GLOBAL FORUM ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS MOBILIZING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMITMENTS MADE AT THE 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES CO-CHAIRS' REPORT OF 2003 GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND ISLANDS, UNESCO, PARIS, NOVEMBER 12-14, 2003 AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS May 2004 Foreign Affairs Fisheries and Oceans Canadian International Canada Canada Development Agency National Oceans Office Australia Stragetic Commission on the Oceans Portugal The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands represents an vironmental, scientific/technical, industry, foundations), and alliance of leading ocean experts from the governmental, non- others to effectively implement, at national and regional levels, governmental and international and intergovernmental sectors major international agreements on oceans, especially the com- formed to advance the interests of oceans—incorporating 72 % mitments made in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, of the Earth; coasts—the home of 50% of the world’s population; and commitments from Agenda 21 and other related agree- and islands—44 of the world’s nations are small island develop- ments; ing states which are especially dependent on the oceans. • Work as a catalyst to mobilize knowledge, resources, and orga- nizational action to advance the global oceans agenda; This alliance began to form in 2001 as part of the preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and • Raise the international profile of oceans, coasts, and islands in first came together at the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, all relevant global, regional, and sub-regional fora and mobilize and Islands at Rio+10: Toward the 2002 World Summit on resources to address these issues; Sustainable Development—Assessing Progress, Addressing Con- tinuing and New Challenges, held on December 3 to 7, 2001, at • Mobilize public awareness on oceans, coasts, and islands, and UNESCO in Paris. Oceans, coasts, and islands were not initially on promote information sharing and dissemination. the WSSD agenda, which emphasized issues concerning water and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity. How- Global Forum Publications and Information Services ever, following the mobilization of interested governments, non- governmental organizations, and UN agencies into a global oceans Co-Chairs’ Report from the Global Conference on Oceans and alliance early in the WSSD preparatory process, advances in Coasts at Rio+10 (2001) oceans, coasts, and islands represent one of the most important Ministerial Perspectives on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10 (2001) outcomes of the World Summit. Reports of the Conference Working Groups from the Global Con- As noted in the UN Secretary General’s report on Oceans and the ference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10 (2001) Law of the Sea (March 3, 2003, A/58/65): The persistent efforts of A Guide to Oceans, Coasts, and Islands at the World Summit on all interested groups, beginning with the Global Conference on Sustainable Development (2002) Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10, persuaded the preparatory meet- Toward Mauritius 2004: Voluntary Partnership Initiatives from ings for the Johannesburg Conference that not only was UNCLOS the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and Small not the end of the road, but also that many of the commitments Island Developing States (2003) of the UNCED at Rio remained unfulfilled. (p. 7). Pre-Conference Proceedings Volume, Global Conference on The global alliance, begun in the WSSD preparatory process, was Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Implementation of formalized into the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands the Commitments Made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustain- at the Johannesburg summit to serve as a forum for cross-sectoral able Development (2003) discussion, analyses, and mobilization of knowledge and resources Internet services: www.globaloceans.org provides a variety of to advance the global oceans agenda. information services on global, regional, and national develop- ments related to oceans, coasts, and islands Global Forum Goals Global Forum Newsletter, an electronic newsletter, is published • Work together with governments, international and intergov- every two months (available on www.globaloceans.org) ernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations (en- For copies of this report or of other Global Forum Publications, please contact: Catherine Johnston, Secretariat, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, c/o Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, Robinson Hall 301, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA. Telephone: 1-302-831-8086, Fax: 1-302-831-3668. Email: [email protected] MOBILIZING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMITMENTS MADE AT THE 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON OCEANS, COASTS, AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES Co-Chairs’ Report of 2003 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands UNESCO, Paris, November 12-14, 2003 and Subsequent Developments By Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain1, Dr. Patricio A. Bernal2, Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd3, Dr. Miriam C. Balgos4, and Mr. Julian Barbière5 Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands May 2004 (Editors’ Note: Any errors or omissions in this report are the responsibility of the authors in their individual capacities.) 1 University of Delaware, Global Forum Co-Chair; 2 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO, Global Forum Co-Chair; 3 UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, Global Forum Co-Chair; 4 University of Delaware; 5 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO Acknowledgments We acknowledge, with sincere thanks, the financial and other support received from the following organi- zations and individuals. Without their support and dedication to advancing the global oceans agenda, this effort would not have been possible. Conference Patrons Conference Travel and In-kind Support Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of Acquario de Genova; Acuario Nacional y Comite Oceanografico UNESCO Nacional, Cuba; Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea; Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, Univer- AMCROPS; Cardiff University; Commission of the Convention sity of Delaware for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East United Nations Environment Programme, GPA Co- Atlantic; Dalhousie University; Department of Ocean Development, ordination Office India; English Nature; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Glo- International Program Office, National Ocean Service, bal Coral Reef Monitoring Network; Global Environment Facility; U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- Global Islands Network; Global Ocean Observing System; Gov- tion ernment of Portugal; International Institute for Sustainable Develop- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada ment; International Coral Reef Action Network; International Union for Conservation of Nature; Lukoil Ltd-Lower Volga Oil Com- Conference Sponsors pany; Marine Aquarium Council; Ministry of Ecology and Sustain- able Development, France; Ministry for the Environment, Iceland; Institute for Ocean Policy, Ship & Ocean Foundation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland; Ministry of Environment, Italy; Japan Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife, Kenya; Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Musee Oceanographique de Monaco; National Environment Man- Department of Foreign Affairs and International agement Council, Tanzania; Nature Seychelles; Nausicaa; NEPAD, Trade, Canada Kenya; Oceana; OECD Development Co-Operation Directorate, Environment and Development in Coastal Regions France; Palau Conservation Society; Ramsar Convention Bureau; and in Small Islands (CSI), UNESCO Reef Check; Reef Museum; National Sea Grant College Program; International Ocean Institute (IOI) Ship & Ocean Foundation; SOPAC; South Street Seaport Museum; State Oceanic Administration, China; Swedish International Devel- Collaborating Organizations opment Agency; The Nature Conservancy; Two Oceans Aquarium; U.S. Department of State; Unilever-Frozen Foods Europe; United National Oceans Office, Australia Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea; United Na- NAUSICAA, Centre National de la Mer, France tions Environment Programme; United Nations Food and Agricul- The World Ocean Network tural Organization; United Nations Industrial Development Organi- The World Bank Institute zation; University of Rhode Island; University of Thessaly; Univer- Centro de Ecologia, Pesquerias y Oceanografia del sity of West Indies; Wildlife Conservation Society; WMO/IOC Golfo de Mexico (EPOMEX), Universidad Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology Autonoma de Campeche, Mexico (JCOMM); World Bank; World Conservation Union (IUCN); Partnerships in Environmental Management for the World Forum of Fish Handlers and Fish Workers; World Maritime Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) University; World Ocean Network; World Tourism Organization; Strategic Commission on the Oceans, Portugal World Wildlife Fund, United Kingdom; WWF International. Individuals who played, with great dedication, a key role in the organization of the Global Conference and in the preparation of this report: Miriam Balgos Kevin Goldstein Christiane Le Conan Jennifer Perce Julian Barbiere Sonia Guiraud Jonathan Lilley Cigie Pontes Stefano Belfiore Jorge Gutierrez Lara Christy Loper Evelia Rivera Arriaga Virginie Bonnet Darren Hirst Claire