Oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated
and essential component of the Earth's ecosystem and are critical for
global food security and for sustaining economic prosperity and the
well-being of many national economies, particularly in developing
countries." (WSSD Plan of Implementation,
para. 30)
The protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas and coastal areas and
the protection, rational use and development of their living resources
is the focus of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21. The Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD) reviewed implementation of the goals and targets
called for in Chapter 17 at its fourth (1996), fifth (1997) and, in
particular, seventh (1999) sessions, which resulted in a comprehensive
decision, 7/1. The nineteenth Special Session of the United Nations
General Assembly to review the implementation of Agenda 21 also
considered oceans issues.
The Plan of Implementation adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburg, 26 August - 4 September 2002), in paragraphs
30-36, addressed issues dealing with oceans and seas, including,
inter alia: global and regional coordination and cooperation;
sustainable fisheries; marine biodiversity and ecosystems; marine
pollution from both land-based and sea-based sources; and marine science
and assessments of the marine environment.
Intergovernmental mechanisms
Following discussion on oceans by CSD-7, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted
resolution 54/33
of 24 November 1999 entitled 'Results of the review by the Commission on
Sustainable Development of the sectoral theme of "Oceans and Seas":
international coordination ad cooperation'. This resolution, inter alia,
decided to establish an open-ended informal consultative process to
facilitate the annual review by the General Assembly of developments in
ocean affairs. The Consultative Process, which is open to all States
Members and accredited observers of the United Nations and
intergovernmental organizations and agencies with competence in ocean
affairs, was initially given a three-year mandate, which was renewed for
a further three years in 2002 (GA
resolution 57/141). It has met for one week annually each June in
2000-2005. The reports of its meetings are available on the website of
the
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations
Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS), which serves as the secretariat in
cooperation with DESA/DSD. The mandate of the Consultative process was
reviewed by the 60th session of the General Assembly, in 2005.
Interagency coordination
In 2003, the
Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) decided to establish
UN-Oceans
as the UN inter-agency coordinating mechanism on oceans and coastal
issues. In addition to overseeing the management and development of the
UN Atlas of the Oceans, UN-Oceans has established four time-bound
task groups, each coordinated by a lead organization. These focus on:
post-Tsunami Response (led by UNESCO/IOC); global monitoring of the
marine environment (led by UN-DOALOS); marine biodiversity in areas
beyond national jurisdiction (led by CBD secretariat); and the Global
Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from
Land-based Activities (led by UNEP/GPA).
|
