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Currently, there are several international organizations working towards aspects of our goal to save the oceans. The UN has employed several research and management groups and set out governance of the oceans by the Law of the Sea and subsequent agreements and annexes. Other organizations for protection of the oceans fall under Regional Fishery Bodies (RBFs), also known as Regional Fishery Management Councils.
UN Organizations
The UN has several branches to conduct research, compose law, enforce treaties, and settle disputes regarding the Law of the Sea.
UN-OCEANS
In 2003, the United Nations System Chief Executives Board (CEB/2003/7) endorsed UN-OCEANS encompasses most UN operations relating to the oceans. After the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, Agenda 21 - "an international programme of action for global sustainable development for the 21st century" - was adopted (UN-OCEANS, 2005). Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 calls for protection of the oceans, resulting in the formation of the Sub-committee on Oceans and Coastal Areas of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC SOCA) in 1993. Due to the extensive number of agencies and committees already addressing the issue of the oceans and the need for a "new inter-agency coordinating mechanism," in September 2003, "the United Nations High-Level Committee on Programmes approved the creation of an Oceans and Coastal Areas Network (subsequently renamed named 'UN-OCEANSOceans') to establish an effective, transparent and regular inter-agency coordination mechanism on ocean and coastal issues within the United Nations systembuild on SOCA" (UN-OCEANS, 2005).
UN-OCEANS has been established to:
Strengthen coordination and cooperation of United Nations activities related to oceans and coastal areas;
Review the relevant programmes and activities of the United Nations system, undertaken as part of its contribution to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;
Identify emerging issues, define joint actions and establish specific task teams to deal with these, as apporpriate;
Promote the integrated management of oceans at the international level;
Facilitate, as appropriate, the inputs to the annual report on oceans and the law of the sea of the Secretary-General; and
Promote the coherence of United Nations system activities on oceans and coastal areas with the mandates of the General Assembly, and the priorities contained in the Millennium Development Goals, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and of governing bodies of all members of UN-OCEANS.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN focuses on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture production to meet the needs of the world's population. The Department's goals include creating jobs to alleviate poverty, bolstering international trade and economies, and providing a sustainable fish supply. The Department has also created a Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Within this Code of Conduct, several International Plans of Action (IPOAs), which would apply to "all States and entities and to all fishers," have been suggested. Specifically, for the management of fishing capacity, "States should take measures to prevent or eliminate excess fishing capacity and should ensure that levels of fishing effort are commensurate with sustainable use of fishery resources." Possible solutions in this case include well-defined property rights for international waters, "incentive blocking measures," such as fishing seasons and closed areas, and "incentive adjusting measures," which would include requiring a fishing license and quotas. The suggested action to be taken currently involves assessing and monitoring fishing capacity as well as preparing and implementing national plans. Immediate action would focus on major international fisheries requiring urgent attention. Considerations would include the needs of specific countries. International compliance is the main difficulty recognized with the actual implementation of these proposals. Unfortunately, no specific plans have been on proposed, hence the need for reform.
The UN Environmental Program focuses on the research and science of the issue. Though the UNEP is not currently heading any projects on the oceans, they are one of the UN organizations supporting GESAMP.
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Regional Fishery Bodies are essesntial essential to the protection of marine resources and the management of the oceans.Examples...
The European Union is one of the most respected RFBs, though it does not mitigate marine/oceanic management only.
Works Cited
UN-OCEANS is a site that presents the history, mission, and partners of the UN-OCEANS program
(http://www.oceansatlas.org/www.un-oceans.org/About.htm#Participation
).
^^I got this citation method from the Cornell Library on what to do when citing an entire website.