large cetaceans, which we regularly defend in the
to set in the wider context of earth observation.
International Whaling Commission, to highly complex ques-
tions concerning the oceans' microbial communities and the While the action taken by my ministry covers extremely var-
impact of human activity on them, the sea must be a key ied fields and involves many experts in different disciplines, it
feature of the national strategy. As I told the Council of is based on a plan that generally consists in knowing, under-
Ministers on 10 September 2003, we are going to move for- standing, foreseeing and deciding. I therefore rely on close
ward very rapidly:
observation of environmental phenomena throughout our
territory and on the scientific community's expertise and re-
· the main lines of the strategy will be submitted to the search capabilities when taking decisions on the most appro-
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Bio- priate preventive measures.
logical Diversity, in Kuala Lumpur, in February 2004;
For example, it is as a result of the research carried out by
· detailed action plans will be drawn up by the summer scientists that we can now link extreme events, such as the
of 2004;
terrible heat wave in August, to climate change and human
· an international symposium will be held in September activity. That is why I am particularly interested in develop-
2004 to conclude this undertaking, which will be set in a ments in earth observation practices in Europe under the
global perspective.
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES)
These specific decisions are illustrative of a basic fact: the sea initiative and, worldwide, as part of the follow-up to the
is the focus of increasingly important economic activities, Washington Earth Observation Summit, at which France was
whose full significance may well have escaped our "terres- represented by the minister responsible for research and Eu-
trial" national policy systems. One key point seems to me to rope spoke with one voice as a result of upstream coopera-
stand out: quite apart from the need to protect natural ma- tion under GMES. I shall be very attentive to proposals at
rine environments and resources, we must manage the sea the earth observation summit to be held at the end of 2004
and activities in and on the sea.
in Europe to endorse the 10-year programme to integrate
and coordinate observation systems. Such a system, if well
That is a much more delicate task than protection: official designed, should capitalize on all local monitoring initiatives,
regulations may be issued if they can subsequently be ap- for even if States discharge their responsibilities, as I am do-
plied, but good management is possible only if the stake- ing for example by building in France an observatory on the
holders concerned are closely involved. The principles of impact of oil slicks and on knowledge of coastal ecosys-
such management are:
tems, it is with reference to more global parameters that local
· an ecosystem-based understanding of the environment; decisions will have to be based in many cases.
· adoption of an integrated approach to all activities and France has built such observational capacity primarily in the
all issues, which means that there must be appropriate field of oceanography. Our national research institute,
consultation and coordination bodies;
IFREMER, is the inventor of operational oceanography and
· management decisions informed by indisputable scien- one of the driving forces behind its development in Europe.
tific knowledge, i.e. based on systematic observation;
I am, to that extent, confident in the future of your discipline,
but I am also keen that this achievement should serve as an
· adoption of a future-oriented approach: management example, the tools developed for ocean surveillance being so
must entail, above all, anticipation.
close to those that, transposed to other sectors, yield more
With this in mind, our Government has decided to launch specific knowledge about the earth and will thus provide a
very shortly the pilot integrated coastal zone management basis for relevant and effective preventive measures.
operations mentioned earlier. Similarly, my colleague Hervé While observation is a good example of an area in which
Gaymard, the Minister of Fisheries, has just set up working international cooperation should be developed, I believe that
groups involving fisheries professionals, IFREMER experts we must go a step further: ocean administration is by nature
and his ministry's departments, to improve joint ownership
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an international matter. The ecosystem-wide approach entails Judging by the momentum building up around regional mari-
looking at the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Gascony or time cooperation bodies, as in the case of the Mediterranean
the Caribbean Sea as a whole.
today, we are doubtless ready to coordinate our means of
Freedom of customs is however well established in marine action within such bodies, provided that the law of the sea
history, along with a quasi-customary legal tradition with which allows it.
the international community has only recently come to grips, But, in the end, particularly in the marine field, the problem is
with the signing of the United Nations Convention on the not only a matter of sovereignty, a very obstructive notion
Law of the Sea at Montego Bay in 1982. Previously, there that calls to mind conflicts over rights that States would like
had not been any collective concern with ocean management. to arrogate to themselves and which must be relegated to the
The golden rule is still freedom to access and exploit re- past. By a Council decision adopted in December 2002, the
sources in shared waters. However, the recent rise in prob- European Union has taken an interesting decision to strengthen
lems has dented people's confidence in established interna- fisheries management in the Mediterranean. Will existing legal
tional bodies, their existing decision-making mechanisms and tools suffice to implement the related action plan? Similarly,
their ability to ensure sustainable ocean management and a the initiative taken by several States to create a particularly
corresponding regulation of activities. The strong condem- vulnerable maritime zone off the European Atlantic coast
nation of "sea rogues" by the President of the Republic deserves to succeed, but it is obvious that more must still be
merely echoes a groundswell of public opinion. Similarly, the done to explain what the intention is and what must be done
difficulties encountered in managing fishing activities world- to achieve it and to study its effects.
wide are having an increasing impact on public opinion.
Let me give you my opinion on this point: it is quite possible
It must be understood that "concern for future generations" that out of concern for ocean-related sustainable develop-
­ regarding biodiversity issues and the status of ecosystems, ment we shall one day revisit the Convention on the Law of
for example ­ is increasingly widely felt and is prompting the the Sea, in particular, to introduce new tools that will give
international community to assume greater responsibility in coastal States increased powers and even rights to intervene,
the area of sea management. This could rightly lead to a in many cases through a regional coordination body, without
strengthening of controls on the high seas and therefore to necessarily being bound to a rationale of sovereignty inher-
restrictions on the initial principles of absolute freedom. Af- ited from the past.
ter all, we have no problem in recognizing that the burning To conclude, I should like to convey to you my deep convic-
obligation to defend the public interest sometimes calls for a tion that we have a duty to future generations, in which the
review of the principle of individual freedom that consti- oceans have an important part to play, which has yet to be
tutes one of the bases of our law.
fully appreciated. The oil tanker Prestige sank off Spain barely
Having said that, limitations on the basic right to freedom on one year ago, only three years after the Erika accident. While
the seas are politically sustainable only if they are accepted, we can be said to be approaching the end of the critical
hence the importance of participatory governance proce- phase in fighting the pollution that affected our coast, the
dures that involve the various players in decision-making and moment has come to undertake a scientific, technical and
are based on a detailed understanding of the functioning of political assessment of the situation. Much work still lies ahead
marine ecosystems.
to ensure that the guilty parties in such ecological disasters can
no longer continue to behave as in the past. We have an duty
In these circumstances, marine administration necessarily in- to ensure that humanity understands that the sea in all prob-
volves control, which implies public authorities vested with ability represents the future of the earth.
operational means, therefore States or groups of States, and
not only bodies that lack the means of exercising such con-
trol.
To date, reflecting a rather land-based approach, States have
intervened under the articles relating to sovereignty in the
Convention on the Law of the Sea. In the MARPOL Con-
vention, States are empowered to act only in waters under
their jurisdiction, in France's case in the exclusive economic
zone and the recently created Ecological Protection Zone
(EPZ) in the Mediterranean. On the basis of these tools alone,
it is to be hoped that bordering States will take responsibility
for the future of the Mediterranean and that the establish-
ment of neighbouring EPZs will be a step in the right direc-
tion.
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PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY THE ARCTIC
COUNCIL IN ADDRESSING WSSD COMMITMENTS*
Ambassador Gunnar Palsson
Director of Natural Resources and Foreign Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland
Thank you, Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Arctic Ocean is of considerable importance to the world as
Gentlemen:
a whole.
From the Pacific we now move to the Arctic. I must say As a regional organization, the Arctic Council can have an
that it is an honor for me to introduce to you the work of important role to play in the implementation of the
the Arctic Council in implementing the ambitious goals of commitments of the Johannesburg Summit. The Council
the Johannesburg Summit in the area of the marine provides, for example, regional coordination and cooperation
environment. The Arctic Council, as many of you know, is to protect the Arctic marine environment from both land
a high-level, intergovernmental forum for addressing and sea-based activities through, among other things, the
common concerns of the people of the Arctic region as implementation of UNEP's Global Programme of Action
they relate to sustainable development. Its eight members for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
are the Nordic countries, the countries of North America, based Activities at the regional level.
and the Russian Federation. In addition, six organizations In the context of the Johannesburg commitments, I would
representing indigenous peoples in the Arctic, commonly like to draw particular attention to the Arctic Council's
referred to as the permanent participants, participate in the strategic plan with strategies based on an integrated approach
work of the Arctic Council in full consultation with the to sustainable ocean management. We are confident that this
member states.
plan will contribute significantly to the implementation of
Environmental issues have long been the main concern of targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
the Arctic Council, the monitoring and assessment of A three-day workshop hosted in Reykjavik last month under
pollution, climate change, biodiversity conservation, the auspices of the Arctic Council was an important milestone
emergency preparedness and prevention as well as the in this regard. The objective of the workshop was to provide
protection of the marine environment. In addition, the Arctic a forum for exchanging information and ideas on the drivers
Council addresses the economic and social dimension of of change and trends in ocean management. The main drivers
people's lives in the Arctic. Ocean issues, one of the main of change identified at the workshop include climate change
topics of this conference, are high on the agenda of the and increased economic activity. Both call for integrated
Arctic Council, in part because of the large number of people holistic approaches. There was broad consensus that the
who derive from the ocean their food and income and to ecosystem approach should be central to the Arctic Marine
some extent their cultural identity as well. Also, there is Strategy. At the same time it was recognized that more work
growing evidence that climatic processes and industrial was needed to define how an ecosystem approach is to be
pressures on the marine environment are beginning to have implemented given that this is a relatively new concept in
a substantial impact in the Arctic. Some of these effects natural resource management. In addition to the ecosystem
were, indeed, referred to by Lord Hunt during an earlier approach, the precautionary approach and the polluter pays
session this morning.
principle were referred to as important elements for
The Arctic is predominantly a marine environment. The Arctic consideration. One of the conclusions of the workshop
Ocean covers approximately 20,000 square kilometers, eight was that the strategic plan should not deal only with the open
times the extent of the Mediterranean, for example. The seas but also with coastal zones, river catchments, and other
marine environment of the Arctic is extremely rich in natural areas that are connected to the ocean ecosystem. Now, the
resources. It holds some of the world's most important aim of the Arctic strategic plan is to set priorities. Through
commercial fishery grounds as well as oil and gas reserves. it we will not seek to reinvent principles, but develop and
In addition, the Arctic is integral to the world's hydrological link existing ones. Such a strategy should offer numerous
system. Overall, I don't think I exaggerate if I claim that the opportunities. It would help us confront existing conditions
* Transcribed address.
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including pollution and it would provide a means to address the environment and its living resources, on human health
new and emerging challenges. One example is the possible and social and economic activities as well as possible
opening of new Arctic Sea routes due to melting sea ice. adaptations and responses. Emerging evidence shows that
The plan should enable the Arctic Council to take a leading the Arctic marine ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to global
role in the regional application of the ecosystem approach. climate change. This is of growing concern and raises
An integrated approach would include partnerships among questions, among other things, about possible effects on the
the different Arctic Council working groups as well as with utilization of marine resources, global sea levels, and the so-
external partners. It would also provide links to other called thermohaline ocean circulation--the global conveyor
international initiatives such as the UNEP Regional Seas belt of the oceans that helps distribute the earth's heat.
Programme, the EU Marine Strategy, and the London For these reasons, the Arctic marine environment needs to
Convention.
be seen in a global context and addressed as such. And I
I would not want to conclude without mentioning the one am, therefore, particularly pleased to be able to draw attention
Arctic Council project specifically referred to in the to the Arctic marine environment in the context of this
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, mainly the Arctic conference, and I look forward to having other opportunities
Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) due to be completed by to share with you the results of the Arctic Council's work on
autumn of next year. The goal of the ACIA is to examine the ocean environment in the future. Thank you for your
present and possible future impacts of climate change on attention.
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PORTUGUESE STRATEGIC COMMISSION ON OCEANS
H.E. Mr. José Luís Arnaut
Minister Assistant to the Prime Minister of Portugal
and Chairman, Strategic Commission on Oceans
Portugal
Portugal
Thank you Mr. (s) Chairperson,
oceans and seas.
Ladies and Gentlemen
And, in fact, issues pertaining to the oceans are becoming
Let me begin by congratulating the Global Forum on Oceans, more and more a matter of discussion among nations as
Coast and Islands and in particular Dr. Patricio Bernal, Ex- well as between these and other relevant actors.
ecutive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Much of this attention is due, unfortunately, to the very con-
Commission (IOC), Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd, Coordinator crete threats that the oceans face today, in particular, the rapid
of the UNEP/GPA and also Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Direc- depletion of living resources, the degradation of their eco-
tor of the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy of systems and of the marine environment as a whole. All of
the University of Delaware, for their continued efforts to which demand courageous decisions that will bring change
move forward the global agenda on sustainable oceans gov- to such current trends.
ernance.
Simultaneously, the growing importance of oceans and seas
This is an objective fully shared by Portugal.
and the growing attention paid to them by politicians and
I would like to go back in time, before Johannesburg, and decision makers is also due to the pressure of public opin-
recall Portugal's participation in the preparatory process of ion, moved in particular by environmental disasters such as
WSSD as a European Union Leading Country on ocean the Erika and Prestige.
matters.
Unfortunately, history tells us that many of the world's ad-
We were committed to ensuring - with several other like- vances in environmental policy have resulted from such di-
minded national delegations, non-governmental organizations sasters, which in most cases could have been prevented.
and stakeholders - that oceans, coasts and islands were to be Finally, attention to the oceans is also raised by new eco-
on the Summit's agenda.
nomic uses of the sea made possible by rapid developments
This goal was achieved and today we happily recognize that in marine research and technology.
oceans, coasts and islands are amongst the World Summit's It is thus the right time to focus on implementing the prin-
important outcomes.
ciples, the directives and the targets that have been agreed by
At the Summit the Portuguese Prime Minister advocated that: the international community.
(and I quote) "Effective action to improve oceans and coastal manage- And in this respect Johannesburg took the right approach.
ment is urgently needed."
Top priority was given to the effective implementation of
He asked for (quote) "political will to deliver concrete efforts and to the vast range of international ocean law already available.
be in line with the real aspirations of sustainable development"
We support actions as broad as the ones that call for acces-
and finally assured that
sion and implementation of the Law of the Sea, or Chapter
17 of Agenda 21, to other more specific calls for implemen-
"Portugal will maintain her commitment to enhance public awareness tation relating to biodiversity (implementation of the Jakarta
and to help construct an international conscience in this important mat- Mandate): marine pollution (implementation of the GPA),
ter."
or fisheries (implementation of the FAO International Plans
This is why I am here today, in my capacity as Chairman of of Action).
the Portuguese Oceans Strategic Commission, a high level Indeed, the focus in the coming years should be on imple-
policy group recently established to elaborate a national strat- mentation and related institutional adjustments more than in
egy for the ocean.
creating new legal instruments. Implementation requires po-
Ladies and Gentlemen,
litical will. Such political will seems to be on the rising, if for
We all recognise that the targets and timetables set out in the nothing else, as a result of the pressure from public opinion
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, inasmuch as they were as I have just mentioned.
accepted and adopted by the World's Heads of State and In this picture, however, there is an essential piece of the
Government, constituted a step forward for the cause of the
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puzzle that is still missing, that is: coordination and coopera- In this context Portugal, with other nations, promoted in the
tion, supported by scientific understanding and assessment.
UN the adoption of GA Resolution 54/33 where it was set
We thus welcome the commitments set out in the Plan of out that the General Assembly "Notes the importance of coordina-
Implementation relating the improvement of scientific knowl- tion and cooperation at the national level in order to promote an inte-
edge and monitoring as a fundamental basis for sound deci- grated approach on ocean affairs."
sion-making.
Our belief in the need of improving coordination and co-
In particular, we fully support the Plan of Implementation's operation at all levels to achieve a sound ocean governance,
actions to increase scientific and technical collaboration in made Portugal a firm supporter of the United Nations Open-
marine science, and to establish by 2004 a process for global ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law
assessment and reporting of the state of the marine environ- of the Sea, which was established by the above mentioned
ment.
GA Resolution.
To this end, we urge relevant bodies of the United Nations The importance of coordination and cooperation has also
system, with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com- been a recurring theme in the last Reports of the UN Secre-
mission (our host) acting as a focal point, to develop the tary General on Oceans and the Law of the Sea.
appropriate interactions, as these are issues requiring scientific In this regard the Secretary General goes as far as expressing
and technical competence and capability.
the view that the lack of coordination and cooperation in
Ladies and Gentlemen,
addressing ocean issues, which call for cross-sectoral responses
at all levels, starting at the national level, has prevented the
The structure of international ocean law and institutions par- emergence of efficient and results-oriented ocean governance.
allels that at the national level in most cases, and reflects its
main weakness.
Indeed, if we seek sound ocean governance we need to start
by further improving institutions as well as coordinating and
National ministries and agencies, responsible for instance for integrating at the national level. In Portugal we took very
fisheries, ports, maritime safety and transportation, off-shore seriously the challenge of promoting integrated coastal and
oil drilling, tourism or the environment, all have interests in ocean management.
ocean uses, which often are exercised in competition rather
then in coordination.
As a result, the Prime Minister has established on July 9, 2003
the Oceans Strategic Commission.
In truth, protection of the marine environment has seldom
been integrated into cross-sectoral policies.
By establishing this high-level policy group the Government
acknowledges that priority should be given to all matters
This is why I would like to emphasise the goal of achieving concerning the ocean.
integrated ocean and coastal management. In this context
two of the WSSD action-targets deserve serious consider- In this way it recognises and emphasises the strategic impor-
ation:
tance that the sea represents to Portugal. We are a country
with close ties to the ocean, not only for historical reasons
· Establishing an effective, transparent and regular inter- but mostly for the geographic reality in which we are in.
agency coordination mechanism on ocean and coastal
issues within the United Nations system. It is unfortu- Indeed, the exposure of Portugal's long continental coastline
nate that no deadline was given here. It is a task that can and the positioning of the archipelagos of the Azores and
be made with the good will of all of us and that would Madeira grant us the largest maritime area of all member
set an important example to the entire international com- countries of the European Union. Our oceanic area is 18
munity, in particular to action at the domestic level. We times larger than our territorial grounds.
need to work on this.
The Commission is made up of ministerial representatives
· Promoting integrated coastal and ocean management at and members of civil society and in accordance with its man-
the national level and encouraging and assisting countries date shall present elements that will define a national strategy
in developing ocean policies and mechanisms on inte- for the ocean, which shall be based upon a sustainable use
grated coastal management.
and development of the ocean and its resources, and shall
promote the management of the marine areas existing under
However, the recognition and the call for "coordination", Portuguese jurisdiction.
which is implicit in the concept of "integrated management",
as you all know, was not born in the WSSD. It finds its The main goal is to overcome sectoral approaches and thus
origins in the preamble of the UNCLOS when it reads that provide a vision of the ocean that is global and integrated.
"All problems of the oceans are interrelated and need to be considered as As such, we have brought together experts in oceanography,
a whole".
hydrography, marine biology and geology, experts in robotic
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and systems, in naval engineering, in marine environment, in
· To create specialization in the fields of science and tech-
fisheries and aquaculture, in ports, maritime transports and
nology; international relations; and in our safety, security
ship building, in marine defence and vigilance, in Law of the
and vigilance entities and mechanisms;
Sea and diplomacy and even in marketing, and communica-
· To set in place needed institutional adjustments.
tion, in sociology, economy and management.
The Oceans Strategic Commission is the first initiative of this
What we are seeking with the Commission can only be kind in Portugal, encompassing an integrated, multisectoral
achieved with a strategic vision. A vision of long term in- and interdisciplinary approach to the sea.
vestment on the ocean, supported by a set of main goals, as
well as an appropriate national policy to pursue such goals.
Our aim is to go farther and to develop a new approach to
the ocean that may allow us to think of it as an integral part
Our vision is the importance of safe, secure and healthy oceans of the country and, within international parameters, as an
as a main component of Portugal, and our mission shall be extension of our territory.
to maintain and preserve such asset.
This is a serious challenge, a challenge that we are set to meet
Our goals are:
and to live up to.
· To further develop the link between Portugal and the Ladies and Gentlemen,
ocean (at an educational, environmental and a cultural
level);
By laying out briefly what we have done and are doing in
Portugal with regard to oceans governance I hope I have
· To know, to preserve and to protect the ocean (subor- met the purpose of this Global Conference: to focus on
dinating decision-making to ocean and coastal integrated useful strategies and experiences in implementing the com-
management);
mitments made at the WSSD, giving the protection of oceans
· To promote sustainable economic development of ac- and seas a clear political profile.
tivities connected with the sea;
Thank you for your attention.
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U.S. IMPLEMENTATION OF WORLD SUMMIT
ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS
Dr. William J. Brennan
United States
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs,
of America
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Introduction
assessment and management practices through the LMEs.
The U.S. is also proud to serve as a partner with UNIDO,
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to be here today to the GEF, IUCN, participating countries and others in these
share with you the United States' progress on implementa- projects. In fact, to demonstrate our commitment, the U.S.
tion of the goals of the World Summit on Sustainable De- announced during the Summit a $500 million dollar pledge
velopment (WSSD) and to represent the efforts of not only toward the replenishment of the GEF funds that support
my agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- these and other LME projects around the globe.
tration, but also of the other US agencies working on ocean-
related activities. I also wish to thank the conference co- As I reflect today on this pledge, it is clear that the post-
chairs, Drs. Cicin-Sain, Bernal and Vandeweerd, for organiz- Summit decade is to be one of significant progress toward
ing this event. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our the agreed-to targets; and we in the U.S. are pleased that the
commitment to implementing the goals of WSSD and I look 126 countries participating in LMEs are committed, as are
forward to hearing from my colleagues about their experi- we, to the ecosystem-based approach for moving forward.
ences.
The GEF is a proven success and the emerging new Net-
work of GEF-supported LME projects is indicative of sig-
I believe it is significant that we are gathering together again nificant positive activity. In the absence of any single interna-
so soon after WSSD to discuss our progress. This confer- tional organization empowered to monitor and manage
ence and others that have taken place since Johannesburg are marine ecosystems on a global scale, it appears that GEF-
fine examples of the summit ushering in a decade of for- supported projects will help to fill this gap during the post-
ward-looking actions. WSSD reached consensus on targets Summit decade.
to be met by the participating community of nations and laid
out in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation an ambi- The challenge to the countries participating in the LME Net-
tious framework for implementing the goals of sustainable work is indeed one of national, regional and global signifi-
development. Many goals for ocean-related issues in the cance. It is also within the boundaries of these LMEs that
implementation plan are goals that have guided the work of the Network can better address issues important to the Sum-
US agencies and international and non-governmental organi- mit targets. The GEF funding support is now being applied
zations since the Rio Summit. So, though the goals are not to build the capacity needed to move the ecosystem approach
new, the course for implementation has now been clearly forward to achieve fishery resource recovery and sustainability.
charted and the necessary partners are now on board.
Given the application of governance measures, it should be
possible to achieve equitable allocation of the sustainable fish-
This morning, I would like to discuss some of the significant ery resources to industrial, artisanal and other legitimate stake-
ways in which the US is working to achieve successful imple- holder interests.
mentation of those goals. By way of example, I will focus
on three goals that we are currently implementing. Two of We are also working to apply ecosystem-based assessment
these goals are explicitly related to oceans, coasts and islands. and management in the United States. Beginning with data
The third goal is much broader, and yet will play a key role in from 2001, NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency
our collective effort to take the pulse of the planet.
are in the process of integrating a coastal condition report.
Indices of health from the nation's estuaries and ecosystems
First Goal
are coupled with fish species abundance, trends, and pro-
ductivity data for the U.S. Northeast Shelf, Southeast Shelf
The first goal, to introduce ecosystem-based assessment and and Gulf of Mexico LMEs.
management practices by 2010, is in fact an activity well un- Furthermore, NOAA and its partnering agencies are making
derway through the Large Marine Ecosystem, or LME, some measurable progress toward the WSSD fish stock re-
projects, supported, in part, by the Global Environment Fa- covery targets. Among the stocks benefiting from the re-
cility. The U.S. is pleased with the progress made on actions
taken to move ahead on the introduction of ecosystem-based
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building effort are Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, Yel- drought monitoring. Additional advances in information tech-
lowtail flounder, and haddock.
nology, including the Internet, allow data to be shared around
the world. Through this partnership, the United States pro-
Second Goal
vides Earth observation data, state of the art GIS technolo-
The second goal I would like to address is the promotion of gies and other knowledge to pilot projects in Africa. The
integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral coastal and pilot projects range from weather and climate to ones aimed
ocean management at the national level. One example of at safeguarding food security.
our work in this area is the White Water to Blue Water Initia- GISD serves to connect remote sensing specialists with the
tive. The initiative is designed to stimulate partnerships that people and sectors that can benefit from the use of the data.
promote integrated watershed and marine ecosystem-based With this information, managers will be better able to ad-
management in support of sustainable development. To build dress long-term challenges to natural resource management,
these partnerships requires integration, coordination and co- land-use planning and disaster mitigation. The fact that this
operation at the national and regional levels.
information is available to us today is a result of decades of
Domestically, the initiative has strengthened the integration international cooperation and partnerships among govern-
of our own coastal, ocean and watershed management ments, academia, regional organizations and individuals, work-
through the development of a robust interagency process ing together to develop the tools to understand the world in
with numerous agencies, and littoral states of the region, all which we live. It is the full and open exchange of informa-
working towards the same goals.
tion and expertise that has made this partnership possible.
The GISD truly represents a success of the public-private
The White Water Initiative actually cuts across many of the partnership. None of these individual entities could have done
ocean-related WSSD goals, because we are designing the part- this alone.
nerships to be developed among the different sectors of
human activity, from agricultural practices in forests and land- Another way in which the United States is working to imple-
scapes to marine resource uses from drainage basins to the ment this goal is through the process that began with the
open sea. On the coastal side and throughout the Caribbean U.S.-hosted Earth Observation Summit this in July 2003. At
Sea, we will be encouraging the remediation of overfishing, this summit, Ministers adopted a declaration that put forth
habitat loss, and coastal pollution of the ecosystem. This the principles for developing a comprehensive, coordinated
links back directly to the previous discussion of promoting and sustained Earth observation system or systems to `take
ecosystem-based assessment and management and will be the pulse of planet Earth.' This meeting represented a high-
done in part through the Caribbean LME project.
level governmental/political commitment to move toward a
comprehensive Earth observation system and followed on
Before turning to my third goal, I will just mention that you from the G-8 Summit in Evian, France the month before, at
can hear more about both the White Water to Blue Water which Heads of State affirmed a similar set of principles for
Partnership Initiative and the LME Network from my col- strengthening international co-operation on global observa-
leagues in the next session.
tion.
Third Goal
The Earth Observation Summit established the ad hoc inter-
governmental Group on Earth Observations, referred to as
The United States is working vigorously to implement the GEO, and charged it with developing a 10-year implemen-
third goal I would like to present today, that of promoting tation plan for a comprehensive, coordinated system or sys-
the systematic observation of the Earth's atmosphere, land tems. The GEO has 4 co-chairs, representing the European
and oceans. Let me focus on two aspects of our earth obser- Commission, Japan, South Africa and the United States, and
vation efforts.
a virtual international Secretariat, hosted by the U.S. but com-
In addition to the White Water Initiative, the United States is prised of GEO members and international organizations.
leading another significant WSSD initiative, the Geographic The GEO process to create a truly integrated and coordi-
Information for Sustainable Development partnership, or nated system is gaining momentum and traction within the
GISD. Underscoring science as the basis for decision-mak- global community and all countries are encouraged to par-
ing, this initiative draws on technological leaps to make wide ticipate. The GEO group will be meeting in Baveno, Italy, in
use of satellite data. Over the past 30 years, the United States two weeks to discuss and give guidance on the first draft of
has spent billions of dollars on space technology, which en- the Framework for an implementation plan. The intention is
ables us to collect environmental data and information on a to have the Framework adopted by ministers in Tokyo in the
global scale. Advances in information technology now allow spring of 2004. Full implementation of the plan will be
us to make wide use of these data in support of activities ready for approval by ministers at an Earth Observation Sum-
such as sustainable agriculture, forestry, management of mit in Europe later that year.
coastal and ocean resources, urban development, flood and
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As many of us know from our collective work on oceans
Conclusion
observations, the national and international community has
come to a heightened awareness of the need to observe the In conclusion, I would like to point out that the three goals I
state of the global ocean much better than is done at present. have chosen to discuss all have something in common with
The Global Ocean Observing System, which has been under each other and with the other goals of WSSD ­ that progress
development internationally for much of the last decade, toward achieving our goals cannot be done alone and that
provides a framework--a systematic, coordinated, and inte- integration, coordination and cooperation are required in
grated approach. It will ensure that the nations of the world order to succeed. WSSD developed a plan of implementa-
are able to document the changes in the physical, chemical tion and facilitated the development of partnerships to achieve
and biological state of the ocean that are occurring. We can't it. Coming together as we have for this conference is an
stop with just the oceans and coastal areas, however. We important part of the coordination and cooperation neces-
must move forward to develop a global earth observation sary in order to keep the momentum going for implementa-
system or systems, which is why the GEO process is so im- tion. For in the end, if we all follow through on the commit-
portant. And as we have learned from our experiences with ments we have made, the world will have taken a giant step
ocean observations, systems of this nature will require coop- forward. Thank you.
eration. If we are to reap the full benefits of this endeavor, it
must be integrated and coordinated.
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STATEMENT
Dr. Klaus Toepfer
Executive Director
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
it is important that the Regional Seas Programme adapts to
I am honoured and pleased to address you today at the Glo-
adequately respond to current needs.
bal Oceans, Coasts, and Islands Conference, the first confer-
During the 22nd session on the UNEP Governing Council,
ence to assess implementation of the World Summit on Sus-
held earlier in 2003, governments requested that UNEP en-
tainable Development (WSSD) commitments, as they relate
courage and support regional seas conventions and action
to the marine environment, since the Summit took place in
plans to incorporate new strategic elements into their
Johannesburg last year. To this extent, the oceans, coasts and
programmes of work. In response, we are revisiting the
islands community is to be commended for its cooperation
global direction of the Regional Seas. Our proposed new
and determination to see that oceans, coasts and islands were
strategy for an enhanced Regional Seas Programme, which
adequately represented in the Johannesburg Plan of Imple-
will be discussed at the upcoming 5th Global Meeting of the
mentation, the Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture and
Regional Seas to be held in Nairobi from 25 to 27 Novem-
Biodiversity (WEHAB) Frameworks for Action, and the
ber, is intended to build upon existing achievements and to
various type II initiatives. Without your dedication and per-
incorporate the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustain-
severance, we would not be here today reviewing the work
able Development as well as reflect the Millennium Devel-
you have actively promoted since WSSD.
opment Goals. It incorporates a strengthened role for re-
A major focus and outcome of WSSD is the implementa-
gional seas in promoting the fundamental principles of sus-
tion and formation of partnerships. The WSSD outlined
tainable development, including greater outreach to partners
the challenges facing capacity building and effective policy
and stakeholders.
implementation, as well as the urgent need for effective part-
Specifically, six key directions are highlighted:
nerships to overcome these barriers. Through expanded
i) Increase Regional Seas (RS) contribution to Sustain-
stakeholder representation and involvement, increased shar-
able Development through national and regional part-
ing and exchange of knowledge and resources, and the for-
nerships with relevant social, economic, and environmental
mation of more effective working frameworks, the interna-
actors;
tional community stands a better chance of implementing
sustainable, long-term programmes of work. Your contin-
i) Make the RS unit in Nairobi a service sector;
ued efforts and our mutual collaboration will ensure contin-
iii) Enhance the sustainability of RS through increasing
ued actions to invoke positive change.
country ownership, translating RS conventions in national
UNEP's body of work addressing the health and sustainability
legislation and regulations, involving civil society and pri-
of our oceans is ever-increasing, and we are grateful for the
vate sector, and ensuring financial sustainability;
financial, substantive, and political support of governments
iv) Increase RS visibility and impact in global and regional
and the oceans, coasts and islands community that allows us
policy setting, amongst others through the production
to continue to strengthen our efforts through the Regional
of an annual statement on emerging/priority issues and
Seas Programme and Global Programme of Action for the
through a new alliance of RS, sharing a common vision
Protection of the Marine Environment (GPA).
and jointly contributing to the international policy setting;
The Regional Seas Programme was initiated by UNEP in
v) Use RS as a platform for coordinated implementa-
1974 to respond to transboundary issues such as marine
tion of MEAs and global initiatives; and
pollution and the management of the marine and coastal
vi) Promote appropriate monitoring and assessment.
environment. The Regional Seas programmes remain the
The UNEP-led Global Programme of Action for the Pro-
central UNEP initiative providing the legal, administrative,
tection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Ac-
substantive, and financial framework for the implementa-
tivities, adopted in 1995, is the only global programme that
tion of Agenda 21, in particular chapter 17 on oceans. How-
directly addresses the link between freshwater, coastal and
ever, as the nature and climate of international efforts changes,
marine environments. It calls on governments to implement
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national programmes to mitigate land-based pollution In light of this, may I urge the Global Forum on Oceans,
through a phased, prioritised process. Successful implemen- Coasts and Islands, as a mechanism for multi-stakeholder
tation demands broad stakeholder involvement and effec- dialogue, sharing information and generating flexible solu-
tive partnerships to establish integrated water resource and tions, to identify mechanisms and partnerships that highlight
coastal area management.
the links between water, sanitation and human settlements
Since the First Intergovernmental Review in 2001, the num- with the health and integrity of oceans, coasts, and islands. A
ber and distribution of countries actively seeking to imple- major challenge is to change the sectoral approaches to both
ment the GPA continues to grow. With 5 countries in the freshwater and coastal area management, and to design and
final stages of National Programme of Action (NPA) devel- implement integrated mechanisms, particularly for projects
opment, and approximately 30 more in the initiating stages, that transcend sub-sectors. Short-term sectoral management
we are well on the way to achieving the goal declared at of water catchments, groundwater, rivers, lakes and coastal
WSSD of having 40 formal NPAs by the Second Intergov- areas is no longer an option in light of the objectives of
ernmental Review in 2006. Again, I must stress our appre- sustainable development.
ciation to all of the governments who have generously com- Another major topic of discussion at this Conference is small
mitted backing to these efforts, and especially to the Gov- island developing States (SIDS). Their current development
ernment of the Netherlands, who has graciously hosted the of national sustainable development policies is moving for-
GPA Coordination Office in The Hague since its inception.
ward, and needs to be further supported. Due to their size,
The formation of the Hilltops-2-Oceans (H 0) Partnership the environmental effect of water, sanitation and human settle-
2
Initiative was included in the successful partnership building ments on coastal and marine environments of SIDS is par-
efforts at WSSD. The Initiative aims to strengthen national ticularly acute. The needs of SIDS are of great concern to
governance frameworks that protect coastal and marine en- UNEP and we hope that this conference will make a valu-
vironments by (i) highlighting the link between freshwater able contribution to the upcoming review of the Barbados
and marine ecosystems; (ii) building multi-stakeholder capac- Programme of Action to take place in 2004.
ity for integrated water resource and coastal area manage- It is encouraging to note the progress the oceans, coasts and
ment; and (iii) exploring the use of time-bound Wastewater islands community already has made, and I acknowledge and
Emission Targets (WET) as a tool for managing water from appreciate your enthusiasm and drive to further efforts. This
the Hilltops to the Oceans. This initiative builds upon the conference affords us an opportunity to identify strategies
achievements, which have already been met through GPA for further implementation and offers us a chance to identify
implementation.
and establish even stronger partnerships through which our
The Global H 0 Partnership Conference, to be held in May oceans, coasts, and islands will be better protected and will
2
2004 in Cairns, Australia, will serve as a major milestone in realize improved health.
implementation, and I hope you will join us there.
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies, and Gentle-
The emphasis on water issues can also be seen elsewhere in men,
UNEP's current activities, again reflecting the timely nature I thank you for your energy and congratulate you on your
of this Conference. The focus of UNEP's Global Ministe- efforts to-date. Because of you, a strong foundation has
rial Environment Forum (GMEF) on water, sanitation and been laid, but the real work must now be accomplished.
human settlements, in line with the focus of the UN Com- The Johannesburg Plan of implementation will remain but
mission on Sustainable Development for the next two years, "words on paper" if we do not translate the spirit of coop-
reflects the fact that there are many water issues, including the eration into concrete and sustained actions that improve the
connectivity of freshwater, coastal and marine environments, lives of individuals while protecting the integrity of the natu-
that require considered attention by the international com- ral environment. I wish you success in the ongoing dialogues
munity. Focused dialogue is required to ensure the environ- here at the conference and in your efforts once you leave.
mental aspects of these issues are not overlooked.
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ADDRESS
Lord (Prof.) Julian Hunt
Professor and Fellow of Royal Society, United Kingdom
Chairman, Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS)
It is an honour for ACOPS that I am invited, as it's Chair- nization and objectives of the NPA Arctic issues and I shall
man, to address this Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts therefore not go into these here.
and Islands at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com- The international significance of the Russian NPA Arctic
mission (IOC) of UNESCO as a follow up to the World Programme stems from the fact that the Arctic environment,
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and, specifi- like that of every ecosystem, is not only a vital component of
cally to respond to its challenge to move forward on mea- the global ecosystem; it also has a huge influence on the glo-
sures to protect the world's oceans through partnerships. bal environment and global climate that is disproportionate
ACOPS is an NGO set up by Lord Callaghan, the former to its size. The Russian part of the Arctic is obviously critical
British Prime Minister. This is my first visit to IOC whose as it occupies about 40% of the circumpolar coastline and its
work I greatly admired when I was the UK representative at land mass above the Arctic circle is a substantial fraction of
the World Meteorological Organization. IOC has collabo- the total.
rated very effectively and shared its expertise with NGOs,
such as ACOPS.
The global circulation of the ocean is, we now know, driven
to a great extent by the cooling and freezing process in the
I should like to describe today two collaborative partner- Arctic Ocean; this means that pollutants released in these re-
ships in which ACOPS is involved. These should contribute gions can rapidly spread round the world. Equally signifi-
significantly to the Millennium goals and to the particular cant, as the World Wildlife Fund and the Inuit Circumpolar
objectives of this Forum. Firstly, large scale scientific and sus- Conference have emphasised, is that the Arctic Environment,
tainable development projects under the auspices of the Rus- including its fisheries, is strongly influenced by pollutants trans-
sian National Programme of Action (NPA) Arctic Programme ported from lower latitudes by ocean currents and in the
are beginning to tackle the huge problems of improving the atmosphere, especially industrial chemicals and aerosols. Hope-
environment of the Russian Arctic, and ensuring the sustain- fully the remedial measure by governments, consumers and
able use of its riches. This exciting initiative, being led by the industry guided by the Montreal Protocol and the OSPAR
Russian Federation's Ministry of Economic Development and Convention will progressively help reduce these dangers dur-
Trade, the Global Environment Facility, [its implementing ing this century. Global climate change is equally threatening;
agencies] UNEP, UNEP GPA, IOC, RAIPON, NDEP, atmospheric and ocean measurements have shown some of
EBRD, and bilateral donor countries (Canada, Iceland, Italy the largest variations of climate phenomena in the Arctic and
and the USA), should be seen in wider contexts; firstly of Antarctic coastal regions with temperature rises of the order
international activities in the Arctic and secondly of the chal- of 1oC in the past 50 years; and the greater increases in the
lenge of the changing state of the Arctic and the global envi- world of more than 8oC are predicted for here for the end
ronment generally. These issues are taken seriously by the of this century. But this depends in part on what industrial
Russian Government and the State Duma. In addition, the countries do now. We are likely to see an accelerating retreat
Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment of the permafrost beyond 10-15km per year as at present,
(GLOBE) have been very active in supporting initiatives to and quite possibly, as the IPCC reports have mentioned, the
ensure sustainable economic development and environmen- release to the atmosphere of methane and hydrates from
tal protection of the Russian Arctic. I believe that it is a healthy underground and undersea, which are currently trapped be-
development that parliamentarians investigate the environ- low the permafrost and the cold ocean. Since methane is a
mental policies of other countries; as we know in the UK more potent form of greenhouse gas, these emissions may
which is often the subject of growing concern about Sellafield. lead to even greater global warming than has been predicted
Equally I hope that Russia will welcome this growing interest so far. The scientific aspects of this potentially critical process
in their country. The project coordinator from the Ministry are now the subject of intense study and discussion.
of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Fed-
eration, Mr. Morgunov, addressed the recent workshop in The growing collaboration on Arctic environmental issues
Reykjavik on the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan about the orga- involves new forms of international cooperation between
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
governmental and international agencies, private sector and There should be a greater involvement of governmental, aca-
non-governmental organisations, in the spirit of the debates demic and non-governmental groups from Russia than in
that dominated the WSSD. I hope it will increasingly also previous international Arctic projects. Everyone who has stud-
involve the academic world, for example, through the Uni- ied global environmental issues is familiar with both the ex-
versity of the Arctic. I am pleased that academics are well traordinary overview and penetrating insights of many Rus-
represented at this conference. The aims will be firstly to sian scientists, two of the most famous being the geophysi-
observe and analyse, against a background of large scale en- cist Budyko and meteorological mathematician Marchuk. The
vironmental change, all the most serious aspects and loca- extensive technical and project management ability of Rus-
tions or hotspots, of environmental degradation, and then sian experts will be fully applied in the scientific and
how they affect the ecosystems of the Russian Arctic, many preinvestment studies of the NPA Arctic Project. Many Rus-
of which are the coastal areas. Secondly, and more important sian colleagues were involved through the ACOPS led PDF-
in the long term, we should consider and propose practical B (the precursor of the current full GEF Project) in analysing
measures to deal with both specific and the broader, struc- the key environmental hot spots that will be the focus of the
tural, causes of these environmental problems. These mea- initial work in the NPA Arctic Project. A US colleague has
sures have to be local, national and international.
commented that we need to work hard to overcome some
A vital part of the Russian NPA Arctic Programme is to of the obstacles to scientific collaboration caused by differ-
integrate these measures into the total strategy of sustainable ences in scientific tradition, language and communication style.
economic and environmental development. Since there are Future collaboration will require special efforts on all sides as
several significantly different strategic options for economic data results emerge from this project, and learn lessons from
and environmental developments for these regions and, be- the recent climate conference in Moscow in October 2003
cause any particular large-scale measures may also have ad- which was sadly an opportunity missed.
verse consequences, they all need careful study. For example, The second element will be the greater involvement of pri-
exploitation of the mineral and gas reserves or massive tree vate sector organisations. The participation of the most re-
planting may well have benefits and disadvantages.
sponsible and large companies is essential for the massive
How does the Russian NPA Arctic Project fit into the wider investment needed to improve Russia's Arctic environment
framework of cooperation in the sustainable development and to create a sustainable economy for all its peoples. The
of Arctic Regions? Since 1996 international cooperation in earlier practices of fast exploitation and environmental deg-
the Arctic proceeds under the aegis of the Arctic Council, radation cannot continue. Establishing modern industrial and
which includes the eight circumpolar countries. This frame- environmental ethical practices will be a major benefit to the
work has made possible broader participation in Arctic envi- Arctic regions outside Russia and even globally. Major oil
ronmental protection issues, including also through the NDEP companies are participants. The enormous energy reserves
(Northern Dimension Environmental Program) of the EU. of the Arctic provide huge opportunities for the private sec-
tor and will greatly help secure stable energy supplies to the
These are two examples of the impressive number of well rest of the world. Indeed the future energy plans of many
constructed international initiatives and working groups which countries, including the UK, are now based on the assump-
have already been set up, many of which are described on tion of the continuity of economic Russian Gas Supplies for
the internet (including for example, monitoring of pollution the next 30-50 years. The UK Government's other interest in
and assessment guidelines and implementation programmes). the Arctic has been focussed on cooperation to reduce the
Increasing emphasis is being given to studies of climate change, environmental dangers of nuclear radiation in North-West
impact on indigenous peoples, emergency response, marine Russia via the contact expert group in IAEA and the Arctic
environment and sustainable issues. These have involved not Military Environment Cooperation. The forthcoming Green-
only the Arctic Council, the EU and North American Groups, wich Forum Conference on 18th November 2003, "Unlock-
but also international NGOs such as the Inuit Circumpolar ing the Arctic's Assets", will address UK involvement in the
Conference, WWF and IUCN. Increasingly these initiatives Arctic.
and programmes of action are devised within the frame-
work of international conventions and targets for pollutants, Intense international research is revealing new information
biodiversity, marine protected areas, climate change etc. Their about the physical, natural, and human aspects of the Russian
constructive and leadership roles were given further impetus Arctic. For example, colleagues in London, Cambridge and
by the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development. Bremen are measuring and predicting the progressive reduc-
These international agreements also provide guidance and tion of the average thickness of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean
vision to stimulate and encourage people to work for their and also the critical processes below the ice. New remote
environment. However, in the context of Arctic develop- sensing techniques are being used with the aid of satellites
ment, there are, I believe, two new dimensions which are and instruments in the ocean. These advances which were
particularly important.
published last week will be of great assistance for planning
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future local sustainable development strategies for fishing, fish destroys their international acceptability. This can cause
shipping, forestry etc.
havoc to fisheries with severe knock-on environmental con-
Monitoring and assessment of the levels of anthropogenic sequences as fishermen move to harvesting other species. As
pollution in the Arctic are essential for understanding and these interconnections are better understood, there is a grow-
predicting every aspect of the marine environment, espe- ing unity of purpose of those in environmental NGOs to
cially fisheries. Decline in the observation network in the Arc- collaborate and to press governments to adopt new envi-
tic inherited by Russia from the former Soviet Union is seri- ronmentally consistent policies, in tune with the precaution-
ously limiting the reliability of environmental assessments. Ob- ary principle.
servations are an essential part of the maintenance of spe- In the run up to the WSSD, a GEF-funded project known as
cially protected marine areas in the Arctic, so that any decline the `African Process' lead by ACOPS, involving experts from
is of great international significance for the environmental 11 African countries, developed a portfolio of sustainable
hot spots and also for the monitoring of potential accidents development projects for the marine and coastal regions.
and emergencies. Data sharing is essential in the Arctic and Support for the African Process came from UNEP, the GPA
worldwide to ensure that the observations will be effectively Coordination Office, IOC, and others. These projects cov-
and widely used. Data on the state of the environment needs ered the main topics including ecological deterioration and
to be disseminated to the public almost as regularly as weather remediation, new initiatives in sustainable tourism, marine
forecasts in order to inform communities and individuals. protected areas, urban coastal environments, sustainable ex-
This will empower them to participate in environmental plan- tractive industries for coastal areas, fisheries, and effects of
ning and hopefully to ensure action by governments and the climate change. The collaborative work in these projects and
private sector. The International Polar Year 2007/8 being the networks developed have been used as the basis for other
promoted and organised by ICSU and supported by the action and programmes that are now beginning.
WMO and the Antarctic Treaty bodies, will be an excellent I was impressed at the Preparatory African Process meeting
opportunity to review and publicise new developments and at Abuja in June 2002 with the expertise and commitment to
new challenges. The Russian Government is especially keen deal with the complex and deep-rooted scientific socio-eco-
on this focal year and has rallied powerful internal political nomic problems of these areas. So I believe all institutions
support.
and countries should support the New Partnership for Africa's
A vital element of the NPA Arctic Programme is the pro- Development (NEPAD) initiative as it sets up its eight envi-
motion and development of legislative and regulatory mecha- ronmental programmes, one of which is to focus on coastal
nisms specially tailored for the region and that take into ac- and marine sustainable development.
count the interests of indigenous populations. Another as- When the British Prime Minister Tony Blair said at the WSSD
pect will be international participation in capacity building in that it did not require rocket science to deal with environ-
the Arctic region of Russia for environmental protection and mental problems he was, of course, quite right because the
sustainable development of natural resources.
problems are much more complex than the predictable dy-
Turning from the Arctic to coastal zones of sub-Saharan namics of rockets! However, as Mr Brennan Secretary of
Africa, there are also encouraging developments to report, Commerce of USA emphasised today, rockets and satellites
while we also face up to the huge challenges of this region. are an essential tool for ocean monitoring and prediction. We
But first one has to emphasise as ACOPS' Vice President, decided in ACOPS to follow up on the Abuja conference on
Seychelles' Environment Minister Mr. Ronny Jumeau, re- the African Process, on the impetus of the WSSD, and on
marked at the press conference launching the Russian Project the NEPAD initiative. Together with Dr. Isabelle Niang Diop
in London on October 22, that the environmental problems of Senegal the NEPAD lead country for the environment
of the Russian Arctic and Africa are closely linked. Small programme, we organised a meeting in London in May 2003
island states are particularly vulnerable. Sea level rise, melting at the Royal Society and Natural History Museum. Ministers,
of sea ice, and possibly desertification are associated with senior officials and scientists from Kenya, Seychelles, Senegal,
rising global temperatures forced by greenhouse gas emis- Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Niger and, South Africa with sup-
sions. Those are caused by humans every where as well as by port from Lord Evans, a UK minister, explained how coastal
natural emissions. Extra natural emissions, as in the polar re- environmental issues were critical to sustainable development
gion, can be triggered by human activity. Chemicals in the and even the livelihood of the 50% of the African popula-
ocean are an increasing cause of concern around the world. tion residing there. IOC will be publishing the full proceed-
Their movement, formation and release results from local ings. A summary is already available on the ACOPS website.
emissions, global transport by ocean currents and by many The conference also heard about and discussed practical
complex processes of global environmental change. What- progress on projects by NGOs, governments, and the pri-
ever the cause, the effects can be disastrous for coastal com- vate sector in monitoring and remediating coastal environ-
munities; just a small increase of a trace metal in Indian Ocean
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
ments including urban areas, in the formation of natural pro- world's population will be living in these areas by the middle
tected areas and their economic benefits for local communi- of this century.
ties, and use of high technology systems for monitoring and The international community will, I am sure, provide assis-
control of foreign fishing fleets. Dr. Kulundu emphasised tance and advice as appropriate to these initiatives. ACOPS is
how forest destruction has to cease if coasts are to recover. committed to do so, and is already preparing the sequel to
One hopes that more of the African academic community the Royal Society Conference. In addition, collaboration
will be involved in the future. The successful projects should through existing international programmes will also be es-
be publicised and replicated around the coastlines and the sential, including the Nairobi and Abidjan Regional Seas Con-
islands of Africa. Of course there should be excellent com- ventions, the UNEP-GPA Coordination Office, and assis-
munication with countries dealing with similar coastal ecolo- tance programmes of OSPAR and Helsinki Commission,
gies such as southern and eastern Asia and Latin America. As and the Coral Reef Initiative co-chaired by the Seychelles and
a boy I enjoyed the beautiful Indian coast described by Mr. the UK.
Gupta, that the Indian Government is working to preserve. In conclusion I believe that the past four years have seen a
Communication and facilitation of coastal projects will be remarkable development of effective networking with a fo-
the main objective of the NEPAD coastal and marine coor- cus on practical projects in the marine and coastal areas of
dinating unit, (known as COSMAR) being set up in Nairobi Russia and Africa. The next four years should see some real
by the Government of Kenya thanks to the efforts of Dr. delivery and widening participation of national and interna-
Newton Kulundu, Minister of Environment. There will be a tional bodies in these areas ­ particularly, I hope, that of the
seminar in February organised by the Ghanaian Government private sector and the academic community.
and Owusu Architects of London focusing on urban coastal
environments ­ these areas are critical, because much of the
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CHALLENGES TO THE GLOBAL OCEANS ENVIRONMENT*
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Director, Global Marine Programs
Conservation International
Distinguished friends of the ocean, one and all. I am thrilled
first global conference looking at environmental issues, 1972
to be here on this nice wet day, how appropriate! Among
it was a land mark time. In 1982, four things loomed large,
other things that I do, I am explorer in residence at the Na-
one high above all the others. We were worried then about
tional Geographic and I am often asked about what are the
nuclear holocaust and items 2,3 and 4 kind of clustered to-
greatest discoveries concerning the ocean. I have reflected
gether. One, the growing population, at that point 4 billion
on the fact that, lots of things have happened in your life
people! That was 1982. I think that in about 1800, there
time, in mine, in the 20th century. You could say that this is the
were 1 billion, by the 1930s there were 2 billion, by 1982
greatest era of exploration of discovery ever, in fact it is just
there were 4 billion and we were worried at that time about
the beginning. You think of all the things that we have learned
the impact on the natural resources. Two, the growing num-
about the ocean in the 20th century, what is most important?
bers yielding poverty for many. So poverty, population growth,
Well I think the most significant thing we've learned, is that
and the third, the loss of the natural systems that form the
the ocean is the cornerstone of what makes the planet work.
basis of our life support system. Whether it's species, or
It's the cornerstone of our life support system. It governs
ecosystems, across the board, the loss and deterioration of
climate and weather, shapes planetary chemistry, generates
natural systems, they are all connected. If you lose the integ-
much of the oxygen (70%), absorbs carbon dioxide, and is
rity of natural systems, this leads to poverty, it leads to some
home for most of the life on earth. It holds 97% of the
of the issues we're facing today in terms of security. In 1992
earth's water so that I think that the ocean matters to every-
in Rio, issues focused on sustainable development, the
body on the planet no matter where we live. It is easy to see
sustainability within the natural world of the things we hu-
why the ocean matters in small island countries, and in coastal
man beings like to do. And then last year in Johannesburg
areas. But it matters not just for what we can take out of the
the issues of sustaining ourselves, our economies, while try-
ocean to eat, not just for what we can put into the ocean as a
ing to maintain the underlying integrity of the natural systems
place to put things that we don't want near us on the land
that support us. It is good every 10 years to take stock but
but because fundamentally the ocean makes the planet work.
because the pace is picking up we can't wait and do it every
Astronauts see this from up in space, the planet is mostly
10 years. We have to do it constantly, review where we are,
blue, without the ocean earth would be as inhospitable for
take stock and act. In the 20th century we learned more
the likes of us as Mars is.
about the ocean than during all preceding human history. At
The second big discovery of the 20th century about the ocean,
the same time in the 20th century we lost more than during all
is that the ocean is not infinite in its capacity to absorb what
preceding human history. When you take stock of the de-
we put in or to recover from what we take out. The ocean in
cline of wildlife in the ocean and I do think of creatures in
fact is not able to continue functioning in the way that it has
the sea as wildlife, as many now are.
historically, thanks to the impact that human beings have had
As it turned out, at this conference in Johannesburg, the ocean
on the ocean in the 20th century. Now it's true as long as
did emerge as a key topic with major targets and timetables
human beings have been around, like any other organism on
articulated for integrated ocean and coastal management con-
the planet, we have influenced the world around us. But
cerning fisheries, biodiversity conservation, protection from
nothing can compare with the impact of the last 100 years,
pollution, science and observation and special reference to
of the last 50 years, the last 20 years, the last 10 and the pace
small island nations. All in all, the meeting in Johannesburg
is picking up. In 1982 I attended a conference in London,
was a milestone, a wake up call for many, a clear call for
some of you were probably there. They invited 100 people
action and then some months later, at the end of May to
plus observers to come and try to articulate the greatest prob-
early June, a number of things heightened the urgency for
lems facing the human kind. Well that was 10 years after the
action. A report by Canadian scientists Boris Verm and Ran-
som Myers came out announcing, after a 10 year study, that
in the last 50 years, (the last half of the 20th century), 90% of
* Transcribed statement.
the big fish, the sharks, the tuna, the swordfish, the marlin,
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groupers, cod, many creatures that we love to eat, -we love not much that we can do to turn things around. At this
to eat them so much that we have consumed the large ma- conference there is a different spirit, there is a can do, must
jority of them- are gone. Our starting point now for trying do, will do approach to solving the problems. We can turn
to evaluate where do we go from here is skewed by what we things around, just as at the "Defying Ocean's End" confer-
have done in the last 50 years. Another announcement came ence, where we came out of that meeting addressing the
out, concerning by-catch, in terms of taking creatures from need for ocean governance, to look at that 60% of the ocean
the sea, which has been a recurring issue in recent times. The that falls outside the Exclusive Economic Zones of the na-
amount of creatures lost, killed in the process of taking the tions of the world. And while we have time, before it's too
few that we consume is huge and, just to review, this past late, we must agree to stop destructive trawling techniques
summer it was announced that we are still taking in the order that are know being applied to these newly discovered sea-
of 300,000 marine mammals every year- whales, dolphins, mounts. While we still have a chance to agree before this vast
seals, sea lions, while catching the fish we like to consume. part of our life support system is further degraded. Of
That does not even include the birds, the turtles, the sponges, course within our own Exclusive Economic Zones we have
the deep sea corals and other creatures that are taken inciden- the obligation to use the powers that we have as individual
tally while consuming or gathering the wild fish from the sea. nations to act each in our own way but toward the common
We had recurrent announcements about coral reefs that in goal of trying to stabilize the downhill slide that we have
the last 30 years, 30% of corals have been lost, in 50 years a witnessed, and to no small extent caused, in our lifetime.
total of 30% gone but maybe a total of 50% degraded or Fisheries reform loomed large as a topic at Johannesburg, it
missing in action. The issue of shifting baselines has loomed loomed large as a topic in Los Cobos, it was a key recom-
large on the balance sheet just in the past couple of years, and mendation in the United States of the Pew Oceans Commis-
certainly has been a matter of great discussion in the past year sion the result of two years of intense study of our policies
because of the destruction of so much so fast due to our in the United States. It's something that is clearly necessary if
new capability of extracting from the ocean. The finding, we are to turn things around with respect to the ocean. I'm
removing, and marketing of wildlife taken from the sea is no afraid that last year I upset the Minister of Fisheries in Aus-
longer something that we can defer for future consideration. tralia, actually it was this summer, when I said that if we
These issues loomed large at an international conference that continue business as usual, looking at the decline of the big
was held in Los Cobos, Mexico called "Defying Ocean's fish, there we were 50 years ago, and here we are today,
End." It was organized by Conservation International but down to 10% of some of the big creatures, tuna, cod, sword-
was actually attended by some 70 organizations, 150 people fish, if we continue another 50 years, we don't have to wait
representing 20 countries. The charge of this group over a that long, continue another 30 years, with business as usual,
week of intense activity was to identify and develop an ac- where are the fish going to be? I said in another 30 years,
tion plan. Graeme Kelleher, known to many of you for many commercial fishing as we know it, the extraction of wildlife
years as the head of the Great Barrier Reef National Marine from the oceans as we know it today, will no longer be pos-
Park Authority and certainly active in ocean conservation for sible if we continue with present policies. We must have
his whole life, chaired the sessions and helped keep the people fisheries reformed and turn things around, the same things
in line as they considered as a cross section of areas, the Car- that were recommended in Johannesburg about perverse
ibbean, Antarctica, the Gulf of California, the Great Coral subsidies, are gaining support around the world, we must
Triangle in the South Pacific. Great attention was paid to the turn what we are putting into extracting from the ocean into
newly discovered number of sea mounts out in the ocean; protecting what is there. How to do that? Marine protected
some 50,000 mountains out in the ocean that are now known areas, again, looms large as a recurrent theme. It came up
to exist that we did not know existed some 50 years ago or again just a few weeks ago in Durban, South Africa, at the
even for many, 10 years ago. The working groups addressed World Parks Congress. For the first time, marine protected
some of the issues that are being addressed here: marine areas were on the balance sheet when it came to protected
protected areas, economic incentives and disincentives, ocean areas in the global system of how do we take care of nature.
use and planning, the land-ocean interface, maintaining and It turns out that a careful review of what's been done on the
restoring functional ecosystems, ocean governance, the great land up to the present time suggests that about 12% of the
unknowns about the ocean, and the matter of communica- land enjoys some form of protection. And you know the
tion. One of the biggest challenges that we face today, that numbers for the ocean, it's a fraction of 1%. Even including
the ocean faces, is ignorance, people still do not know how places like the Great Barrier Reef or new areas designated by
much we don't know about the ocean. They don't really Australia, new areas designated in New Zealand. All over the
appreciate how important the ocean is to all of us and there world there are great signs of hope but we must not be-
is an inertia, a complacency, born of either a lack of under- come complacent.
standing or feeling that it is such a big problem that there is
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I had the chance to address the World Parks Congress and I ocean taken less than a mile away. The diversity in the ocean,
suggested that by the time of the next congress in ten years especially on a microbial level, looms large in terms of un-
we should aim for at least matching what we've done on the derstanding how the ocean works. What are we doing with
land in the last one hundred years. We don't have a hundred the chemistry? What are we doing with the characteristics that
years to catch up. 10%, 12% by the next decade is a modest shape life on earth. We know that something like half of the
objective. It's more or less in keeping with the objectives of coral reefs on the planet in our lifetime are either degraded
what was recommended in Johannesburg, by 2012 to have a or lost. What are we going to do about that? What we do
network of protected areas around the ocean. Some people know is that 100% of our future depends on maintaining the
say we should have 20% by 2020. Callum Roberts is calling health of the ocean.
for 30% in the next 10 years. Whatever it is, we need to use all The goals set in Johannesburg were modest. Think about
the power that we have to identify critical areas in the ocean. what shape the world will be in if we don't do at least as
Critical areas that make the systems work. Areas where fish much as what was recommended in Johannesburg. I often
aggregate to spawn. The last thing we should do is to disrupt think about what my grandchildren, now ages 4, 6, 9 and 12
the fish while they're making more fish. And yet it is such a will say when they are in their 50s half a century from now. It
tempting target that many of the breeding aggregations in is not that people now don't care but I can just imagine them
the Caribbean, in the South Pacific, in the Indian Ocean have often in the future saying why did you not do something
already been found and virtually eliminated in the last 50 years. while you had the chance? Ten percent of the big fish were
What are the challenges facing the ocean? Perhaps the biggest still around. Half of the coral reefs were still in pretty good
one is complacency. The spirit of this conference is marked shape. There's a lot that we did not know back when you
by a desire for action. What can each of us do? What can you were running things but you know you could have done
do? What can we do together that will make a difference? Or something about that. Or they might say, thanks for getting
just think of this. Ninety-five percent of the ocean remains started and taking action while there was still time. If we
unexplored. Ninety-nine percent of the ocean is open for leave here and continue business as usual, where will we be in
exploitation. What are we going to do about that? What can ten years if we don't do what was recommended in
we as individuals and collectively do about that? Ninety per- Johannesburg, if individually and collectively we don't get
cent of the big fish are gone. We still have a chance. There's together and do more than what was recommended in
still some tuna out there, but if we wait and deliberate and Johannesburg. But if we do accept the challenge that is be-
have another meeting to decide once again, we should do fore us, maybe in 50 years, maybe in 30, maybe even in 10,
something instead of deciding that we should do something. there will be reason to celebrate the actions that are stirring
We need to do something: to leave this meeting with a con- right now.
viction that the next step is to actually act, not talk about As never before, this is the time, it is a pivotal time, we know
acting but acting.
enough to understand the problems. We know enough to
A few weeks ago I attended the Census of Marine Life Con- know what actions need to be taken. Do we have the cour-
ference in Washington, D.C.. A global kind of assessment of age, the conviction, to leave here and do something about it?
where are we, what do we know about the creatures in the This is the time that perhaps will never have again. Thank
ocean? The bottom line is that we need to know a lot more you!
about what's going on. Assessing biodiversity is a key initia-
tive that we need to undertake. One of the other things that
I'm presently doing is working with the Harte Research Insti-
tute at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi looking at,
as one of the key thrusts for the future, pulling together the
three nations that border the Gulf of Mexico in a regional
way to assess the biodiversity of that area. Dr. John Tunnell is
spearheading that initiative. It's something that we should do
all over the world. Take stock of the assets. Let's see who's
living out there in the deep ocean, in the clear ocean water. I
listened last week to Craig Venter, a microbiologist, talk about
how a tiny plug of water taken out of the ocean near Ber-
muda yielded thousands of microbes in what appeared to
be just water. A short distance away in another plug, a tiny
little drop out of the ocean, there were thousands more mi-
crobes that had almost no overlap with this little drop of
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BEYOND THE LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION?
STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF THE LAW OF THE SEA
CONVENTION AT THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Dr. Tullio Treves
Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Professor at the University of Milan
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was Third UN Law of the Sea Conference. It may also be re-
opened for signature on 10 December 1982 and entered into gretted that the few States which keep away from the Con-
force on 16 November 1994. Last year the United Nations vention because of concerns relating to boundary disputes
celebrated with a special meeting the twentieth anniversary with neighbours have not yet come to recognize that, under
of the signature of the Convention. Next year, four days the Convention, their situation is no worse than under cus-
from now, it will be the tenth anniversary of the Convention's tomary law.
entry into force. November 2003, nestled between the round
figures of these anniversaries, seems an appropriate time for There is no doubt that the Convention enjoys great authority
taking stock and looking forward.
as a guide for the behaviour of States in maritime matters. Its
authority as an instrument setting out in written form cus-
There is no doubt that today the international law of the sea tomary rules, either existing before the Convention, or crys-
is dominated by the 1982 Convention. The Convention plays tallized or developed because of the impact of the Conven-
a significant stabilizing role. At the same time, it is a forward- tion in the international community, has been confirmed,
looking text flexible enough to absorb many new trends and sometimes even before the entry into force of the Conven-
developments. Nevertheless, it has never been, and even more tion, by decisions of international courts and tribunals.
so, it is not now, and most likely it will not be in the future, all
the international law of the sea.
The Convention has shown from the outset that it is, at the
same time, strong and resilient. The Convention is strong
If compared with other major treaties for the codification because no doubt has been cast on its authority as the basic
and progressive development of international law, the Con- set of rules concerning the rights and obligations of States in
vention has been a major success as regards the number and matters concerning the sea. Recent evidence of such author-
quality of the parties it has attracted. The Convention has ity are the provisions, contained, although in different form,
now 144 ratifications or accessions corresponding to more in multilateral international agreements concluded after the
than two thirds of the existing States and including the Euro- 1982 Convention, according to which the new agreements
pean Community. States parties belong to all areas of the are without prejudice to the rights, jurisdiction and duties of
world. They are developed as well as developing, coastal, States under the Convention, and must be interpreted and
maritime and land-locked States.
applied in the context of and in a manner consistent with the
We must acknowledge that progress towards universal par- Convention.
ticipation in the Convention is still incomplete. Obviously, the The Convention is resilient because, while States realized from
most important missing State party is the United States. All the outset that it could not be considered perfect and com-
friends of the Convention feel that participation by the United plete, they have preferred to build upon it rather than to
States, in light of the importance of this main actor in world question its authority. So it was that Part XI was amended,
politics and also of the great contribution made by it to the before entry into force of the Convention by the well-known
shaping of the Convention, is long overdue and would be a Implementing Agreement of 1994. So it was that the brief
decisive step towards the consolidation of the Convention and somehow puzzling provisions on straddling stocks and
as the basic set of rules on the law of the sea. The positive highly migratory fish stocks were completed and expanded,
attitude of the Clinton Administration and now of the Bush in light, inter alia, of recent developments of international
Administration must be welcomed. Recent hearings held at environmental law, by the so-called Straddling Stocks Agree-
the United States Senate seem to open prospects for over- ment of 1995, which has entered into force very recently and
coming the obstacles met by the U.S. ratification. A few other has found a regional development in the Convention on highly
important accessions are still missing, nonetheless. The most migratory fish stocks in Central and West Pacific, signed at
visible is perhaps that of Canada, another protagonist of the Honolulu in 2000. In order to develop the brief provisions
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on historical and archaeological objects, as well as to fill the The importance of the limitations to the scope of compul-
gap in the Convention as regards such objects found on the sory settlement cannot be denied and has been underlined in
continental shelf, in 2001 an admittedly controversial Con- particular in the controversial Arbitration award of 4 Au-
vention on underwater cultural heritage was adopted within gust 2000 on the Southern Bluefin Tuna case. It must be ob-
the framework of UNESCO.
served, nonetheless, that, even though entitled to add to the
Contrary to the Implementing Agreement of 1994 which automatic limitations of article 297 "optional exceptions"
amends the Convention and becomes a necessary part of it through the written declarations envisaged in article 298, States
(as, since its adoption, States must at the same time become parties have used such right very sparingly. About fifteen States
parties to the Convention and to the Agreement), the Strad- only have made such declarations, and in some cases they
dling Stocks Agreement, the Honolulu Convention, the have not excluded all the categories of disputes listed in ar-
UNESCO Convention, as well as two recent multilateral ticle 298. Abstention from making the declarations under
conventions on fisheries (the FAO Compliance Agreement article 298 confirm that disputes concerning important top-
of 1993 and the Windhoek Convention of 2001), may also ics are subject to compulsory adjudication. They include mari-
be ratified or acceded to by States that are not parties to the time boundary delimitation, enforcement activities in fishery
1982 Convention. This makes particularly relevant, as regards matters, military activities.
the authority of the 1982 Convention, the clauses mentioned Multilateral maritime negotiations held since the end of the
above safeguarding the rights and obligations under the Con- Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea confirm that
vention which one finds in all these texts.
the advantages of the mechanism for the settlement of dis-
Another aspect of the Convention, which confirms its strength putes of the Convention are broadly recognized. The Strad-
and resilience, is that this instrument is at the centre of a net- dling Stocks Agreement in 1995, the Honolulu Convention
work of institutions. The Convention presupposes a highly in 2000, the Windhoek Convention in 2001 and the UNESCO
institutionalised world, and contributes to the development Convention in 2001 have adopted the rules of the Law of
of international institutions.
the Sea Convention concerning the settlement of disputes in
order to settle with binding decisions disputes concerning the
On one side, the Convention gives new functions to existing interpretation or application of their provisions. The Strad-
institutions, such as, for example, the International Maritime dling Stocks Agreement extends this possibility to the settle-
Organization as regards passage through straits, archipelagic ment of disputes arising from regional or sub-regional agree-
sealanes, or removal (or non-removal) of abandoned and ments concerning straddling or highly migratory fish stocks.
disused installations on the continental shelf. On the other In this way, all these recent multilateral instruments, together
side, in complying with their obligations under the Conven- with the Law of the Sea Convention, become intertwined
tion, States parties have set up a number of new institutions: even though not all States parties to one instrument is are
the very Meeting of States Parties, the International Seabed parties to each of the others. A complex system, broader
Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, than the 1982 Convention, is in the making. It seems signifi-
and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. cant that the unifying element of such system is the mecha-
Through their participation in these institutions States parties nism for the settlement of disputes.
have many opportunities to implement the provisions of the
Convention in a cooperative way, to fill some of its gaps and The strength of the Convention appears in clear light when
to clarify the constructive ambiguities the necessities of nego- we consider its effects on unilateralism, the very phenom-
tiation have compelled the contracting parties to leave in the enon against whose destabilizing effects the Convention has
text.
been set up. If we look at domestic legislation adopted by
States since 1982, we must recognize that the influence of the
Perhaps the most important of positive developments, con- Convention in setting spatial as well as jurisdictional limits to
firming the strength and resilience of the Convention, is the coastal States' claims is evident. Unilateralism has been con-
mechanism for the settlement of disputes. Although with tained. Most new legislation follows the pattern set by the
important limitations and exceptions, this mechanism is com- Convention. Economic zones, archipelagic baselines, contigu-
pulsory. In other words, disputes concerning the interpreta- ous zones etc. have been adopted, in most cases at least, in
tion or application of the Convention may be submitted by compliance with the provisions of the Convention. Some-
one party, without the need to obtain the consent of the times previous excessive claims have been "rolled back"; in
other, to a judge or arbitrator whose decision is binding. Since some other cases States utilize only in part the rights recog-
the entry into force of the Convention, a number of cases nized by the Convention. Claims, sometimes from a time
have been brought unilaterally, on the basis of the compul- preceding the adoption of the Convention, of zones or pow-
sory settlement clauses of the Convention, to the Interna- ers exceeding what the Convention permits have become
tional Tribunal for the Law of the Sea or to Arbitral Tribu- rare. Their incompatibility with the Convention may be de-
nals set up under Annex VII of the Convention.
clared by the International Law of the Sea Tribunal, or by
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other judicial or arbitral bodies. This happened in the Saiga
The general obligation of cooperation ­ whose importance
No. 2 judgment of the International Tribunal for the Law of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has stressed
the Sea as regards the Guinean law extending customs en- more than once, lastly in its Order of 8 October 2003, as
forcement powers of the coastal State to a "customs radius" regards the protection of the marine environment - is also
of 250 kilometres from the coast.
the basic tool for dealing, within the framework of the Law
Unilateralism is not dead, however. Undeniably the limit of of the Sea Convention, with new problems that arise and
200 miles set by the Convention as the external border of which the Convention does not envisage directly. Such prob-
State jurisdiction in the economic zone, and consequently the lems may sometimes emerge in disputes and be accommo-
freedoms of the high seas, are under attack. It is well known dated through the mechanism for the settlement of disputes
that a number of States have adopted unilateral legislation which may explore the possibilities of the Convention to
extending in various forms their jurisdiction over fishing ac- cope with them. Relevant examples have been, in the case-
tivities conducted by foreign ships on high seas waters adja- law of the Law of the Sea Tribunal, the question of the legal
cent to their economic zone. These unilateral extensions (es- regime of bunkering at sea and of the consequences on the
pecially by Canada and some Latin-American States) have environment and on navigation of land reclamation. Another
met strong reactions, bringing about, as a compromise, the well known issue, not yet submitted to adjudication, on which
Straddling Stocks Agreement that strengthens the flag States' a cooperative approach, perhaps in the framework of the
responsibilities and prescribes a cooperative approach for International Seabed Authority, may be productive is that of
enforcement activities, which coastal States claimed to con- the legal regime of bio-diversity on the bottom of the high
duct unilaterally. It is, however, far from clear whether all seas, especially in connection with hydrothermal vents.
unilateralist States (as well as all long distance fishing States) A further aspect that is taking shape and will characterize the
have been convinced that the compromise set out in the Strad- Law of the Sea for the future is the combination and cross-
dling Stocks Agreement is acceptable.
fertilization of approaches which tends to overcome the sepa-
Trends towards the development of the protection of the ration between different branches of international law, one
environment have some times encouraged proposals for of which is the law of the sea with its dominant component,
unilateral action. Sometimes provisions whose compatibility the 1982 Convention. The 1995 Straddling Stocks Agree-
with the Convention is highly debatable are set out in multi- ment is at the same time an important law of the sea agree-
lateral agreements concluded between countries with similar ment and an important environmental agreement, which
interests. A recent example, which is frequently quoted, is the would have been impossible without the developments at
so-called "Galapagos Agreement" of 2000, not yet in force. the Rio Conference. The UNESCO Convention comes at
It concerns certain high seas fisheries and was negotiated, in the crossroads between the law of the sea and the law of the
isolation from other States interested in the fisheries, by a protection of cultural goods. The Law of the Sea Tribunal,
State that is party to the Convention and three others which in stressing the limitations to the use of force at sea and that
are not. This form of multilateral unilateralism, which could "considerations of humanity must apply in the law of the
also be called militant regionalism, has met strong resistance. seas, as they do in other areas of international law" under-
Even the European Community, a group of States that is lined the linkages between the law of the sea and human
bound by the Convention as a group as and in its State com- rights law. In the Shrimp-Turtles case the Panel and Appellate
ponents, and whose general policy has always been favourable Body of the WTO explored the intertwining of law of the
to the Convention, in reacting to recent environmental disas- sea , environmental law and international trade law. A holistic
ters, from the Erika to the Prestige, gives the impression that it approach has been adopted by the United Nations in launch-
considers the obligations set out by the Convention as too ing the open-ended informal consultative process established
constraining for an adequate reaction.
in order to facilitate the annual review of developments in
oceans affairs.
One cannot forget, nevertheless, that historically unilateralism
has been one of the main engines, perhaps the main engine, While all forms of cooperation are important, a strong
of the development of the law of the sea. In a world where mechanism for the settlement of disputes and a strong reli-
new needs emerge and where the law cannot remain static ance on courts and tribunals seems to be essential in order to
forever, unilateral initiatives cannot be branded as always bad, address new problems as effectively and smoothly as pos-
as always to be fought against. They must, nevertheless, be sible. As mentioned above, the Law of the Sea Convention
reconciled with the general obligation of cooperation which as well as the other multilateral instruments, which comple-
is part and parcel of modern international law and with the ment it, do contain such strong mechanisms for the settle-
rights and obligations of States parties to the Convention, as ment of disputes. Reliance on it, especially on its compulsory
well as the rights and obligations under customary law which facets, is just beginning. States are just beginning to realize that
the Convention strongly influences, of those States that are they are parties to instruments, which can be used in such a
not parties to it.
way that may make going to court on most law of the sea
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matters a routine and undramatic event. It may be regretted
that most States parties to the Convention have not yet fully
reviewed the pros and cons of expressing a preference for
permanent courts, as the International Court of Justice and
the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, in lieu of
arbitration tribunals. Such preference, which could be ex-
pressed with a declaration to be made under the Conven-
tion, and which a vast majority of States parties have so far
abstained form making, would probably ensure a more con-
sistent development of the law.
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THE EVOLVING BALANCE BET WEEN NAVIGATIONAL
FREEDOMS AND PROTECTION OF THE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES*
Prof. Jon M. Van Dyke
University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law
USA
Thank you very much, Biliana, for that very gracious intro- Patagonian toothfish. In the Monte Confurco case, which in-
duction and thank you all for remaining for this final event volved the Seychelles against France, the Monte Confurco was
this afternoon of what has been a stimulating day. I am go- going through France's claimed EEZ around Kerguelen in
ing to try and build on Judge Treves's very interesting pre- the Antarctic, and its master said well, we are just passing
sentation by focusing on an important transition in the Law through, we caught our fish before we got here, and we are
of the Sea (LOS). The LOS Convention was designed to just going through to another area for fishing, and this is in
strike a balance between navigational freedoms and environ- the remote Southern Ocean areas. But France said, no, we
mental protection. The idea of navigational freedoms came assume that this vessel was fishing while it was in the Kerguelen
to us from Grotius hundreds of years ago when he de- EEZ, it had fish in its hold, the fish was frozen but there was
scribed the oceans as being free in their very nature because a huge amount of it, and the ship had made no effort to tell
one ship can catch fish and there'll be plenty of fish for other France what it was doing. And so from those bare facts, the
ships. One ship can pass through the waters, navigating freely, tribunal accepted the French point of view and said basically
and the next ship could also do so. This vision is no longer that there is a presumption that if you have a lot of fish in
accurate. We have seen that the fish are not inexhaustible and your hold and you are a fishing vessel and you are in some-
have been greatly exhausted in our time; we are seeing also body else's EEZ that you are doing something illegal. The
that navigational freedoms have their limits and that country lesson is very clear to any fishing vessel that if you want to
after country in different contexts are asserting the right to hold on to your cargo you better let the country know that
limit navigational freedoms in the name of environmental you're going to pass through its EEZ.
protection and in the name of security. I want to discuss the So fishing vessels do not have freedom of navigation. What
various situations we are seeing and then think through about commercial merchant vessels? They can be boarded
whether we can draw from these a generalized principle that too, under Article 220, by the coastal state if there is a suspi-
maybe we are seeing a change in the law.
cion that they are creating pollution risks. Article 220 is writ-
We still, to some extent, have high seas navigational free- ten carefully of course, but it does quite clearly say that the
doms in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but we see coastal country can demand information, can physically in-
over and over again and in example after example that these spect if there is any kind of a substantial discharge or a threat
freedoms are limited and sometimes limited very sharply. of significant pollution to the environment and can detain
We can start with the fishing situation. It appears pretty clearly the vessel if the discharge threatens coastal resources. That is
that if you are a fishing vessel you do not have the right to a clear limitation on navigational freedom. And then we have
move freely to the EEZ of another country without letting the Prestige disaster a year ago, which Judge Treves referred
them know what you are doing and informing them quite to, which will be seen as a turning point because it is an
clearly what you are up to. The coastal state has the right to example of countries taking the unilateral steps that Judge
board your ship under Article 73 and we've seen in recent Treves referred to in a way that will ultimately change the
decisions of Judge Treves's Tribunal that there is almost a LOS. The breakup of the Prestige caused enormous damage
presumption that if you are going through another country's in the coastal regions of Spain, Portugal and France. Spain
EEZ and you are a fishing vessel, and you have not told and France announced almost immediately that they were
them what you are doing, that you are doing something ille- going to look at every single-hulled tanker that goes through
gal. This has come up in the context of the search for the their EEZ if it is 15 years old or more. If they find the ship
* Transcribed address; also presented at the Conference on the Regime of the Exclusive Economic Zone: Issues and Responses organized by the
Ship and Ocean Foundation Institute for Ocean Policy, on December 9-10, 2003, in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a paper titled "The Disappearing Right
to Navigational Freedom in the Exclusive Economic Zone," publication forthcoming in Marine Policy.
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to be unseaworthy, they will require it to leave the EEZ. This and as high-level waste. It never goes through the Suez Canal
is a huge unilateral decision made by coastal countries that because of the insurance requirements there and perhaps the
are also maritime powers, asserting that to protect coastal security concerns. It does not go through the Strait of Mal-
resources they have the right to restrict navigational move- acca because the countries of that region have insisted that it
ment. Portugal rather quickly joined in this initiative, and then, not go there, so it tends usually to come around the Cape of
these three countries plus Belgium and the UK have been Good Hope and then south of Australia to the Tasman.
working in the IMO to declare their entire EEZs more or This route goes through the EEZs of Vanuatu and the Fed-
less as particularly sensitive sea areas from which single-hulled erated States of Micronesia and sometimes the Solomons,
oil tankers would be excluded.
which are quite concerned about the risks that result from
So, we are seeing major maritime powers asserting the right this. The risks include sinkings, which would create a dead
to protect their coastal areas, and I see this as a validation zone for hundreds and thousands of years; the technology
once again of the precautionary principle, a dominating idea to raise the vessel from the deep ocean is not there. That
that has taken over the international law field. People dis- would be bad enough, but worse would be a collision fol-
agree as to what exactly the precautionary principle means, lowed by a high intensity fire which could burn for days and
but it requires an assessment of the project that shifts the at very high temperatures with this kind of cargo. The final
burden to the person taking the initiative to justify that the risk is sabotage which in our present world we must be very
project is safe; it requires an examination of alternative tech- concerned about. Ships as you know sink all the time; the
nologies; and it allows decision makers to put limits on ac- MSC Carla in 1997 was an example of a shipment of radio-
tivities even if the science is unknown or not complete. Again, active cargo in the North Atlantic with canisters of cesium
the LOS Tribunal has taken a lead. Judge Treves in the South- that sank and broke apart in heavy waves and it was never
ern Bluefin Tuna case explained that the provisional measures brought up and sits there at the bottom of the ocean. It was
that the court issues are an example of a precautionary ap- simply broken apart by gale-force winds.
proach that is built in to the whole system of the Tribunal My favorite recent collision is the HMS Nottingham, which is
and the LOS Convention. We have seen, as Judge Treves a British warship that was on patrol in the Tasman in 2002. It
explained, that the duty to cooperate which is such an im- was there to protect the shipment of the MOX fuel because
portant part of the precautionary principle has been required Greenpeace was going to have a flotilla of protesters, and
in two very recent cases. In the MOX (Mixed Oxide) Plant
so the British sent a warship down to breakup the Greenpeace
case, Ireland complained about the releases from the Sellafield protesters. But in the process the Nottingham hit a well-marked
nuclear power plant into the Irish Sea, which is the most rock near Lord Howe Island. It had to be towed into Sydney
radioactive body of water in the entire world now. The Brit- and put on a bigger boat to take back to Europe to be
ish were expanding the plant and the court, I think quite rebuilt. So ships do collide and accidents do happen. These
properly, required the British to exchange information and are realistic things to worry about, including sabotage. When
to coordinate closely and negotiate with the Irish with re- the British nuclear ship was going through the Panama Canal
gard to any future steps that they may take in that plant. a couple of years ago, Greenpeace protesters simply got on
Even more recently, in the case between Malaysia and the ship as it was going through the Canal, which is unde-
Singapore, the Tribunal said prudence and caution require fended. It is impossible to defend and easy for anybody to
that the two countries establish consultative mechanisms. The get into. The Panama Canal simply meanders through Panama
innovative aspect of this recent decision was that the court and it is easy for anybody to do anything they want to a boat
went beyond just imploring the two countries to cooperate passing through if they are so inclined.
but it actually required them to establish a group of indepen- The Pacific Islanders are taking notice of the European ac-
dent experts. The experts were to conduct a study and as- tion and seeing the Europeans protect their coast by their
sess the risks and effects of Singapore's land reclamation. unilateral activities, and are saying that they should be able to
Singapore was required to modify its activity as appropriate, take some unilateral activities as well. The LOS Convention
in light of the recommendations of the independent experts. (Articles 22 and 23) does see nuclear materials as distinct and
In the Pacific there is a huge concern about the shipments of as different and as requiring a separate regime. As that inter-
ultra-hazardous radioactive materials which are going back national regime has not been fully developed, many coastal
and forth now between Japan and the United Kingdom and countries argue that they should be able to impose unilateral
France in canisters. The Japanese want their nuclear waste rules until the international regime has emerged. The coun-
reprocessed. They do not have the technology to do it at this tries are saying they have the right of consultation, which the
point, so they send it to Europe to be reprocessed and then LOS Tribunal has repeated is mandatory. They have a right
it comes back sometimes as plutonium, sometimes as MOX to a full and comprehensive environmental assessment (Ar-
(mixed oxide) fuel which is part plutonium, part uranium, ticles 204, 205, 206 make that clear). There is a duty to en-
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gage in contingency planning (Article 199 is very clear on ted in the EEZ even though marine scientific research would
this) and there is a right to have a full and comprehensive not be permitted without consent. In other words the US
liability regime developed, which Article 235 requires, and takes the position that hydrographic mapping is not marine
the liability regime requires strict liability. A neutral tribunal scientific research and therefore is not governed by Article
must define damages realistically to protect the fragile econo- 246 and the consent regime. We have been using a ship called
mies of Pacific Island nations, which rely on fishing and tour- the Bowditch to map the sea floor and the Chinese have or-
ism. An incident involving a nuclear ship even if there is no dered the Bowditch out of its waters, as did India recently.
measurable release of radioactivity at the present time could China then enacted a law which makes it clear that they think
very well destroy those industries for them. We have a model that all survey and mapping activities in the EEZ is covered
from the oil industry that allows us to understand that there by this consent regime and therefore is not something that is
should be a fund available that would provide compensa- permitted as a high sea freedom.
tion in these situations.
The Sosan incident from December 2002 presents another
Another example of a unilateral initiative that has been taken example of how we are seeing new concerns that affect our
is Chile's law on nuclear safety where they said that any ship concept of navigational freedom. The Sosan was a Cambo-
carrying nuclear cargo going through their EEZ must get dian registered ship that was carrying North Korean missiles
permission by complying with safety regulations that they to Yemen. Spanish sailors (with US support) landed on the
spell out in the law. We have a situation at the present time Sosan and investigated its cargo hold and engaged in some
where a nuclear reactor that's been dismantled in California military action to overwhelm the ship. They finally decided
in San Onofre is awaiting shipment for burial to South Caro- after a couple of days that what they had done was a viola-
lina. To get from California to South Carolina, you have to tion of international law. They then let the ship go on its
go around Cape Horn, since the Panama Canal is too nar- merry way but the US subsequently decided to formalize
row for this kind of shipment. This route is an extremely what it had done in the Sosan situation in the Proliferation
treacherous way to travel because of gale force winds 200 Security Initiative, whereby shipping would be subject to in-
days out of the year. The US State Department first told vestigation whenever it seemed to present a threat of the
Southern Carolina Edison not to comply with the Chilean movement of weapons of mass destruction. The US has
law and to simply go without asking permission. The US been cagey about what exactly it is going to do when it ap-
Department of Transportation apparently disagreed with the prehends such ships, but has been conducting a series of
State Department and pointed out that it probably does make exercises. To some extent it reminds us of the Cuban missile
sense to consult with the Chileans and work out some con- crisis in 1962 when President Kennedy said that the US would
tingency plan with them, because ships do sometimes need investigate and inspect the ships coming and going into and
to seek shelter in the waters of a coastal state and it would out of Cuba. That was a very specific short-term endeavor
be useful and important for the Chileans to be prepared if and whether this larger endeavor by the US and its allies is
there was any accident. (In the spring of 2004, after this
going to be seen as legitimate or not remains to be seen.
speech was given, the United States abandoned this
Just one final example in conclusion, the NATO countries
shipment altogether and decided to leave the reactor
are now engaging in a new form of military technology
in California.)
called low frequency active sonar whereby, in order to deter-
Let me move to the military arena. We have some countries mine a location of enemy submarines, a very loud speaker is
that have argued for the last 20 years that military maneuvers put into the water. People sometimes call it an acoustic can-
should not be permitted in the EEZ. We have other coun- non because it makes a sound in the ocean louder than any
tries that have insisted just as strongly that military maneuvers other sound that has ever been put in the ocean at the level
are permitted in the EEZ. We also have the underlying ques- of what it would be if you were right in front of a rock
tion whether the LOS Convention applies in times of armed band. The sound is there for long periods of time, and it
conflict or war, or threats thereof. And we have had recently extends over huge areas of the ocean and the use of related
several interesting incidents involving quasi-military activity, sonar has led to the beaching of cetaceans quite frequently
such as the US surveillance plane flying along the Chinese around the planet in the last couple of years as this technol-
coast that came into contact with a Chinese plane in April ogy has been tested. We recently had a pretty good ruling
2001, had to land on Hainan Island, and was then seized by from a US court that the Navy would have to restrict its
the Chinese. They eventually gave it back to the United States testing to a very narrow area which happens to be in East
but only after making it clear that they viewed the surveil- Asia right along the Chinese and Korean coast and in the
lance as unacceptable behavior. The US has taken the posi- area around Japan. I'm not sure why that area has been picked
tion that surveillance is permitted and we also take the posi- but in any event that is where testing is going to continue.
tion that hydrographic mapping of the sea floor is permit- The US court restricted the Navy dramatically, but the ques-
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
tion is then raised: Does it violate international law for one
country to test this technology in other countries' EEZs if it
damages their living resources? Does international law have
a remedy or a mechanism for them to use to protect them-
selves?
Taken together, these examples of coastal states taking uni-
lateral initiatives to protect their coastal environment and their
security interests indicate that a new principle of international
law has emerged, which allows countries to restrict naviga-
tion in their EEZ based on the nature of the ship and its
cargo, based on the demands of the precautionary principle,
and based on the demands that countries have for protect-
ing their own security.
Thank you again for your attention and I look forward to
the next two days of discussions.
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ORGANIZING FOR THE GLOBAL WATER AGENDA:
LESSONS LEARNED AND LINKS TO THE OCEANS
Mr. Emilio Gabbrielli
Executive Secretary , Global Water Partnership
Stockholm, Sweden
How the Global Water Partnership was Estab-
cessful experiences in integrated management of a drainage
lished and Why
basin, it has still not achieved the reversal of many unsustain-
able agricultural practices and probably could never have
The solutions to current and coming crises will not, for the
done so in such a short time. This gives a clear indication of
most part, be found in new and extraordinary technological
the difficulties of producing sustainable solutions through
advances. Instead they will be found through changing the
cultural change and mediation of different interests beyond
way we use and manage water. The present sectoral ap-
the goodwill of single actors.Critically though, the necessary
proaches lead to fragmented and uncoordinated develop-
changes in the way people work will certainly not happen
ment and management of the resource. There is a better
unless there is a strong political commitment to create the en-
way to manage water: it is Integrated Water Resources Manage-
abling environment to facilitate these changes.
ment (IWRM) -- an approach to land and water manage-
ment that seeks to balance human, industrial, agricultural and
A New Coordinating Mechanism
environmental needs. To do this successfully, all users of water
-- government departments, academics, community groups,
This awareness, together with the need for participatory in-
NGOs, the private sector and other interest groups -- need
stitutional mechanisms to involve all sectors of society in the
to get together to share information, understand data and
decision-making processes, called for a new coordinating
work together to solve their problems. The Global Water
mechanism. In response to this demand the World Bank, the
Partnership (GWP) was created as a global network in 1996
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the
to do just this.
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida) created the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in 1996.
Working in Partnership
This initiative was based on promoting and implementing
IWRM through the development of a worldwide network
Although a holistic approach to managing water is gaining
of partnerships that could pull together financial, technical,
acceptance, it was not until the Dublin Conference on Water
policy and human resources to address the critical issues of
and the Environment in 1992 (see Box 13) and the United
sustainable water management.
Nations Conference on Environment and Development held
in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, that a more comprehensive ap-
With a mission to support countries in the sustainable man-
proach to water management ­ moving from sub-sectoral
agement of their water resources through IWRM, the GWP
to cross-sectoral water management ­ was believed neces-
network was established to help influence policy for the adop-
sary for sustainable development. To set about doing this
tion and implementation of IWRM to provide water secu-
means creating ownership among the stakeholders and a need
rity for all. The GWP network has the task of persuading
for them to work in partnership with each other. An inclu-
policy makers and those associated with the management of
sive partnership where all the stakeholders have a say allows
water to move away from the present fragmented, sub-
the creation of a neutral platform on which things can get
sectoral practices and instead, integrate water resources man-
done in a sustainable way.
agement policies and practices to provide holistic cross-
sectoral water management.
But working in partnership is not easy, it is a slow, complex
process. I am sure that few would dispute the pre-eminence
From the outset, the GWP was conceived as a partnership
of Australia in understanding the relationship between land
among all those involved in water management. To get the
use and water. In the late 1970s, the Murray-Darling Basin
right people to talk together, GWP set up regional, country
Commission was being conceived. This remarkable effort
and area water partnerships to promote and implement
towards integrated basin management has now succeeded in
IWRM. Today, GWP has established Water Partnerships in
bringing together all major stakeholders in this huge basin,
South America, Central America, the Mediterranean, Central
but it took more than 15 years to do so. Yet, though it is
and Eastern Europe, South Africa, Eastern Africa, West Af-
widely recognized as one of the most advanced and suc-
rica, Central Asia and Caucasus, South Asia, Southeast Asia,
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The Dialogues
Box 13. The Dublin Principles on which
The current water crisis is mainly a crisis of water governance
GWP is Based
(see Box 14). Consequently, resolving the challenges in this
area is recognized as one of the most important elements of
1.Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, es-
managing water to address, if we are to achieve sustainable
sential to sustain life, development and the environ-
water resources development and management.
ment.
The Dialogue on Effective Water Governance, undertaken
2. Water development and management should be
by GWP in partnership with the United Nations Develop-
based on a participatory approach, involving users,
ment Programme (UNDP) and the International Council for
planners and policy-makers at all levels.
Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI), promotes better water
governance around the world by bringing stakeholders to-
3. Women play a central part in the provision, man-
gether to examine the political processes and analyze water
agement and safeguarding of water.
governance systems. The issues discussed vary depending on
4.Water has an economic value in all its competing uses
the socio-political context as countries have different cultural
and should be recognized as an economic good.
and political traditions and regimes. Although some issues
are country specific, there are many areas where common
experiences are shared. The activities include multi-stakeholder
workshops, roundtables on the political processes, and elec-
China and Australia. Other regions planning to establish Wa- tronic conferencing. Dialogues on Water, Food and Envi-
ter Partnerships are Central Africa, the Caribbean and the ronment and on Water and Climate are also being conducted.
Pacific Islands.
Freshwater Communities and GWP
These Water Partnerships, consisting of leading water pro-
Impact on Global Policy
fessionals in the regions and countries, work by encouraging
stakeholders to come together at regional, country and local International events are key to raising political will around the
levels to discuss common water problems and, in partner- world. The 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague in 2000
ship with each other, devise appropriate IWRM solutions to and the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan both resulted in
resolve these problems. To bring coherency to the work across Ministerial Declarations to support the adoption and imple-
the network, GWP has collated its activities into a single overall mentation of IWRM. On a broader level, the Millennium
comprehensive work plan. To help achieve its goals, GWP Summit in 2000 and the World Summit on Sustainable De-
has developed strategic alliances and cooperation with all those velopment in Johannesburg in 2002 called for a wide-rang-
involved in water management, both those in the immediate ing set of actions that required IWRM to be implemented as
circle such as the World Water Council, the World Wildlife a solution towards the alleviation of poverty and increasing
Fund, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Coun- health.
cil, the UN agencies, the World Conservation Union and so
on, and those involved in development issues and processes
such as the ministries of development, ministries of finance,
the industrial and professional associations, NGOs and oth-
Box 14. What is Water Governance?
ers.
To support the network in adopting and implementing
Water governance refers to the range of political, so-
IWRM, GWP has pulled together various sources of knowl-
cial, economic and administrative systems that are
edge and expertise in water resources management. In re-
in place to regulate the development and manage-
sponse to regional and country needs, five programs, or As-
ment of water resources and provision of water ser-
sociated Programs, have been identified ­ capacity building,
vices at different levels of society. Governance issues
knowledge management, flood management, river basin
have important implications for the management of
management, and groundwater management ­ to support
water resources at all administrative levels -- global,
IWRM program and tools. Although each of these programs
regional, national and local -- and are a prerequisite
has its core business based in a specific area, all promote their
for the successful implementation of Integrated Wa-
services in the context of IWRM. These programs are not
ter Resources Management (IWRM).
owned or directed by the Partnership but are independent
programs hosted within different organizations and whose
services can be found through the GWP network.
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All GWP's efforts over the past several years to influence the
Challenges Ahead
political agenda have resulted in the effectiveness of GWP
being often mentioned in ministerial and official statements To date GWP has been successful in advocating for IWRM
on water management, in water being at the top of agenda and establishing Water Partnerships as platforms for multi-
for many countries, and a call at the World Summit for Sus- stakeholder dialogues on water resources management. The
tainable Development (WSSD) in 2002 for all countries to challenge ahead is how to transform all of this into effective
develop national IWRM and water efficiency plans by 2005. action on the ground, especially after the 2002 World Sum-
mit on Sustainable Development put water high on the agenda
At regional and country level for example, capacity building and set the target for starting the process of establishing na-
for IWRM networks has been established in many regions tional IWRM plans by 2005.
including West Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and
South America; community-based training and practical work-
Working with the Freshwater
shops on IWRM have been held in Southeast Asia, and un-
Community
dergraduate and postgraduate courses on IWRM are being
introduced in universities in Southeast Asia, Southern Africa There are several areas where the oceans community can work
and elsewhere. IWRM has been adopted as official policy in together with the freshwater community, notably with:
countries in many GWP regions such as Thailand, Philippines,
· major drainage/river basin organizations, for example,
Vietnam, and Namibia; and special Working Groups on Water
those responsible for rivers draining into Baltic, Medi-
Resources Management have been established in the Asso-
terranean, Black Sea and so on;
ciation of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and with the
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
· the Global International Water Assessment (GIWA) that
is run out of UNEP;
Was GWP Successful?
· IUCN on the "Environmental Flows" concept that in-
The External Review of GWP, performed in 2002­2003,
cludes the coastal dimension;
noted that, "in 6 years GWP has set up a global network that
· The IUCN "Water and Nature Initiative" (WANI) that
has already made an effective and significant contribution to
looks at river basin management and the ecosystems
the global recognition of Integrated Water Resource Man-
approach where the estuarine and coastal ecosystems
agement. GWP has influenced policy and brought about
are very much in focus;
change in legislation in the governance and management of
· UNEP, as its water policy is centered on freshwater-
water." The overall Recommendation of the External Re-
coast interactions;
view concluded that, "GWP should continue to be regarded
as a cost-effective and valuable instrument for progressing
· UNEP on the WEHAB (Water, Energy, Health, Agri-
reform and awareness in the global water sector."
culture and Biodiversity) documents from the WSSD ­
that consistently mention IWRM and `ICARM' (inte-
Why has GWP Been Successful?
grated coastal and river management).
Of the many reasons for the success of GWP, three stand
above all others. The network:
· is flexible and rapidly capable of adapting to changing
circumstances centered on substance, not governance is-
sues;
· responded to real perceived need for IWRM;
· gained credibility at the global level. For example, GWP
established a key role in the World Water Forum and
other similar international events, including the WSSD
processes, by involving several highly influential person-
alities at international level to raise political awareness.
Concurrently, GWP did the same thing at regional/coun-
try level by bringing political and decision-makers into
the Water Partnerships, by involving highly influential per-
sonalities at national level, and getting involved with the
WSSD processes.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
TOWARD ACHIEVING WSSD OBJECTIVES
AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL
Mr. Alan Simcock
Executive Secretary, OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment
of the North-East Atlantic
This paper seeks to look at two main questions:
What can regions do to promote the achievement of these
· What are the commitments from the 2002 World Sum-
commitments? There seem to be a number of actions which
mit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) that need ac-
can be taken at the regional level and where international agree-
tion at the regional level?
ments can help:
· What can be done at the regional level to promote the
a. agree on how to apply the ecosystem approach;
achievement of these goals?
b. develop shared views on spatial planning and manage-
In doing so, it draws particularly on the experience of my
ment;
region (the North-East Atlantic, including the North Sea, the
c. improve their working methods and help each other -
English Channel and the Celtic Seas). That region is particu-
especially in monitoring and assessment.
larly fortunate in the resources on which it can draw and on
The ecosystem approach provides a crucial foundation for
the number of States it has with high levels of commitment
the WSSD suite of commitments. It is therefore important
to environmental conservation but, even with these advan-
to make an early start on developing it. OSPAR and
tages, there are problems in delivering the WSSD commit-
HELCOM (the Baltic Sea Marine Protection Commission
ments. Nevertheless, our experience can perhaps help sug-
(the Helsinki Commission)) have decided to work together
gest how implementation of some of the commitments can
on this, and at their Joint Ministerial Meeting in June 2003
be addressed.
endorsed a common Statement on the Ecosystem Approach.
The section of the WSSD Programme of Implementation
The main features of this are:
that deals with the oceans contains commitments in six fields:
a. the need to identify critical processes for maintaining
oceans as an ecological component of the Earth's ecosys-
structure and functioning of ecosystems;
tem; fisheries; conservation; land-based marine pollution and
b. commitments to manage human activities that impact:
degradation; shipping and marine science. This paper there-
fore examines the commitments with a regional component
i. interactions within food-webs ("multi-species ap-
under each of these headings. In doing so, it does not use
proach"), especially through capture fisheries;
the full texts of these commitments, but abbreviates the texts
ii. interaction between biota and the physical and chemi-
of the commitments in order to bring out the most impor-
cal background, which is especially relevant to prevent-
tant elements and to ease reading. It must be stressed that
ing pollution and other forms of degradation of the
the full text is what needs to be considered. Likewise, this
marine environment.
paper summarises a number of OSPAR instruments and
In doing all this, it is essential to remember the limits on our
agreements: before drawing any conclusions at other than a
current scientific knowledge and to ensure that we apply the
general level, it is necessary to look at the full texts.
precautionary principle.
Oceans as a Component of the Earth's
In applying an ecosystem approach, there is an inevitable ten-
Ecosystem
sion between sectoral and holistic aspects. Action has to be
sectoral:
There are three WSSD commitments under this general head-
a. the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea sets up
ing that have a clear regional component:
sectoral machinery;
a. encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem
b. national structures are in most cases sectorally focused;
approach;
c. management of human activities has to be sectoral, since
b. promote integrated coastal and ocean management;
that is the way that they are organised.
c. strengthen regional cooperation and inter-regional co-
Nevertheless, the sea is one environment and we are com-
ordination.
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mitted to a holistic approach. How the do we achieve inte- International Maritime Organization (IMO) establishes traf-
gration?
fic separation schemes, areas to be avoided, etc. At present,
The approach that OSPAR is pursuing is the establishment these controls are very diverse: the issues considered in deci-
of ecological quality objectives. To do this, we have identi- sion-making are different, the procedures give differing op-
fied 10 main ecological quality issues:
portunities for input by those affected and other stakehold-
ers. It is far from clear that this haphazard patchwork will
1. Reference points for commercial fish species
help deliver the WSSD commitments. A more considered
2. Threatened and declining species
approach seems needed.
3. Sea mammals
Most of the machinery is a matter for national, not interna-
4. Birds
tional, decision making. But the common interest in the ma-
5. Fish communities
rine environment, even where this is subject to national juris-
diction can justify some consideration at the regional level.
6. Benthic communities
OSPAR is therefore setting up a pilot project on spatial plan-
7. Plankton communities
ning in the North Sea area. This currently aims:
8. Habitats
a. to identify what controls already exist;
9. Nutrient budgets and production
b. to see what common principles can be derived;
10. Oxygen consumption
c. to see how extra-national interests can be affected by
For each of these issues, ecological quality elements are iden-
national decisions;
tified. The aim is that these elements will identify the "enve-
d. to consider how national processes can take better ac-
lope" within which it can reasonably be expected that the
count of the interests of all stakeholders, whether na-
marine ecosystems will be in a healthy and flourishing condi-
tional or extra-national.
tion. On each of these elements, an ecological quality objec-
tive (EcoQO) will be established. These EcoQOs are in-
Sustainable Fisheries
tended to guide the formulation and implementation of The WSSD commitments on fisheries with a regional com-
policies that can act as "levers" to move the real world in the ponent can be summarised as:
directions indicated by the EcoQOs.
a. Maintain or restore stocks to levels that can produce the
So far, 10 ecological quality elements have been agreed for a
maximum sustainable yield where possible not later than
North Sea pilot project. As examples, the following five can
2015;
be taken:
b. Implement UN and associated regional fisheries agree-
a. Commercial fish species ­ the estimates of fish stocks should
ments;
be above precautionary reference points agreed for each
species;
c. Implement the 1995 Code of Conduct for Respon-
sible Fisheries and international plans of action;
b. Seals - no population decline of more than 10% of the
estimated population;
d. Urgently develop national and regional plans of action
for that purpose;
c. Harbour porpoises ­ the by-catch should be below 1.7%
of the estimated population
e. Proper allocation of straddling stocks and highly mi-
gratory fish stocks;
d. Seabirds - deaths among the carcases collected on the
shores which can be attributed to oiling should be less
f. Eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported
than 10% of all deaths;
and unregulated fishing and to over-capacity.
e. TBT Contamination ­ the levels of "imposex" (develop- These issues have been considered extensively in other ses-
ment of male characteristics by females) in dog whelks sions of the conference, and it is not appropriate to go over
(Nucella lapillus) should be below a specified low level on them in detail here.
a standard index.
It is, however, important to note the important linkages be-
A second field of action where international agreement can tween fisheries management and the implementation of the
help towards the WSSD commitments is that of spatial plan- ecosystem approach. This is acknowledged in the OSPAR
ning and management of the maritime area. States have many EcoQOs, and represents a commitment by the OSPAR Con-
controls over the sea areas under their jurisdiction: these con- tracting Parties to seek to carry through action by the appro-
cern the development and use of harbours, offshore installa- priate fisheries management authorities to achieve these ob-
tions, areas for fishing for sedentary species, underwater cables, jectives.
military areas, dumping and so on. Through international The commitments in this section to sustainable aquaculture
organisations other controls are also set up. For example, the are, furthermore, a field where collaborative action is needed,
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both between the States in a region and between different what authorities is needed to deliver the necessary protection
authorities. Questions arise about the location of aquaculture for the species and habitats identified.
installations, their impact on nutrient levels, the impact of the Regarding marine protected areas, the OSPAR Commission
veterinary medicines used and the genetic impact of farmed has adopted the OSPAR Recommendation 2003/3 on a Net-
stocks on wild stocks. There is a case for ensuring consistent work of Marine Protected Areas, which aims to create by
approaches between all those in a region who are regulating 2010 an ecologically coherent network of well managed
the different aspects of aquaculture in order to move to- marine protected areas, which will be a joint network with
wards sustainability.
HELCOM. This Recommendation commits the Contract-
Conservation and Management
ing Parties to apply the agreed Guidelines on selection and
management of such areas.
of the Oceans
The identification and selection criteria start from ecological
The WSSD commitments in this field which have a regional criteria, which cover:
component can be summarised as:
1. Threatened or declining species and habitats/biotopes
a. Maintain productivity and biodiversity;
2. Important species and habitats/biotopes
b. Implement the Jakarta Mandate;
3. Ecological significance
c. Develop and apply diverse approaches, including estab-
4. High natural biological diversity
lishing representative networks of marine protected ar-
eas by 2012;
5. Representativity
d. Halt the loss of marine biodiversity;
6. Sensitivity
e. Implement global conservation conventions and initia-
7. Naturalness
tives such as RAMSAR, CBD, etc.
The agreements also cover prioritisation, management ap-
What can regions do to promote fulfilment of these com- proaches and arrangements for monitoring and reporting.
mitments? The following seem to be important:
The commitments imply a range of actions:
a. Agree on conservation priorities;
Action by each Contracting Party (where action is being taken
b. Agree methods to identify and manage marine pro- under the EC Birds or Habitats Directives for any area, this is
tected areas;
to be regarded as sufficient):
c. Agree what constitutes an ecologically coherent network
a. By end of 2005, select and report on their areas;
of well managed marine protected areas;
b. Develop a management plan for each area;
d. Agree how to measure success in marine conservation.
c. Establish management measures within their
In the OSPAR region, these goals are brought together in the
competences, and seek management measures from other
OSPAR Biodiversity Strategy. This is a four-fold strategy,
competent authorities
endorsed by 2003 OSPAR Ministerial Meeting:
d. Carry out periodic reviews
a. Identify threatened or declining species and habitats;
Collective consideration of:
b. Assess impacts of human activities;
e. What is needed to establish a joint OSPAR/HELCOM
c. Establish an "ecologically coherent network of well man-
network of marine protected areas;
aged marine protected areas";
f. How well the national actions will establish by 2010 an
d. Apply the ecosystem approach (see above), within the
ecologically coherent network of well managed marine
developing European Marine Strategy.
protected areas in the OSPAR area;
In identifying threatened and/or declining species and habi-
g. What action is needed to obtain management measures
tats, the OSPAR Commission has:
from other competent authorities;
a. Adopted a set of criteria (the Texel/Faial criteria), to-
h. What collective action by OSPAR, and joint action with
gether with guidance on how they should be applied, to
HELCOM, as necessary, is needed to achieve the net-
establish common approaches to identifying the species
work.
and habitats about which there is concern;
The third aspect of the OSPAR Biodiversity Strategy is the
b. Agreed and Initial OSPAR List of Threatened and/or review of the impacts of a candidate list of human activities
Declining Species and Habitats, which was endorsed by to see where action would be justified and what measures
the Ministerial Meeting of the Commission in June 2003. would be needed. This list is additional to the issue of dump-
ing, which is regulated directly by one of the Annexes to the
The OSPAR Commission is now working on what action by OSPAR Convention and covers:
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1. Sand and gravel extraction
rally occurring substances and close to zero for man-
2. Dredging for navigational purposes
made synthetic substances;
3. Other exploration for minerals (especially oil and gas)
b. Time Frame ­ Making every endeavour to move to-
wards the target of the cessation of discharges, emis-
4. Location of new offshore installations (pollution from
sions and losses of hazardous substances by the year 2020.
these is considered separately)
The first issue to address is which substances to consider.
5. Offshore wind-energy parks
The starting point has to be OSPAR's 30 years work on a
6. Cables and pipelines
variety of hazardous substances. The problem is whether
7. Land reclamation
we can be certain that we are working on the most significant
8. Introduction of non-native species
substances. The solution adopted is to draw up a List of
Chemicals for Priority Action. To do this, we have adopted
9. Tourism
a "dynamic selection and prioritisation mechanism" -
Action has already been taken on some of these (sand and DYNAMEC, which is described in more detail in the OSPAR
gravel, offshore wind-energy parks), and action is under de- Annual Report for 2000/2001.
velopment on most of the others. This is set out in the work Having identified the chemicals for priority action, the next
programme of the OSPAR Biodiversity Committee (for step under the OSPAR agreed procedures is to draw up a
which see the OSPAR website).
"Background Document" for each of the substances on
Land-based Marine Pollution and Degradation
which action may be needed. These cover the identification
of:
In the field of combating land-based pollution and degrada-
a. the properties of the substance(s) in question;
tion, the WSSD implementation programme naturally fo-
cuses on the Global Programme of Action for the Protec-
b. sources of pollution with these substances which may
tion of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities
affect the marine environment;
(GPA). At the regional level, the most significant commit-
c. the main pathways to the marine environment and their
ments are:
loads;
a. Mobilize resources to implement the GPA;
d. the mechanisms of the adverse effects on seas and ma-
b. Develop the regional programmes of action foreseen
rine ecosystems;
by the GPA;
e. existing obligations for control and possible further mea-
c. Make every effort to achieve substantial progress by
sures;
2006, with a target of at least 40 national programmes
f. the consequences of implementing such measures;
in place by that date.
g. recommended action.
The fields of where regional action on land-based pollution These Background Documents are agreed by the OSPAR
and degradation are worth considering include:
Commission and published on the OSPAR website. The
a. Hazardous substances;
OSPAR Commission then follows up the action recom-
b. Eutrophication;
mended.
c. Radioactive substances;
On eutrophication, the OSPAR Strategy likewise provides
for:
d. Siltation from land erosion.
a. Ultimate objective ­ Combating eutrophication to
In the OSPAR region, siltation is not a major concern, and is
achieve and maintain a healthy marine environment where
not therefore further discussed here. But it is also important
eutrophication does not occur;
to remember the possibility of pollution from offshore in-
stallations, especially those for oil and gas ­ which OSPAR
b. Timeframe ­ Progressive implementation, making ev-
originally treated as a form of land-based pollution.
ery endeavour to achieve, by the year 2010, a healthy marine
environment where eutrophication does not occur.
In 1998, OSPAR adopted strategies on hazardous substances,
eutrophication and radioactive substances, which were re- There is already a wide range of existing instruments to combat
viewed and endorsed by the Ministerial Meeting of the Com- eutrophication ­ especially the EC Directives on Urban Waste
mission in 2003.
Water Treatment and on Nitrates in Agriculture. The work
which OSPAR is pursuing is to agree the eutrophication sta-
In the field of hazardous substances, the OSPAR Strategy tus of the OSPAR maritime area ­ a task completed for the
provides, in summary, for:
first time in June 2003, to evaluate the effectiveness of the
a. Ultimate objective ­ Achieving concentrations in the existing measures and, if need be, to see if further measures
marine environment near background values for natu- are needed.
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On radioactive substances, the OSPAR Strategy provides for:
b. Waste management plans for ports, (including compul-
a. Ultimate aim ­ Concentrations in the environment near
sory delivery of waste before ships leave port);
background values for naturally occurring radioactive sub-
c. Possible requirements on ships entering ports;
stances and close to zero for artificial radioactive sub-
d. Improved surveillance and prosecution, including a North
stances - allowing for:
Sea Network of Investigators and Prosecutors;
a. legitimate uses of the sea;
e. Possible Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) in Baltic
b. technical feasibility;
and NE Atlantic;
c. radiological impacts on man and biota.
f. The development of a Regional Ballast Water Plan under
b. Time Frame ­ By the year 2020, discharges, emissions
the existing IMO Guidelines and the forthcoming IMO
and losses of radioactive substances are to be reduced
Convention.
to levels where the additional concentrations in the ma-
Transport of Radioactive Substances
rine environment above historic levels, resulting from
such discharges, emissions and losses, are close to zero.
The transport of radioactive substances by sea is a very po-
This strategy is being implemented by drawing-up and sub- litically sensitive issue in the North Sea and the North-East
mitting for collective examination national plans, showing how Atlantic. It was specifically addressed by the 2002 North Sea
the elimination or reduction of discharges of radioactive sub- and 2003 OSPAR Ministerial declarations, which are on simi-
stances from both nuclear and non-nuclear sources will be lar lines to the WSSD commitments. Work in this field will
achieved to meet the 2020 goal. This is accompanied by probably focus on the follow-up to the recent conference on
developing the means to establish a collective overview of this subject organised by the International Atomic Energy
progress towards this goal.
Agency in July 2003.
What do the prevention, control and elimination of pollu-
Marine Science
tion from offshore installations mean?
a. The control of the use of hazardous substances off- In the field of marine science, the WSSD commitments fo-
shore, through a harmonised set of procedures;
cus on:
b. The control of oil and other discharges from well op-
a. Improving the scientific understanding of the marine
erations, including a commitment for a 15% reduction
environment;
in absolute terms by 2006 in the amount of oil in "pro-
b. Improving integrated assessment at regional levels;
duced water", in spite of the large expected increase in
c. Building capacity in marine science, information and man-
the amount of produced water discharged;
agement;
c. Reaching decisions on the most environmentally appro-
d. Starting a series of Global Marine Assessments.
priate for handling historic cuttings piles which have not The first and last steps towards an integrated oceans policy
been dispersed by tidal action;
have to be the cycle of monitoring, assessment and policy
d. Control of air emissions and flaring;
review. This need is common to all policy-making, but is
e. Control of disposal of the low-level radioactive scale particularly important for the oceans because our knowledge
which accumulates on pipes and tanks.
of the oceans is still so very limited.
For OSPAR, Annex IV of the OSPAR Convention imposed
Shipping
new obligations for comprehensive monitoring and assess-
In the field of shipping, the WSSD commitments focus prin- ment of the quality status of the marine assessment. In addi-
cipally on:
tion, Articles 28 and 32 imposed new obligations on report-
ing on implementation and assessment of compliance.
a. Enhancing maritime safety and protection against vessel
pollution by actions at all levels;
OSPAR work in this field has a long history:
b. Implementing IMO instruments;
1983 - German North Sea Assessment
c. Addressing the problem of invasive alien species in bal-
1987 - Collective North Sea Assessment
last water.
1993 - North Sea Quality Status Report
In Europe and the North Sea action towards these goals is
1992 - OSPAR Convention - Annex IV Monitoring and
focused on:
Assessment
a. Improved Port State control, particularly under the Paris
1994 - Joint Assessment & Monitoring Programme
Memorandum of Understanding;
(JAMP)
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2000 - Quality Status Report on NE Atlantic
Conclusion
2003 - Revised JAMP
This presentation has attempted to identify the tasks that can
Work is now focused on implementing the revised JAMP, be done at the regional level in order to hep fulfil the WSSD
with the aim of producing by 2010 a further comprehensive commitments, and give examples of how one region is ad-
Quality Status Report. The JAMP includes a Comprehensive dressing this.
Atmospheric Monitoring Programme (CAMP), a Coordi- The OSPAR work will increasingly be placed in a multi-re-
nated Environmental Monitoring Programme (CEMP) (in- gional framework as a European Marine Strategy, covering
cluding monitoring of pollutants in biota, sediments and sea- the Arctic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterra-
water) and a Comprehensive Study of Riverine Inputs and nean Sea and the North-East Atlantic, is developed. The
Direct Discharges (RID).
European Marine Strategy is an initiative of the European
This is supplemented by a series of further reporting:
Community, under its 6th Environmental Action Programme,
a. Liquid discharges from nuclear installations;
but is intended to cover all European States. This should
b. Saste and other materials dumped at sea;
make significant contributions, particularly in getting better
handling of the data collected.
c. Mercury losses from chlor-alkali plants;
In conclusion, those interested in oceans policy should
d. Discharges, waste handling and air emissions from off- WATCH THIS SPACE! ­ www.ospar.org.
shore installations;
e. Marine protected areas, species and habitats (evolving).
The experience of OSPAR in this field confirms the para-
doxical statement of the English author, G. K. Chesterton ­
"If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing badly" ­ in other
words, if a task is really important, then the product will be
worthwhile even if it is not perfect. Provided allowances are
made for possible errors when conclusions are drawn, a re-
view and assessment of what is known can be helpful, even
if it only shows what the main gaps in knowledge are that
need to be filled.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
In Part IV, we bring together the summary points on the paralleling UN-Water, the UN inter-agency mechanism for
WSSD targets presented earlier in the volume along with a coordination of water issues.
summary table (Table 4), which highlights major progress
achieved.
New modalities for coordination among UN Agencies and
programs, applicable to the new networks under the High
1. Addressing Cross-Sectoral Aspects
Level Committee on Programmes have been defined as part
of the follow-up of WSSD.
Programs in integrated coastal management need to:
The Terms of Reference for UN-Ocean have been defined
· be scaled up to encompass larger parts of coastal areas, as well as a list of interested agencies identified. Specifics of
and ultimately the entire coastal area and EEZ. The how the mechanism will operate are to be defined by the
setting of specific timelines for accomplishing this would network.
be useful.
· receive specific funding to support the implementation NGO involvement is expected to materialize at the level of
of coastal management programs so that programs can specific Task Forces addressing different issues.
go from planning into the operation phase.
· expand their activities in poverty reduction and public 3. Establishing a Global Marine Assessment
health
· link to watershed and river basin management
A detailed proposal for the design and operation of the
Global Marine Assessment has been prepared by the Group
Management of ocean areas further offshore, including en- of Experts
tire EEZs will require:
States and others are in the process of discussing the draft
· new concepts, approaches and structures
and of considering the mobilization of financial and human
· lesson sharing among countries
resources to put the GMA into effect
· assistance to developing and SIDS countries to delimit
EEZs and continental shelves and to establish appropri- 4. Advancing Implementation of the Global
ate governance mechanisms
Programme of Action for the Protection of the
Marine Environment from Land-based Activities
Regional-level marine ecosystem efforts, such as LMEs and
regional seas:
UNEP-GPA is working to help countries develop national
programmes of action (NPA) by 2006. Building on the ex-
· LME experience can be relied upon as a major source perience of countries that have developed NPAs, it is rec-
of experience for applying the ecosystem approach by
ommended that countries integrate NPAs with sustainable
2010
development strategies and/or poverty reduction strategy
· LMEs, Regional Seas, and other regional entities, work- papers.
ing together, need to develop specific goals and proce-
dures at the regional level to implement the global WSSD There is an indication that the 2006 H2O target of 40 coun-
targets
tries actively involved in developing or implementing NPAs
will be exceeded
2. Enhancing United Nations Coherence
Links between the oceans community and the freshwater
A new interagency mechanism on oceans has been created community urgently need to be strengthened and used to
by the highest levels of the UN system: the Oceans and build integrated responses to the problems of watershed/
Coastal Areas Network, subsequently renamed UN-Ocean, coastal/marine degradation
The incorporation of GPA objectives into LME, coral reefs,
ICM, as well as in biodiversity and marine protected area
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programs and strategies is recognized as a key factor to- (Integrated Coastal Area Management) as a central paradigm
wards the successful implementation of these programs.
for coastal area management. In order to have healthy cap-
ture fisheries, aquaculture capacity must be developed with
5. Addressing the Issues of SIDS
less impacting production strategies.
A draft of the strategy document for the Mauritius Interna- Though overlooked by WSSD, elements of demand-ori-
tional Meeting has been prepared and agreed to by the SIDS ented management should be developed to complement the
countries and the G77/China, and is now under further ne- conventional supply-oriented management, e.g., the devel-
gotiation.
opment of equitable eco-labeling systems.
The Mauritius International Meeting has been rescheduled to Agreement in definitions and measurements of Fishing Ca-
January 10-14, 2005.
pacity and Excess Capacity needs to be obtained as a prior-
ity, leading to the development of a system of indicators.
Assessments conducted for the Barbados+10 preparatory Formal reporting of actions taken and achievements in imple-
process underscore the central role of oceans and coasts for menting the FAO International Plans of Action should also
the environmental, social, and economic well-being of SIDS. be strengthened.
An important need of SIDS countries, articulated both in The importance of effective and targeted public awareness
the JPoI and in the preparatory process of the Mauritius and educational programs, the direct involvement of key
International meeting, is the delimitation and management players such as the fishing industry, retailers, and other stake-
of coastal areas, Exclusive Economic Zones, and continen- holders in fisheries management, and increased international/
tal shelves.
bilateral cooperation on highly migratory species and shared
stocks in the implementation of responsible fisheries strate-
To accomplish the above purposes, the further development gies, cannot be over-emphasized.
of institutional frameworks for ocean and coastal manage-
ment and capacity building in the field should take place.
Since only 10% of the total fisheries captures take place in
the high seas, it would be very important to more forcefully
Important steps in the development of a Regional Ocean develop national ocean policies with integrated fisheries poli-
Policy, providing guidance for both regional and national- cies for the EEZs. Furthermore, the LME approach should
level ocean policies, have been taken in the Pacific Islands be adopted to provide a vantage platform for focused tem-
region.
poral and spatial assessments and monitoring efforts in sup-
port of management aimed at the long-term productivity
6. Improving Fisheries Management
of marine habitats and sustainable utilization of marine re-
sources such as fisheries. Better connections should be devel-
The JPoI targets, along with the 1982 UN Convention on oped, however, with existing decision-making systems.
the Law of the Sea and all the international instruments
adopted since UNCED, represent an overwhelming set of 7. Expanding and Improving Management of Marine
commitments that fisheries authorities have to implement.
Protected Areas, Biodiversity, and Coral Reefs
In regard to IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fish- Tangible steps in operationalizing networks of MPAs have
ing) and reduction in fishing capacity, the development and been taken, in the 7th meeting of the Conference of Parties
implementation of national plans (NPOAs) by the lack of of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which has speci-
mobilization of technical and ODA (Overseas Development fied guidance for national frameworks of MPAs in the con-
Assistance) support required.
text of integrated coastal and marine management
The WSSD targets are connected to each other in terms of The CBD, among others, has emphasized the urgency of
drivers, processes, measures and impacts, which are not ex- also developing MPAs in marine areas beyond national juris-
plicitly reflected in the target dates. The degree of adoption diction
of the ecosystem approach in fisheries and aquaculture by
2012 and the extent of recovery of many presently over- Mobilization of people and resources to achieve the WSSD
fished fisheries to MSY by 2015 are linked to the success of goal of networks of MPAs by 2012 is beginning in some
capacity-reduction programmes, the elimination of harmful places, e.g., in the Pacific Islands through an NGO coalition.
subsidies, and the degree of uptake and success of ICAM Some unmet needs in this area:
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
- Operationalizing the notion of "networks of MPAs" rarely addressed and potential lessons from other experi-
in the context of specific marine regions
ences remain unutilized.
- Setting up of sub-targets or intermediate goals to be The most relevant lessons of broad application are: (a) the
reached prior to 2012
involvement of high-level political actors is fundamental to
the identification of priorities and the mobilization of fund-
8. Mobilizing Resources Towards the Achievement of
ing support for the partnerships; (b) multi-agency participa-
WSSD Targets on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
tion is helping improve institutional coordination at both the
national and regional levels; (c) networking of partnerships
Mobilization of human and financial resources on a timely and practitioners is proving vital to the sharing of experi-
basis, growth in management capacity, greater involvement ence and lessons learned, particularly on a regional basis. (d)
by the private sector, greater involvement of NGOs and the Participation in partnership fairs and forums can provide
public, are all essential for the attainment of the WSSD goals inputs on establishing and building partnerships to facilitate
related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS.
matchmaking, securing resources for these initiatives in the
future, bringing together different actors, and enhancing
· Financing
cross-sectoral communication and collaboration; and (e) part-
nerships can provide an important opportunity to introduce
There is a need to carry out analyses of flows of develop- the application of the ecosystem approach to meet the 2010
ment assistance related to oceans, coasts, and SIDS. At target recommended by WSSD.
present, it is difficult to put together an overall picture on
development assistance on oceans, coasts, and SIDS from A strategy for the enhancement and development of part-
bilateral and multilateral sources.
nerships on oceans, coasts and islands could be based on the
development of a "mechanism for partnership facilitation"
There are perceived gaps in development assistance on oceans, led by the Global Forum. The mechanism could have four
coasts, and SIDS--especially for the implementation of ICM elements:
programs and of multilateral "soft law" agreements.
1. A list of ongoing and potential partnerships, identifying
To enhance coordination among development assistance ef- lead organizations, other partners, goals, contact informa-
forts from bilateral and multilateral donors, periodic tion, and a written partnership description in sufficient detail
Roundtables of Donors should be convened, at both the to determine the relevance of the partnership to the reader's
global level and in various regions.
interest.
Further study of the need for and possible modalities of a 2. A description of "lessons learned" (as supplied by Global
global oceans fund should be pursued, learning from the Forum participants on the basis of their experience in part-
experience of existing global funds in other areas.
nership implementation).
· Sustainable Development Partnerships
3. A description of potential sources of resources to sup-
port partnerships.
Regarding the WSSD Sustainable Development Partnerships,
preliminary analysis of the status of partnerships in the oceans, 4. A description of partnerships activities organized on a
coasts, and SIDS area suggests a mixed picture, with some regional and subregional basis aimed at practitioners.
partnerships being well financed, effective, and generating
additional partnerships, while other partnerships are getting · Capacity building
off the ground very slowly. Some obstacles mentioned in-
cluded: limited government involvement and commitment, While there are many capacity building efforts related to ocean
few partnerships include the private sector, funding alloca- and coastal management, there are key obstacles that pre-
tions for ocean, coasts, and SIDS issues are often not prop- vent scaling up, coordination, and targeting of these initia-
erly targeted or insufficient, certain issue areas are barely ad- tives. These include short-term nature of the efforts; frag-
dressed by partnerships, certain regions are less represented mentation and lack of coordination; not context specific and
in partnerships, limited regional and thematic coordination responsive to local, national, or regional priorities; not sup-
might lead to duplication or dispersion of efforts, linkages ported through long-term targeted financing.
with different sectors (e.g., water, transportation, energy) are
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In order to develop a critical mass of integrated coastal and · Public Involvement
ocean managers and professionals, there is a need to de-
velop a global strategy for capacity building in the field which Public involvement in the resolution of oceans, coasts, and
assesses existing programs and identifies gaps, formulates an islands issues requires a change in environmental behavior
action plan for sustained capacity building and utilization, that may be facilitated by public education initiatives. Con-
and defines modalities to make capacity building programs cerned public education and media organizations actively
more relevant to end users.
involved in oceans issues agree that the following are all es-
sential in facilitating the achievement of WSSD targets in
· NGOs and Private Sector
oceans, coasts, and SIDS: raising and maintaining mass me-
dia interest; providing adequate information on oceans is-
NGOs and foundations are approaching WSSD targets by: sues; mobilizing educational organizations in reaching very
developing policies, building political will, working with part- large audiences; mobilizing educational organizations at all
ners, demonstrating good practice, implementing on the levels in order to integrate ocean issues into programs imple-
ground projects, and contributing to scientific debate. NGOs menting the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable De-
may vary in specific implementation techniques but they carry velopment; engaging people into action that is beneficial to
out common strategies, especially in addressing WSSD tar- the environment by focusing on communicating priority mes-
gets in MPAs and fisheries. Outstanding issues that they need sages to the public; mobilizing all stakeholders to get involved
to deal with include: providing sustainable financing for in Ocean Day and other events; determining the best tools
MPAs, developing a legal framework and implementation for reaching specific target groups; and identifying and pro-
of high seas MPAs, developing a global baseline of current viding funding for educational activities and campaigns.
MPA coverage, building political will to implement MPAs
and sustainable fisheries, implementing an effective moni-
toring and evaluation system for MPAs, and developing new
approaches to mitigate IUU fishing.
A growing number of industries are beginning to factor in
environmental considerations in the way they do business,
e.g., the aquarium fish trade, fisheries, and coastal tourism.
Sustainable practices, based on international prescriptions,
such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisher-
ies and the principles of integrated coastal management are
finding their way into private sector initiatives. In coastal tour-
ism, strategies to influence the private sector into adopting a
more sustainable approach to tourism investments include:
establishment of fiscal or financial incentives that help direct
investments towards sustainable tourism; reinforcement of
environmental legislation and regulations applicable to large
private tourism development projects and/or the reinforce-
ment of supervision of voluntary, self-regulatory schemes;
and designation of marine protected areas.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Table 4. Toward Implementation of WSSD Goals on Oceans, Coasts, and Small Island Developing States: A Summary
Operationalization of
Assessment of Current
Development of Strategies
Mobilization of People and
Institutional Changes
Likely Outcomes
WSSD goals
Status
Resources
1. Addressing
Coastal management
Strategies for implementing
Cross-sectoral
programs need to: scale up;
WSSD targets are being
aspects
put more emphasis on
developed at the regional
poverty reduction; receive
level, e.g., East Asia
funding for implementation
(PEMSEA), Pacific Islands
Regional Ocean Policy, ICM
National ocean policy
protocol in the Mediterranean
development/EEZ planning is
a growing practice--lesson
LME experience should be
drawing among nations is
built upon in application of
essential
ecosystem approach by 2010
SIDS and other developing
countries need assistance in
EEZ and continental shelf
delimitation and management
2. Enhancing UN
The UN Chief Executives
Enhanced coordination of
A UN mechanism to review
New interagency mechanism
Coherence
Board for Coordination's
activities in oceans and coasts
joint and overlapping ongoing
for UN coordination on
High Level Committee on
requires review and
activities is needed.
oceans and coasts "UN-
Programmes was tasked to
harmonization of ongoing
Oceans" has been created
lead the development of
activities and addressing
improved collaborative UN
emerging challenges.
The Terms of Reference for
arrangements in oceans and
UN-Oceans have been
coastal areas
defined, and the list of
interested agencies identified
3. Establishing a
Consultant's report has
Group of Experts has
The draft GMA strategy is
Global Marine
assessed current status
developed a draft strategy for
being discussed at the UN
Assessment
the GMA
Open-ended Informal
Consultative Process on
Oceans and the Law of the
Sea in June 2004
4. Advancing
HO Conference in Cairns,
The 2006 target of 40
2
Implementation
Australia (May 2004)
countries actively involved in
of the GPA
developed a strategy for
developing or implementing
advancing GPA
NPAs will probably be
implementation by 2006
exceeded
5. Addressing the
A number of analyses on
AOSIS has developed a
Issues of SIDS
progress achieved since
strategy paper for the
Barbados 1994 are ongoing
Mauritius International
Meeting--which is currently
under negotiation
The Mauritius International
meeting has been
rescheduled to January 10-14,
2005
6. Improving
-Application of ecosystem
Fisheries
approach to fisheries is in
Management
progress and for some species
likely to be well implemented
by 2012
Development and
implementation of national
plans of action (NPOAs) has
begun
Regional fishery management
organizations have
undertaken a review of their
mandates and functions with
the view to improving their
performance
7. Improving
Tangible steps have been
Mobilization in some areas,
Management of
taken in operationalizing
e.g., Pacific through NGO
MPAs, Biodiversity,
MPA networks, especially
efforts
and Coral Reefs
through COP of Biodiversity
Convention
8. Mobilizing
Sustainable Development
Preliminary analysis of the
Creation of some networks
Resources Towards
Partnerships continue to be
status of partnerships in
and umbrella regional
the Achievement of
established
oceans, coasts (27), and SIDS
partnerships with
WSSD Targets on
(18) shows that some are
involvement of governments
Oceans, Coasts, and
doing very well and spurring
and stakeholders
Islands
new partnerships. Others are
having difficulties with
funding, and government and
private sector commitments
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APPENDICES
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Appendix A.
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Text
(The verbatim text related to oceans, coasts, and islands
in the Plan of Implementation agreed to at the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
September 29, 2002)
V. Protecting and managing the natural resource
(h) Take note of the work of the open-ended informal con-
base of economic and social development
sultative process established by the United Nations General
Assembly in its resolution 54/33 in order to facilitate the an-
nual review by the Assembly of developments in ocean affairs
30. Oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated and essential
and the upcoming review of its effectiveness and utility to be
component of the Earth's ecosystem and are critical for global food secu-
held at its fifty-seventh session under the terms of the above-
rity and for sustaining economic prosperity and the well-being of many
mentioned resolution.
national economies, particularly in developing countries. Ensuring the
sustainable development of the oceans requires effective coordination
31. To achieve sustainable fisheries, the following actions are required
and cooperation, including at the global and regional levels, between rel-
at all levels:
evant bodies, and actions at all levels to:
(a) Maintain or restore stocks to levels that can produce the
(a) Invite States to ratify or accede to and implement the United
maximum sustainable yield with the aim of achieving these
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the
goals for depleted stocks on an urgent basis and where pos-
overall legal framework for ocean activities;
sible not later than 2015;
(b) Promote the implementation of chapter 17 of Agenda 21 which
(b) Ratify or accede to and effectively implement the relevant
provides the programme of action for achieving the sustainable
United Nations and, where appropriate, associated regional
development of oceans, coastal areas and seas through its
fisheries agreements or arrangements, noting in particular the
programme areas of integrated management and sustainable de-
Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the
velopment of coastal areas, including exclusive economic zones;
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10
marine environmental protection; sustainable use and conserva-
December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management
tion of marine living resources; addressing critical uncertainties for
of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks
the management of the marine environment and climate change;
and the 1993 Agreement to Promote Compliance with Inter-
strengthening international, including regional, cooperation and
national Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing
coordination; and sustainable development of small islands;
Vessels on the High Seas;
(c) Establish an effective, transparent and regular inter-agency coor-
(c) Implement the 1995 Code of Conduct for Responsible
dination mechanism on ocean and coastal issues within the United
Fisheries, taking note of the special requirements of develop-
Nations system;
ing countries as noted in its article 5, and the relevant Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) inter-
(d) Encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach,
national plans of action and technical guidelines;
noting the Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the
Marine Ecosystem and decision 5/6 of the Conference of Parties
(d) Urgently develop and implement national and, where ap-
to the Convention on Biological Diversity;
propriate, regional plans of action, to put into effect the FAO
international plans of action, in particular the international
(e) Promote integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral coastal
plan of action for the management of fishing capacity by 2005
and ocean management at the national level, and encourage and
and the international plan of action to prevent, deter and elimi-
assist coastal States in developing ocean policies and mechanisms
nate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by 2004. Es-
on integrated coastal management;
tablish effective monitoring, reporting and enforcement, and
(f) Strengthen regional cooperation and coordination between the
control of fishing vessels, including by flag States, to further
relevant regional organizations and programmes, the UNEP re-
the international plan of action to prevent, deter and eliminate
gional seas programmes, regional fisheries management organiza-
illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;
tions and other regional science, health and development organiza-
(e) Encourage relevant regional fisheries management organi-
tions;
zations and arrangements to give due consideration to the
(g) Assist developing countries in coordinating policies and
rights, duties and interests of coastal States and the special
programmes at the regional and subregional levels aimed at the
requirements of developing States when addressing the issue
conservation and sustainable management of fishery resources,
of the allocation of share of fishery resources for straddling
and implement integrated coastal area management plans, includ-
stocks and highly migratory fish stocks, mindful of the provi-
ing through the promotion of sustainable coastal and small-scale
sions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
fishing activities and, where appropriate, the development of re-
Sea and the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provi-
lated infrastructure;
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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
sions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
33. Advance implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the
Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and
Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities and
Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory
the Montreal Declaration on the Protection of the Marine Environment
Fish Stocks, on the high seas and within exclusive economic
from Land-based Activities, with particular emphasis in the period 2002-
zones;
2006 on municipal wastewater, the physical alteration and destruction of
habitats, and nutrients, by actions at all levels to:
(f) Eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported
and unregulated fishing and to over-capacity, while complet-
(a) Facilitate partnerships, scientific research and diffusion of tech-
ing the efforts undertaken at WTO to clarify and improve its
nical knowledge; mobilize domestic, regional and international re-
disciplines on fisheries subsidies, taking into account the im-
sources; and promote human and institutional capacity-building,
portance of this sector to developing countries;
paying particular attention to the needs of developing countries;
(g) Strengthen donor coordination and partnerships between
(b) Strengthen the capacity of developing countries in the develop-
international financial institutions, bilateral agencies and other
ment of their national and regional programmes and mechanisms
relevant stakeholders to enable developing countries, in par-
to mainstream the objectives of the Global Programme of Action
ticular the least developed countries and small island develop-
and to manage the risks and impacts of ocean pollution;
ing States and countries with economies in transition, to de-
(c) Elaborate regional programmes of action and improve the links
velop their national, regional and subregional capacities for
with strategic plans for the sustainable development of coastal and
infrastructure and integrated management and the sustainable
marine resources, noting in particular areas which are subject to
use of fisheries;
accelerated environmental changes and development pressures;
(h) Support the sustainable development of aquaculture, in-
(d) Make every effort to achieve substantial progress by the next
cluding small-scale aquaculture, given its growing importance
Global Programme of Action conference in 2006 to protect the
for food security and economic development.
marine environment from land-based activities.
32. In accordance with chapter 17 of Agenda 21, promote the conser-
34. Enhance maritime safety and protection of the marine environment
vation and management of the oceans through actions at all levels,
from pollution by actions at all levels to:
giving due regard to the relevant international instruments to:
(a) Invite States to ratify or accede to and implement the conven-
(a) Maintain the productivity and biodiversity of important
tions and protocols and other relevant instruments of the Interna-
and vulnerable marine and coastal areas, including in areas
tional Maritime Organization (IMO) relating to the enhancement
within and beyond national jurisdiction;
of maritime safety and protection of the marine environment from
(b) Implement the work programme arising from the Jakarta
marine pollution and environmental damage caused by ships, in-
Mandate on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine
cluding the use of toxic anti-fouling paints and urge IMO to con-
and Coastal Biological Diversity of the Convention on Bio-
sider stronger mechanisms to secure the implementation of IMO
logical Diversity, including through the urgent mobilization
instruments by flag States;
of financial resources and technological assistance and the de-
(b) Accelerate the development of measures to address invasive
velopment of human and institutional capacity, particularly in
alien species in ballast water. Urge IMO to finalize the IMO Inter-
developing countries;
national Convention on the Control and Management of Ships'
(c) Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and
Ballast Water and Sediments.
tools, including the ecosystem approach, the elimination of
35. Governments, taking into account their national circumstances, are
destructive fishing practices, the establishment of marine pro-
encouraged, recalling paragraph 8 of resolution GC (44)/RES/17 of the
tected areas consistent with international law and based on
General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
scientific information, including representative networks by
and taking into account the very serious potential for environment and
2012 and time/area closures for the protection of nursery
human health impacts of radioactive wastes, to make efforts to examine
grounds and periods, proper coastal land use; and watershed
and further improve measures and internationally agreed regulations re-
planning and the integration of marine and coastal areas man-
garding safety, while stressing the importance of having effective liability
agement into key sectors;
mechanisms in place, relevant to international maritime transportation
(d) Develop national, regional and international programmes
and other transboundary movement of radioactive material, radioactive
for halting the loss of marine biodiversity, including in coral
waste and spent fuel, including, inter alia, arrangements for prior notifica-
reefs and wetlands;
tion and consultations done in accordance with relevant international in-
struments.
(e) Implement the RAMSAR Convention, including its joint
work programme with the Convention on Biological Diver-
36. Improve the scientific understanding and assessment of marine and
sity, and the programme of action called for by the Interna-
coastal ecosystems as a fundamental basis for sound decision-making,
tional Coral Reef Initiative to strengthen joint management
through actions at all levels to:
plans and international networking for wetland ecosystems in
(a) Increase scientific and technical collaboration, including integrated
coastal zones, including coral reefs, mangroves, seaweed beds
assessment at the global and regional levels, including the appro-
and tidal mud flats.
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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
priate transfer of marine science and marine technologies and tech-
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the
niques for the conservation and management of living and non-
UNEP regional seas programmes;
living marine resources and expanding ocean-observing capabilities
(d) Provide support, including for capacity-building, for the
for the timely prediction and assessment of the state of marine
development and further implementation of:
environment;
(i) Small island developing States-specific components within
(b) Establish by 2004 a regular process under the United Nations
programmes of work on marine and coastal biological diver-
for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine
sity;
environment, including socio-economic aspects, both current and
foreseeable, building on existing regional assessments;
(ii) Freshwater programmes for small island developing States,
including through the GEF focal areas;
(c) Build capacity in marine science, information and management,
through, inter alia, promoting the use of environmental impact
(e) Effectively reduce, prevent and control waste and pollution
assessments and environmental evaluation and reporting tech-
and their health-related impacts by undertaking by 2004 initia-
niques, for projects or activities that are potentially harmful to the
tives aimed at implementing the Global Programme of Ac-
coastal and marine environments and their living and non-living
tion for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
resources;
based Activities in small island developing States;
(d) Strengthen the ability of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
(f) Work to ensure that, in the ongoing negotiations and elabo-
Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
ration of the WTO work programme on trade in small econo-
Cultural Organization, FAO and other relevant international and
mies, due account is taken of small island developing States,
regional and subregional organizations to build national and local
which have severe structural handicaps in integrating into the
capacity in marine science and the sustainable management of oceans
global economy, within the context of the Doha development
and their resources.
agenda;
* * *
(g) Develop community-based initiatives on sustainable tour-
ism by 2004, and build the capacities necessary to diversify
tourism products, while protecting culture and traditions, and
effectively conserving and managing natural resources;
VII. Sustainable development of small island devel-
(h) Extend assistance to small island developing States in sup-
oping States
port of local communities and appropriate national and re-
gional organizations of small island developing States for com-
58. Small island developing States are a special case both for environment
prehensive hazard and risk management, disaster prevention,
and development. Although they continue to take the lead in the path
mitigation and preparedness, and help relieve the consequences
towards sustainable development in their countries, they are increasingly
of disasters, extreme weather events and other emergencies;
constrained by the interplay of adverse factors clearly underlined in Agenda
(i) Support the finalization and subsequent early
21, the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small
operationalization, on agreed terms, of economic, social and
Island Developing States and the decisions adopted at the twenty-second
environmental vulnerability indices and related indicators as
special session of the General Assembly. This would include actions at all
tools for the achievement of the sustainable development of
levels to:
the small island developing States;
(a) Accelerate national and regional implementation of the
(j) Assist small island developing States in mobilizing adequate
Programme of Action, with adequate financial resources, including
resources and partnerships for their adaptation needs relating
through GEF focal areas, transfer of environmentally sound tech-
to the adverse effects of climate change, sea level rise and cli-
nologies and assistance for capacity-building from the international
mate variability, consistent with commitments under the United
community;
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes, where
(b) Further implement sustainable fisheries management and im-
applicable;
prove financial returns from fisheries by supporting and strength-
(k) Support efforts by small island developing States to build
ening relevant regional fisheries management organizations, as ap-
capacities and institutional arrangements to implement intel-
propriate, such as the recently established Caribbean Regional Fish-
lectual property regimes;
eries Mechanism and such agreements as the Convention on the
Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in
59. Support the availability of adequate, affordable and environmen-
the Western and Central Pacific Ocean;
tally sound energy services for the sustainable development of small
island developing States by, inter alia:
(c) Assist small island developing States, including through the
elaboration of specific initiatives, in delimiting and managing in a
(a) Strengthening ongoing and supporting new efforts on en-
sustainable manner their coastal areas and exclusive economic zones
ergy supply and services, by 2004, including through the United
and the continental shelf (including, where appropriate, the conti-
Nations system and partnership initiatives;
nental shelf areas beyond 200 miles from coastal baselines), as well
(b) Developing and promoting efficient use of sources of
as relevant regional management initiatives within the context of
energy, including indigenous sources and renewable energy,
145

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
and building the capacities of small island developing States
for training, technical know-how and strengthening national
institutions in the area of energy management;
60. Provide support to SIDS to develop capacity and strengthen:
(a) Health-care services for promoting equitable access to health
care;
(b) Health systems for making available necessary drugs and
technology in a sustainable and affordable manner to fight
and control communicable and non-communicable diseases,
in particular HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes, malaria and
dengue fever;
(c) Efforts to reduce and manage waste and pollution and
building capacity for maintaining and managing systems to
deliver water and sanitation services, in both rural and urban
areas;
(d) Efforts to implement initiatives aimed at poverty eradica-
tion, which have been outlined in section II of the present
document.
61. Undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementa-
tion of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable De-
velopment of Small Island Developing States in 2004, in accordance
with the provisions set forth in General Assembly resolution S-22/2,
and in this context requests the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh
session to consider convening an international meeting for the sus-
tainable development of small island developing States.
146

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Appendix B.
2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
List of Participants
Mr. Justin AHANHANZO
Dr. Miriam BALGOS
Ms. Virginie BONNET
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Researcher, Gerard J. Mangone Center for
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
sion (IOC), United Nations Educational,
Marine Policy, University of Delaware
Commission (IOC)
Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
USA
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
FRANCE
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Mr. Julian BARBIERE
FRANCE
Mr. Bernardo ALIAGA
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Programme Specialist
sion (IOC), UNESCO
Dr. Ram BOOJH
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
FRANCE
Co-ordinator, Centre for Environment
sion (IOC), United Nations Educational,
Education
Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Dr. Awni BEHNAM
INDIA
FRANCE
Senior Advisor to the Secretary General's UN
Conference on Trade & Development
Dr. Charlotte BREIDE
Dr. Fatima ALVES
President, International Ocean Institute, Palais
Senior Legal Advisor - High Seas
Lecturer, Dept. of Environment & Planning
des Nations
WWF International
University of Aveiro
SWITZERLAND
SWITZERLAND
PORTUGAL
Mr. Stefano BELFIORE
Dr. William J. BRENNAN
Mr. Jens AMBSDORF
Knauss Fellow
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce
CEO, Lighthouse Foundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
for International Affairs
GERMANY
tration (NOAA) International Programs Office
Office of International Affairs
USA
National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Mr. Francisco ARIAS
Administration
General Director
Mr. Herman BELMAR
USA
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas
Small Islands Voice Co-ordinator
(INVEMAR)
Bequia Community High School
Dr. Leo BREWSTER
Colombia
ST. VINCENT & The GRENADINES
Director, Coastal Zone Management Unit
BARBADOS
H.E. Mr. José Luís ARNAUT
Mrs. Julia BENN
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
Administrator, Development Cooperation
Dr. Noel BROWN
Government of Portugal
Directorate
Board Member, International Ocean
PORTUGAL
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Institute
Development (OECD)
USA
Mr. Russell ARTHURTON
FRANCE
African Project Coordinator
Mr. Peter BRYANT
Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone
Mr. John BENNETT
Deputy-Director
(LOICZ) Internatinal Project Office
Principal, Bennett & Associates
Global Marine Programme
The NETHERLANDS
USA
WWF International
SWITZERLAND
Mrs. Margarita ASTRALAGA
Dr. Patricio BERNAL
Americas Regional Co-ordinator
Executive Secretary
Ms. Virginie BUJOLI
Ramsar Convention Bureau
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
SWITZERLAND
sion (IOC), UNESCO
Commission (IOC)
FRANCE
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
H.E. Mme. Roselyne BACHELOT-
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
NARQUIN
Ms. Alice BISIAUX
FRANCE
Minister
Writer/Editor
Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Develop-
Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Prof. Peter BURBRIDGE
ment
USA
Sustainable Development Expert
FRANCE
LOICZ IPO
Mr. Bernard BLAZKIEWICZ
The NETHERLANDS
Dr. Francois BAILET
Associated Researcher
Deputy Executive Director
International Ocean Institute
Mr. Phil BURGESS
International Ocean Institute
POLAND
Co-Chair
CANADA
United Nations Open-Ended Informal
Mr. Kent BLOM
Consultative Process on Oceans & Law
Chairman SIDA, Marine Programmes
of the Sea
Swedish International Development Agency
AUSTRALIA
SWEDEN
147

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Ms. Hermina BUSSCHBACH
Dr. Charlotte DE FOUNTAUBERT
Mr. Charles "Bud" EHLER
International Water Policy Advisor
Marine Policy Consultant
Director, National Ocean Service International
Ministry of Transport, Public Works &
FRANCE
Programs Office
Water Management
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administra-
The NETHERLANDS
Ms. Louise DE LA FAYETTE
tion
Legal Advisor, Office of Legal Affairs
USA
Mrs. Gillian CAMBERS
UN Division of Ocean Affairs & Law of the
Small Islands Voice Co-ordinator
Sea
Mr. Isaac Tunji FAROTADE
Sea Grant College Programme
USA
Scientist, Federal College of Agriculture
University of Puerto Rico
NIGERIA
PUERTO RICO
Mr. Richard F. DELANEY
Director, Urban Harbors Institute
Ms. Maria FERRARO
Ms. Christine CAUSSE
University of Massachusetts
Environmental Specialist
Scientific Counselor, Ocean Future Society
USA
LEAD Auditor UNI EN ISO 14001
FRANCE
Exploration & Production Division (ENI)
Mr. Javier DIAZ-CARMOUN
S.P.A.
Dr. Russell CHAPMAN
Ambassador of Costa Rica to UNESCO
ITALY
Dean, Louisiana State University
Delegation of Costa Rica to UNESCO
USA
COSTA RICA
Prof. Giuliano FIERRO
Professor, Dipteris - University of Genoa
Mr. Akilananda CHELLAPERMAL
Dr. Antonio DÍAZ-DE-LEÓN
ITALY
Small Islands Voice Project Leader,
Director-General
CEDREFI
Environmental Policy
Dr. Julius FRANCIS
MAURITIUS
Ministry of Environment & Natural Re-
Executive Secretary
sources/
Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Associa-
Dr. Biliana CICIN-SAIN
Secretario de Medio Ambiente y Recursos
tion
Director, Gerard J. Mangone Center for
Naturales (SEMARNAT)
TANZANIA
Marine Policy, University of Delaware
MEXICO
USA
Dr. Anamarija FRANKIC
Mr. E. Salif DIOP
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Mr. Manuel CIRA
Senior Environmental Affairs Officer
USA
Head of Cultural Activities & Interna-
Division of Early Warning & Assessment,
tional Partnerships
UNEP
Mr. Emilio GABRIELLI
Centre National de la Mer (NAUSICAA)
KENYA
Executive Secretary
FRANCE
Global Water Programme
Ms. Paula DIPERNA
SWEDEN
Dr. Harris COCCOSSIS
Special Advisor
Professor, Department of Planning and
South Street Seaport Museum
Mr. Bertrand LE GALLIC
Regional Development
USA
Administrator, OECD
School of Engineering, University of
FRANCE
Thessaly
Ms. Daniela DIZ
GREECE
Advisor
Dr. Zhiguo GAO
Botanic Garden, Environment Ministry
Executive Director & Professor
Ms. Sabine COUROUBLE
BRAZIL
China Institute for Marine Affairs (CIMA)
International Project Assistant
State Oceanic Administration (SOA)
Centre National de la Mer, NAUSICAA
Ms. Wendy DODDS
CHINA
FRANCE
Research Assistant, Cardiff University
School of Earth
Mr. Serge GARCIA
Ms. Alexia CUMMINS
Ocean & Planetary Sciences
Director, Fishery Resources Division
International Conservation Manager
UNITED KINGDOM
United Nations Food & Agricultural Organiza-
Marine Stewardship Council
tion of the United Nations
UNITED KINGDOM
Dr. Alfred DUDA
ITALY
Senior Advisor, International Waters
Ms. Valerie CUMMINS
Global Environment Facility
Mr. Guillermo GARCIA MONTERO
Manager, Coastal & Marine Resources
USA
Director, Presidente
Centre
Acuario Nacional, Comite Oceanografico
IRELAND
Dr. Sylvia EARLE
Nacional
Executive Director
CUBA
Dr. Arthur DAHL
Global Marine Programmes
Director, Global Islands Network
Conservation International
Dr. Cecile GASPAR
SWITZERLAND
USA
Director, Dolphin Quest
French Polynesia
Mr. Eduardo DE ANA
FRANCE
Webmaster, Oceana Europa
SPAIN
148

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Ms. Marie GAUTHIER
H.E. Dr. Harsh K. GUPTA
Dr. Indumathie HEWAWASAM
Director, Marine Environment Branch,
Secretary to the Government of India
Senior Environmental Specialist
Environment Canada
Dept. of Ocean Development
World Bank
CANADA
INDIA
TANZANIA
Ms. Irene GAZAGNE
Mr. Jorge GUTIERREZ
Ms. Annie HILLARY
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Centro EPOMEX, Universidad Autonoma de
International Programme Specialist
sion (IOC)
Campeche
National Ocean Service, NOAA
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
MEXICO
USA
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
FRANCE
Mr. Malcolm HADLEY
Mr. Darren HIRST
Consultant SC/CSI, United Nations Educa-
PhD Researcher, Cardiff University
Dr. Makram GERGES
tional, Scientific & Cultural Organization
UNITED KINGDOM
Environmental Consultant
FRANCE
National Expert
Mr. Pablo HUIDOBRO
Global Programme of Action
Dr. Stefan HAIN
STA, UNIDO
Cabinet of Ministers
Head of Coral Reef Unit
Vienna International Centre
Egyptian Environmental Affair Agency
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
AUSTRIA
EGYPT
United Nations Environmental Programme
UNITED KINGDOM
Prof. Alf Hakon HOEL
Mr. Matthew GIANNI
Associate Professor
Independent Advisor
Dr. Lynne HALE
University of Tromso, Breivika
The NETHERLANDS
Director, Marine Initiative
NORWAY
The Nature Conservancy
Ms. Kristina M. GJERDE
USA
Mr. Geoffrey L. HOLLAND
High Seas Policy Advisor
Canadian Oceans Ambassador
Global Marine Programme
Mr. Matthew HATCHWELL
CANADA
International Union for Conservation of
European Co-ordinator
Nature
Wildlife Conservation Society
Mrs. Tiare HOLMS
POLAND
UNITED KINGDOM
Small Islands Voice Co-ordinator
Palau Conservation Society
Prof. Bernard GLAESER
Ms. Margaret HAYES
PALAU
Senior Researcher & Professor
Director, Office of Ocean Affairs
Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
US Dept. of State
Dr. Sidney HOLT
GERMANY
USA
Consultant, Humane Society of the US
Humane Society International
Dr. Bruce GLAVOVIC
Ms. Louise HEAPS
UNITED KINGDOM
Associate Professor, School of People,
Head, Marine Programme
Environment & Planning, Massey University
World Wildlife Fund, UK
Mr. Paul HOLTHUS
NEW ZEALAND
UNITED KINGDOM
Executive Director
Marine Aquarium Council
Mrs. Claire GREEN
Dr. Sherry HEILEMAN
USA
Communications Officer SC/CSI
Consultant, United Nations Environment
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural
Programme
Ms. Maria HOOD
Organization (UNESCO)
FRANCE
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
FRANCE
Commission (IOC), UNESCO
Mr. Eckhard W. HEIN
FRANCE
Dr. Edmund GREEN
Secretary, High-Level Committee on
Head of Marine & Regional Seas Programme
Programmes
Mr. Pablo HUIDOBRO
UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring
UN System Chief Executives Board for Co-
Chief, Water Management Unit
Centre
ordination ­ CEB Secretariat
United Nations Industrial Development
UNITED KINGDOM
SWITZERLAND
Organization
Dr. Johannes GUDDAL
Dr. George HEISS
Mr. Duncan Robert HUME
Co-President JCOMM
Europe Co-ordinator
Project Leader, Reefmap
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Reef Check
UNITED KINGDOM
NORWAY
EGYPT
Lord (Prof.) Julian HUNT
Ms. Sonia GUIRAUD
Mrs. Kerstin HENRI
Professor and Fellow of Royal Society,
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Project Co-ordinator
UK, and Chairman,
sion (IOC), United Nations Educational,
Nature Seychelles
Advisory Committee on Protection of
Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
SEYCHELLES
the Sea
FRANCE
UNITED KINGDOM
149

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Prof. Chidi IBE
H.E. Ambassador Jagdish KOONJUL
Mr. John LOW
Regional Programme Advisor for Africa
Chair, Alliance of Small Island Developing
Resource Advisor
United Nations Industrial Development
States
Development & Economic Policy Adviser
Organization
MAURITIUS
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
GHANA
FIJI
Mr. Jean-Louis KROMER
Mr. Takashi ITO
DGCID/Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
Mr. Carl Gustaf LUNDIN
Director, Dept. of Maritime Affairs
FRANCE
Head, Marine Programme
The Nippon Foundation
International Union for Conservation of
JAPAN
Dr. Gunnar KULLENBERG
Nature
Professor, International Ocean Institute
SWITZERLAND
Mr. Magnus JOHANNESSON
FRANCE
Secretary-General
Mr. Anthony MACDONALD
Ministry for the Environment
Dr. Daniel LAFFOLEY
Executive Director
ICELAND
Head, Marine Conservation
Coastal States Organization
English Nature
USA
Mrs. Catherine JOHNSTON
UNITED KINGDOM
Coordinator
Mr. Alastair MACFARLANE
Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine
Mr. Thomas LAUGHLIN
General Manager, Trade & Information
Policy University of Delaware
Deputy-Director, International Affairs
New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Ltd.
USA
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administra-
(SEAFIC)
tion
NEW ZEALAND
Mr. Martin JONES
USA
World Ocean Network Representative-
Ms. Camille MAGEAU
Australia
Dr. Barbara LAUSCHE
Director, Fisheries & Oceans
AUSTRALIA
Senior Associate
CANADA
Island Resources Foundation
Prof. Lawrence JUDA
& Adjunct Policy Associate, Mote
Dr. Robin MAHON
Professor/Chairman
Marine Laboratory
Centre for Resource Management & Environ-
Dept. of Marine Affairs
USA
mental Studies
University of Rhode Island
University of West Indies
USA
Ms. Christiane LE CONAN
BARBADOS
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Ms. Iryna KALYNYCHENKO
sion, UNESCO
Dr. Eduardo MARONE
Graduate Student
FRANCE
Executive Director
School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy
International Ocean Institute - Brazil & CEM/
University of Delaware
Mr. Francois LEGALL
UFPR
UKRAINE
Livestock Specialist, Agriculture and Rural
BRAZIL
Development
Mr. Oleksiy KALYNYCHENKO
Africa Region, The World Bank
Ms. Claire MARRIOTT
Graduate Student, Center for Energy and
USA
Senior Coastal Officer, PhD Student
Environmental Policy
Isle of Wight Council, Cardiff University
University of Delaware
Mr. Christian LEFEBVRE
UNITED KINGDOM
UKRAINE
Managing Director, Acquario di Genova
ITALY
Mr. Kirsten MARTIN
Mr. Jui-Chung KAO
Junior Marine Officer
PhD Researcher, Cardiff University
Dr. Ken LINDEMAN
IUCN ­ Global Marine Programme
UNITED KINGDOM
Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense
SWITZERLAND
USA
Dr. Robert KAY
Ms. Isabel MARTINEZ
Partner, OneCoast
Dr. Olof LINDÉN
Programme Officer, GPA Coordination Office,
AUSTRALIA
Professor, World Maritime University
United Nations Environment Programme
SWEDEN
The NETHERLANDS
Ms. Lee KIMBALL
Independent Consultant
Ms. Christy LOPER
Dr. Filomena MARTINS
USA
Graduate Student, College of Marine Studies
Associate Professor
University of Delaware
Dept. of Environment & Planning
Dr. Anthony KNAP
USA
University of Aveiro
Bermuda Biological Station for Research
PORTUGAL
BERMUDA
Mrs. Maria Isabel LOPEZ
Office Manager, Oceana Europa
Mr. Jonathan MCCUE
Ms. Marjaana KOKKONEN
SPAIN
Principal Coastal Consultant
Consultant, World Heritage Center
Atkins, Thomson House
UNESCO
UNITED KINGDOM
FRANCE
150

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Mr. Daniel MCDOUGALL
Mr. David OSBORN
Ms. Laura PIRIZ
Director-General, Fisheries & Oceans
Programme Officer, Global Programme of
Advisor to SIDA
CANADA
Action for the Protection of the Marine
National Board of Fisheries
Environment from Land Based Activies,
SWEDEN
Ms. Leila MEAD
United Nations Environment Programme
Digital Editor, Earth Negotiations Bulletin
The NETHERLANDS
Mr. Tiago de PITTA E CUNHA
USA
Coordinator, Strategic Commission of
Dr. Michael O'TOOLE
the Oceans
Mr. Jesse MECHLING
Chief Technical Advisor
Presidental Advisor of the Ministry
University of Rhode Island
Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem
PORTUGAL
USA
Programme, Global Environment Facility
NAMIBIA
Ms. Suzanne PLEYDELL
Dr. Yuriy MIKHAYLICHENKO
Director, Project AWARE, PADI
Chief Specialist
Ms. Nadia OUNAIS
UNITED KINGDOM
Ministry of Industry, Science & Technologies
Secretary General
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
European Union of Museum Curators
Mr. Fabrice POIRAUD-LAMBERT
Musee Oceanographique de Monaco
Director, Conference Internationales sur
Dr. Andre-Serge MIKOUIZA
MONACO
les Recifs Coraliens (CIRCOP)
Assistant Director & Executive Secretary
FRANCE
International Ocean Institute
Ms. Sian OWEN
Operational Center of the Caspian Sea
WWF Endangered Seas Programme
Mrs. Cigie PONTES
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The NETHERLANDS
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (IOC)
Mrs. Kristina MLIKOTA
H.E. Ambassador Gunnar PALSSON
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Consultant SC/CSI
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
ICELAND
FRANCE
Cultural Organization
FRANCE
Mr. Pietro PARRAVANO
Ms. Cristelle PRATT
President, Institute for Fisheries Resources
Manager, Oceans & Islands Programme,
Dr. Jacques MORELLI
World Fisheries Forum
SOPAC Secretariat
Researcher, University of Nice
USA
FIJI
FRANCE
Mr. Xavier PASTOR
Mr. Dandu PUGHIUC
Ms. Evangelia MOUTSELOU
Vice-President
Chief Technical Advisor
PhD Researcher, Cardiff University
European Oceans & Seas
GloBallast PCU, IMO
UNITED KINGDOM
Oceana Europa
UNITED KINGDOM
SPAIN
Ms. Jennifer MURPHY
Ms. Diane QUARLESS
International Affairs Specialist
Mr. Martin PECHEUX
Chief, Small Island Developing States
Office of International Affairs
Scientific Consultant
Unit
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administra-
University of Nice
Division for Sustainable Development,
tion
FRANCE
United Nations
USA
JAMAICA
Ms. Sylvette PEPLOWSKI
Mr. Peter NEILL
Marine Awareness Officer
Dr. Victoria RADCHENKO
President, World Ocean Observatory
Marine Programme, World Wildlife Fund
Director, International Ocean Institute
South Street Seaport Museum
UNITED KINGDOM
UKRAINE
USA
Ms. Jennifer PERCE
Dr. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
Dr. Magnus NGOILE
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Director, Indian National Centre for
Director General
sion (IOC), United Nations Educational,
Ocean Information Services
National Environment Management Council,
Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
INDIA
TANZANIA
FRANCE
Mr. Gregory REED
Dr. Iouri OLIOUNINE
Dr. Dierk PETERS
Programme Specialist
Executive Director
International Marketing Manager
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
International Ocean Institute ­ Headquarters
Unilever-Frozen Foods Europe
Commission (IOC)
MALTA
GERMANY
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Mr. Stephen OLSEN
Ms. Donna PETRACHENKO
FRANCE
Director, Coastal Resources Center
Assistant Deputy Minister for Fisheries and
University of Rhode Island
Oceans
USA
and Special Envoy for the Asia-Pacific Depart-
ment of Fisheries & Oceans
CANADA
151

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Mr. Phil REYNOLDS
Mr. Alan B. SIELEN
Mrs. Yumiko TANAKA
Consultant & Former Chief,
Ocean Studies Board
Researcher, Institute for Ocean Policy
Global Waters Programme
The National Academies
Ship & Ocean Foundation
United Nations Development
USA
JAPAN
Programme
USA
Ms. Paula SIERRA
Mr. Jin TAO
CZM Program Coordinator
First Secretary
Dr. Evelia RIVERA-ARRIAGA
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas
Permanent Delegation of China to UNESCO
Centro EPOMEX
(INVEMAR)
CHINA
Universidad Autonoma de Campeche
Colombia
MEXICO
Mr. Hiroshi TERASHIMA
Mr. Alan SIMCOCK
Executive Director
Mr. Nicolas RIVIER
Executive Secretary
Institute for Ocean Policy
Trainee, Blue Plan
OSPAR Commission
Ship & Ocean Foundation
R. Ludwig von Beethoven Sophia-
UNITED KINGDOM
JAPAN
Antipolis
FRANCE
Mr. Scott SMITH
Dr. CHUA Thia-Eng
Senior Policy Advisor
Director, Partnerships in Environmental
Ms. Monica ROBSON
Marine Initiative
Management for the Seas of East Asia
Policy Advisor
The Nature Conservancy
(PEMSEA)
Environment & Sustainable Develop-
USA
PHILIPPINES
ment
Dept. of Foreign Affairs & International
Dr. Hance SMITH
Mr. Christopher TOMPKINS
Trade
Reader, School of Earth, Ocean, & Planetary
Advisor, Marine Policy
CANADA
Sciences
Dept. for Environment
Cardiff University
Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
Prof. Mario RUIVO
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED KINGDOM
Chairman, Portuguese Committee for
IOC
Mr. Leonardo SONNENSCHEIN
Dr. Elin TORELL
PORTUGAL
President, St. Louis Children's Aquarium
Coastal Management Specialist, Coastal
USA
Resources Center
Ms. Nicole SCHMIDT
University of Rhode Island
First Secretary
Dr. Elaine STRATFORD
USA
Delegation of Colombia to UNESCO
Senior Lecturer & Principal Researcher
COLOMBIA
University of Tasmania
Ms. Isabel TORRES DE NORONHA
AUSTRALIA
Research Assistant
Mr. Mark SCHULMAN
Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy
Team Leader
Dr. Colin SUMMERHAYES
University of Delaware
Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Director, Global Ocean Observing System
Portugal
USA
Project Office
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Mr. Grant TREBBLE
Ms. Stephanie SEDDON-BROWN
sion (IOC), UNESCO
Coordinator, AMCROPS
International Chamber of Commerce
FRANCE
SOUTH AFRICA
FRANCE
Mr. SUN Zhihui
Mr. Yves TREGLOS
Ms Silvia SERMENO
Deputy Administrator
Assistant Secretary
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
State Oceanic Administration
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Commission (IOC)
CHINA
sion (IOC)
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Dr. Dean SWANSON
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
FRANCE
Chief, International Fisheries Division
FRANCE
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administra-
Mr. Nirmal Jivan SHAH
tion
Prof. Tullio Rodolfo TREVES
Chief Executive
USA
Judge, International Tribunal for Law of the
Nature Seychelles
Sea & Professor, University of Milan
SEYCHELLES
Dr. Are K. SYDNES
ITALY
Research Fellow
Dr. Kenneth SHERMAN
Norwegian College of Fisheries Science
Mr. Dirk TROOST
Supervisory Research Oceanographer
University of Tromso
Chief, Environment & Development in
National Marine Fisheries Service
NORWAY
Coastal Regions & in Small Islands Platform
Narragansett Laboratory
(CSI)
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin-
Ms. Despina SYMONS PIROUOLIDOV
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
istration
Director, European Bureau for Conservation
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
USA
& Development (EBCD)
FRANCE
BELGIUM
152

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Co-Chairs' Report - Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Dr. John W. TUNNELL, Jr.
Mr. Ole VESTERGAARD
Associate Director
Programme Specialist
Harte Research Institute
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Texas A&M University
sion (IOC)
USA
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Mr. Chika UKWE
FRANCE
Industrial Development Officer
International Waters
Ms. Cherie WHELAN
United Nations Industrial Development
GOOS Project Office
Organization
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
AUSTRIA
sion (IOC)
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Mr. Umit UNLUATA
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
FRANCE
sion (IOC)
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Mr. Clive WILKINSON
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Coordinator
FRANCE
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
AUSTRALIA
Mr. Philippe VALLETTE
General Manager
Prof. Ernst WILSON
Centre National de la Mer
Director, Center for Scientific Oceanographic
NAUSICAA
Research & Technology Transfer in Haiti
FRANCE
HAITI
Mr. Koen VAN DEN BOSSCHE
Mr. ZHU Wen Xi
PhD Researcher
Deputy-Director
Free University of Brussels
Division of International Cooperation
BELGIUM
Dept. Of International Cooperation
State Oceanic Administration
Professor Jon M. VAN DYKE
CHINA
Professor, William S. Richardson School of
Law
Mr. Eugenio YUNIS
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Chief, Sustainable Development of Tourism
USA
Section
World Tourism Organization
Dr. David VANDERZWAAG
SPAIN
Professor, Dalhousie Law School
Dalhousie University, Halifax
Ms. Marina ZWEIFLER
CANADA
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
sion (IOC)
Dr. Veerle VANDEWEERD
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Coordinator, Global Programme of Action
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
for the Protection of the Marine Environment
from Land Based Activies
United Nations Environment Programme
The NETHERLANDS
Mr. Adrien VANNIER
Administrative Assistant
Ocean Services, Intergovernmental Oceano-
graphic Commission (IOC)
United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
FRANCE
Mr. Jorge Luis VARELA
Senior International & Legal Advisor
South American Oceans & Antarctica Office,
Oceana
CHILE
153

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Mobilizing for Implementation of WSSD Commitments on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Cover design and layout by Jorge Gutierrez Lara
154

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Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Steering Committee Members*
Co-Chairs
Serge Garcia, Director, Marine Fisheries Resources Division,
Biliana Cicin-Sain, Director, Gerard J. Mangone Center for
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Marine Policy, University of Delaware (bcs@udel.edu)
Marea Hatziolos, Environment Department, World Bank
Patricio A. Bernal, Executive-Secretary, Intergovernmental
Indumathie Hewawasam, Africa Region, World Bank
Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO, Paris, France
Cristelle Pratt, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
(p.bernal@unesco.org)
(SOPAC), Fiji
Veerle Vanderweerd, Director, UNEP/GPA, The Hague, Nether-
Ambassador Jagdish Koonjul, Mauritius, Alliance of Small Island
lands (v.vandeweerd@unep.nl)
Developing States (AOSIS) Chair
David Osborn, United Nations Environment Programme, Global
Governmental
Programme of Action (UNEP/GPA), Netherlands
David Balton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and
Diane Quarless, Chief, Small Island Developing States Unit,
Fisheries, Bureau of Oceans, U.S. Department of State
UNDESA
Phil Burgess, National Oceans Office, Australia, and Co-chair,
Anne Rogers, United Nations Department of Economic and
UN Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of
Social Affairs (UNDESA)
the Sea
Eduard Sarukhanian, Director, World-Weather-Watch-Applica-
Tiago Pitta e Cunha, Coordinator, Strategic Commission on
tions, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Switzer-
Oceans, Portugal
land
Mike Donoghue, Senior International Relations Manager,
Koji Sekimizu, Director, Marine Environment Division, Interna-
Department of Conservation, New Zealand
tional Maritime Organization (IMO), UK
Charles Ehler, Director, International Program Office, National
Alan Simcock, Executive Secretary, OSPAR Convention
Ocean Service, NOAA, USA
Ambassador Enele S. Sopoaga, Tuvalu
Harsh Gupta, Secretary to Government of India, Department of
Marjo Vierros, Convention on Biological Diversity
Ocean Development
Art Hanson, Oceans Ambassador, Canada
Nongovernmental
Magnus Johanneson, Secretary-General, Ministry for the
Francois Bailet, Deputy Executive Director, International Ocean
Environment, Iceland
Institute, Canada
Tom Laughlin, Deputy Director, International Affairs Office,
Stefano Belfiore, Director, Academic Programs, International
NOAA, USA
Ocean and Coastal Organization
Haiqing Li, Director, International Affairs, State Oceanic
Simon Cripps, Director, Endangered Seas Programme, World
Administration (SOA), China
Wildlife Fund ( WWF) International
Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs
Matthew Gianni, Consultant to IUCN
and Tourism, South Africa
Lynne Hale, Director, Marine Strategy, The Nature Conservancy
Dan McDougall, Director-General, Oceans, and Camille
Gregor Hodgson, Director, Reef Check
Mageau, Director, Marine Ecosystems Conservation Branch,
Paul Holthus, Marine Aquarium Council, Hawaii
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Gunnar Kullenberg, Independent Consultant and Former
Magnus Ngoile, Director-General, Environmental Management
Director, IOC
Council, Tanzania
Jorge Varela, Senior International Advisor, Oceana, Chile
Graca G. Pereira, European Union (EU) and Ministry of Foreign
Gerald Miles, The Nature Conservancy, Pacific Region,
Affairs, Portugal
Brisbane, Australia
John Roberts, Head, Marine Environment Division, Department
Iouri Oliounine, Director, International Ocean Institute, Malta
of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK
Rebecca Cerroni, Program Manager, Marine Conservation,
Wildlife Conservation Society
Intergovernmental
Sian Pullen, Head, European Endangered Seas Programme,
Nelson Andrade, Director, United Nations Environment
World Wildlife Fund International
Programme, Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP/
Viktor Sebek, Executive Director, Advisory Committee on
CEP), Jamaica
Protection of the Sea, UK
Julian Barbiere, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commis-
Kristian Teleki, International Coral Reef Action Network,
sion, France
Switzerland
Chua Thia-Eng, PEMSEA, IMO/UNDP/GEF, Philippines
Hiroshi Terashima, Executive Director, Institute for Ocean
Annick de Marffy, Former Director, United Nations Division for
Policy, Ship & Ocean Foundation, Japan
Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UN/DOALOS)
Grant Trebble, AMCROPS, South Africa
Al Duda, Senior Advisor, International Waters, Global Environ-
Philippe Vallette, NAUSICAA, France, and the World Ocean Net-
ment Facility (GEF)
work
Mohamed Fawzi, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment
Programme (PERSGA)
*Please note: Members of the Steering Committee participate
in their personal capacities.
GLOBAL FORUM ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS WEBSITE: www.globaloceans.org

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