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Capacity-Building and Trust Funds

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) has been providing an ongoing programme of assistance to States and intergovernmental organizations in the field of oceans and the law of the sea since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982.

The programme provides assistance to States in the uniform and consistent application of the Convention and related Agreements, 
as well as ocean affairs more broadly. Assistance is developed on a needs-basis, working closely with beneficiaries and donors, 
as well as relevant intergovernmental organizations and development partners. Priority is given to developing States.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals are mainstreamed into the programme,
as are other contemporary and emerging topics of relevance to the beneficiaries. Such topics may include: ocean governance,
the science-policy interface, oceans and climate change, sustainable ocean-based economies (blue economy), and marine protected areas, and etc.    

DOALOS also administers a number of Trust Funds established by the General Assembly which aim to assist States, particularly developing States,
in the implementation of the Convention and to participate in ocean-related work of the General Assembly.

 

Technical Cooperation

Demand-driven and needs-based projects developed and implemented in partnership with the beneficiaries and donors

Trust Funds

A number of Trust Funds to assist developing States in the implementation of the Convention and in participating in the ocean-related work of the General Assembly

Fellowships

A range of programmes lasting from 3 to 9 months with a practicum at DOALOS and additional opportunities for placement in centres of excellence worldwide through the HSA and UNNF Fellowships

Advisory Services

Demand-driven and customized advice on issues related to the ratification of the Convention and related Agreements, their uniform and consistent application and effective implementation, as well as in ocean affairs more generally

Studies and Guidelines

Topical studies and guidelines on the application of provisions of the Convention as well as in oceans affairs more generally

Enhancing Ocean Capacity a guide to the Division’s Capacity-building Programme
(Available in English , French and Spanish

Reference Collection and Databases

Specialized ocean and law of the sea reference collection and databases containing national legislation and delimitation treaties

 

Resources

Technical cooperation project outputs

National Ocean Governance Studies
Building legal and institutional frameworks for the sustainable management of ocean sectors

 

National Ocean Economy and Trade Strategies
Assisting developing States to realize the full potential of ocean economic sectors

 

Building capacity for sustainable fisheries through the UN Fish Stocks Agreement

Policy Briefs on the Fish Stocks Agreement (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish)

UN Fish Stocks Agreement Toolkit

UN Fish Stocks Agreement - A Guide for Raising Awareness, Furthering Understanding and Strengthening Implementation of its Provisions, August 2025

Acuerdo de las Naciones Unidas sobre las Poblaciones de Peces: Guía para Sensibilizar, Ayudar a Comprender y Reforzar la Aplicación de sus Disposiciones, Agosto 2025

Accord des Nations Unies sur les stocks de poissons: Guide pour faire connaître et mieux comprendre ses dispositions et renforcer leur mise en œuvre, Aout 2025

  

Ocean Governance Capacity Building E-Learning Course is publicly available on the World Bank's Open Learning Campus

Video informational and learning resources, including project videos are available here.

Latest developments

Trainings and Briefings

  • Regional Workshop on the BBNJ Agreement for Latin American and Caribbean States, San Salvador, El Salvador (23-26 February 2026)  EN/FR/ES 

  • Regional Workshop on the BBNJ Agreement for African States on the coasts of the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, and landlocked States in these regions, as well as States of the Benguela Current Convention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1-5 December 2025) EN/FR

  • Global Training and Experience Sharing Workshop on the United Nations Fish Stocks Agremeent, Tokyo, Japan (8-11 December 2025) 

  • The Tonga National Workshop on the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and related instruments took place from 8 to 10 October 2025. It brought together 19 participants from various institutions. The workshop provided an important opportunity to analyze key issues and strengthen the implementation of the UNFSA.

  • The Maldives National Workshop on the Implementation of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and related instruments (23–25 September 2025) brought together 30 participants from a range of institutions. The workshop provided an important opportunity to analyze key issues and strengthen the implementation of the UNFSA.

  • Regional Workshop on the Law of the Sea and Ocean Governance for the wider Indian Ocean region, Malé, Maldives (20-23 September 2025): Regional Workshop Notification

  • Global Ocean Governance Workshop (PROBLUE), Rome, Italy (16-18 June 2025)

  • ONLINE Ocean Governance Capacity Building Training Program (PROBLUE) for the Asian region (10-28 February 2025)

  • Regional Workshop on the BBNJ Agreement for States of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Africa in Rabat, Morocco (16-19 December 2024) EN/FR

  • Regional Workshop on the Law of the Sea and Ocean Governance for the South American region, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (9-13 December 2024) EN/ES

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DOALOS Project Consultancies

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

 

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How can we help?

Please contact us to ascertain how we may be able to help you through the above programmes, or perhaps through customized programmes of assistance developed in collaboration with you, and your development partners as required. 

Donors?

Please contact us to discuss opportunities to assist us in supporting States in the sustainable management of the ocean. We offer a full range and scope of engagement opportunities, including through needs-based customized programmes of assistance developed in collaboration with beneficiaries and donors.

For information on making a contribution to the Trust Funds, including to ascertain the possibility of developing assistance projects under a specific Trust Fund, please contact us.