"This meeting was the first attempt to bring together many of the key stakeholders representing regional ocean mechanisms. While it would be unrealistic to expect substantive near-term changes in the mandate or geographic focus of various regional mechanisms (many enshrined in legal frameworks), there should still be opportunities to identify good examples of and opportunities for cooperation and coordination between the different regional ocean mechanisms that could have scope for replication elsewhere."Andrew Hudson, Head of Water and Ocean Governance Programme, the United Nations Development Programme.
Organised by the GEF LME:LEARN project in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility, United Nations Development Program, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and United Nations Environment the purpose of the meeting was to start charting a joint program of activities towards improved regional ocean governance through collaborative efforts between Large Marine Ecosystems, Regional Seas Programmes and Regional Fishery Bodies.
"The collaboration work between the Large Marine Ecosystem Programmes, Regional Seas Conventions and Regional Fisheries Bodies is essential for the sustainable management of ocean resources and the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Environment is making a pollution free ocean as its priority goal for the year ahead."Lisa Svensson, Director/Coordinator of the Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Branch, the United Nations Environment Programme.
This Partnership Building Meeting wanted to answer to the call for implementation of commitments that emanated from the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (UN Ocean Conference), held in New York in June 2017.
"The first UN Oceans Conference, held in New York City, 5-9 June 2017, clearly articulated the many challenges we all face in ensuring we have healthy oceans, including sustainable fisheries now and for future generations. The outcome of the Conference reiterated a clear message to the fisheries sector and FAO that the challenges ahead included addressing sustainable management of fisheries, including overfishing, illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing; dealing with subsidies; ensuring access for small-scale fishers to marine resources and markets; and implementing international law, also as reflected in SDG14 targets. Ocean governance cuts across the interventions that are needed to address these fisheries challenges, as in other sectors such as transport and seabed mining."Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Major conclusions of the meeting in Cape Town, South Africa (27-28 November 2017) were:
- The Ecosystem Approach is an essential condition for the continued long-term science-based collaboration in regional ocean governance, and that continuing and strengthening collaboration is needed, while also including social and economic elements.
- There is a need of open access scientific knowledge as a foundation for policy on all levels: national, regional and global. A mechanism of how to translate science into policy is needed.
- Transboundary interactions between Large Marine Ecosystems, Regional Seas, Regional Fisheries Bodies and adjacent high seas areas are critically important. A cross-cutting, multi-sectoral and interactive process is needed to identify what the priority issues are for Large Marine Ecosystems and areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), who might be the key partners, and what potential conflicts and synergies there may be with other stakeholders.
"The GEF funded portfolio of Large Marine Ecosystem projects, sub regional fisheries projects and large river basins investments offers a unique platform, essential for attracting the needed finance from governments and private sector alike. GEF interventions catalyse cooperation among sectors and nations, but also enabling identification of priorities and increasing capacity, which in turn leads to long-term target setting and catalyses cooperation among sectors and nations."Christian Holde Severin, International Waters Focal Area Coordinator and Senior Environmental Specialist, the Global Environment Facility
To access the full report which gives an overview of the meeting’s proceedings and recommendations for the continuation of this important process, please follow this link.
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