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Seventh Session of the Open-ended
Informal Consultative Process
on Oceans and the Law of the Sea
UN Headquarters, New York | 12-16 June 2006
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Consultative Process Addresses Cooperation and Coordination
On Thursday morning, delegates to the seventh meeting of the UN
Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the
Sea (UNICPOLOS-7 or Consultative Process) reconvened in plenary to
address cooperation and coordination, especially as it relates to
ecosystem approaches and oceans. In the afternoon, delegates engaged in
a general exchange of views on areas of concern and actions needed and
addressed issues that could benefit from attention in future work of the
General Assembly. The Friends of the Co-Chairs group chaired by
Renée Sauvé, Canada, reconvened at lunch time and
throughout the evening.
Above: Margaret Hayes, US, announced the designation earlier
in the day of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument,
the second largest marine protected area (MPA) in the world.
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Thursday, 15 June
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Plenary
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Patricio Bernal, UN-Oceans, outlined UN-Oceans' work in 2005 and
2006, highlighting the UN-Oceans Task Force on Post-Tsunami Response and
collaboration for the creation of an early warning system in the Indian
Ocean.
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Salif Diop, UNEP, reported on the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Steering
Group for the "Assessment of Assessments" of the GMA, which took
place in New York prior to UNICPOLOS-7.
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The David Suzuki Foundation, on behalf of several NGOs, noted that
ecosystem approaches should not only involve fisheries but all sectors.
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Alastair Macfarlane, International Coalition of Fisheries Associations,
advocated avoiding conflict between stakeholders by using participatory
management, access and use rights for fishers, and industry-led initiatives.
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The International Hydrographic Organization supported the
acknowledgement of hydrographic data and national hydrographic offices
in the process.
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Colombia emphasized the need to carry out further studies on the
impacts of ocean noise, and apply the ecosystem approach together with
the precautionary principle to address all sectors of ocean activity.
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Speaking for the Sierra Club, Marsha Green described the effects of
anthropogenic marine noise on marine ecosystems and called for
multilateral efforts to protect ecosystems from noise impact.
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South Africa, on behalf of the G77-China, urged consideration of waste
dumping, transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and pollution.
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Godfrey Rolle, Bahamas, underscored the importance of information sharing
by States that have knowledge relevant to achieving integrated management.
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Samoa called for capacity building and technology transfer for
implementing the ecosystem approach.
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Gonzalo Pereira Puchy, Permanent Commission for the South Pacific,
emphasized the need for more coordination and cooperation at the
regional level.
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Eli Saddler, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, called for a moratorium on
long-line fishing to save the Pacific leatherback turtle.
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Side Event: United States Progress in Ecosystem Approaches
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Steve Murawski, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
gave a lunchtime presentation on NOAA's ecosystem goals and progress
made through an ecosystem approach to management. He noted programmes
to promote ecosystem approaches to management of aquaculture, coastal
and marine resources, coral reefs, fisheries, protected species, and
habitat, as well as efforts in the areas of ecosystem observation,
research, and enforcement.
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The Friends of the Co-Chairs Group
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The Group met during lunchtime and in the evening to continue drafting
elements to be suggested to the General Assembly for consideration. The
discussion focused on, inter alia: the objectives of ecosystem-based
management; the relationship between humans and ecosystems; the need to
consider the rights of coastal States; and modalities for achieving
cooperation to manage areas beyond national jurisdiction.
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IGR2 Partnerships Planning Meeting
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In the evening, UNEP/GPA and the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and
Islands held a meeting on preparation of partnerships to be announced
at the second intergovernmental review of the GPA, 16-20 October 2006,
in Beijing, China.
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