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International Cooperation
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).
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 the creation of an Oceans and Coastal Areas Network (subsequently renamed UN-OCEANS) to establish an effective, transparent and regular inter-agency coordination mechanism on ocean and coastal issues within the United Nations system.
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.
The Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, or GESAMP, is a research team that works on science of sustainable oceans. GESAMP is a joint initiative supported by several UN organizations, including UNEP, FAO, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Safe, Secure, and Efficient Shipping on Clean Oceans
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC)
Regional Fishery Bodies
Regional Fishery Bodies are essesntial to the protection of marine resources and the management of the oceans.
Examples...