United Nations Declares June 8tth World Ocean Day

Contents

In a lengthy resolution ttiled Oceans and the law of the sea, the United Nations declared June 8th World Ocean Day begining in 2009.

The resolution states “ Resolves that, as from 2009, the United Nations will designate 8 June as World Oceans Day;

The resolution also called attention to other focus issues of the Waves of Change campaign and set a global agenda for the oceans and ocean governance.

Some of the highliights related to to the Waves of Change Focus areas include:

Ocean Pollution

16. Also recognizes the need to build the capacity of developing States to raise awareness of, and support the implementation of, improved waste management practices, noting the particular vulnerability of small island developing States to the impact of marine pollution from land-based sources and marine debris;

98. Emphasizes once again the importance of the implementation of Part XII of the Convention in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and its living marine resources against pollution and physical degradation, and calls upon all States to cooperate and take measures consistent with the Convention, directly or through competent international organizations, for the protection and preservation of the marine environment;

101. Also encourages States to ratify or accede to international agreements addressing the protection and preservation of the marine environment and its living marine resources against the introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens and marine pollution from all sources, including the dumping of wastes and other matter, and other forms of physical degradation, as well as agreements that provide for preparedness for, response to and cooperation on pollution incidents and that include provisions on liability and compensation for damage resulting from marine pollution, and to adopt the necessary measures consistent with the Convention aimed at implementing and enforcing the rules contained in those agreements;

102. Further encourages States, directly or through competent international organizations, to consider the further development, as appropriate and consistent with the Convention, of environmental impact assessment processes covering planned activities under their jurisdiction or control that may cause substantial pollution of or significant and harmful changes to the marine environment;

104. Also encourages States, in accordance with the Convention and other relevant instruments, either bilaterally or regionally, to jointly develop and promote contingency plans for responding to pollution incidents, as well as other incidents that are likely to have significant adverse effects on the marine environment and biodiversity;

111. Recognizes that most of the pollution load of the oceans emanates from land-based activities and affects the most productive areas of the marine environment, and calls upon States as a matter of priority to implement the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities48 and to take all appropriate measures to fulfil the commitments of the international community embodied in the Beijing Declaration on furthering the implementation of the Global Programme of Action;49

112. Expresses its concern regarding the spreading of hypoxic dead zones in oceans as a result of eutrophication fuelled by riverine run-off of fertilizers, sewage outfall and reactive nitrogen resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and resulting in serious consequences for ecosystem functioning, and calls upon States to enhance their efforts to reduce eutrophication and, to this effect, to continue to cooperate within the framework of relevant international organizations, in particular the Global Programme of Action;

Ecosystem Restoration

134. Reaffirms the need for States to continue and intensify their efforts, directly and through competent international organizations, to develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools for conserving and managing vulnerable marine ecosystems, including the possible establishment of marine protected areas, consistent with international law, as reflected in the Convention, and based on the best scientific information available, and the development of representative networks of any such marine protected areas by 2012;

138. Encourages States and relevant international institutions to improve efforts to address coral bleaching by, inter alia, improving monitoring to predict and identify bleaching events, supporting and strengthening action taken during such events and improving strategies to manage reefs to support their natural resilience and enhance their ability to withstand other pressures, including projected ocean acidification;

139. Encourages States to cooperate, directly or through competent international bodies, in exchanging information in the event of accidents involving vessels on coral reefs and in promoting the development of economic assessment techniques for both restoration and non-use values of coral reef systems;

Maritime Food Security

Recalling that marine science is important for eradicating poverty, contributing to food security, conserving the world’s marine environment and resources, helping to understand, predict and respond to natural events and promoting the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, by improving knowledge, through sustained research efforts and the evaluation of monitoring results, and applying such knowledge to management and decision-making,

117. (b) Notes that ecosystem approaches to ocean management should be focused on managing human activities in order to maintain and, where needed, restore ecosystem health to sustain goods and environmental services, provide social and economic benefits for food security, sustain livelihoods in support of international development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and conserve marine biodiversity;

Ocean Literacy

100. Encourages States, individually or in collaboration with relevant international organizations and bodies, to enhance their scientific activity to better understand the effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine biodiversity and develop ways and means of adaptation;

106. Welcomes the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme relating to marine debris carried out in cooperation with relevant United Nations bodies and organizations, and encourages States to further develop partnerships with industry and civil society to raise awareness of the extent of the impact of marine debris on the health and productivity of the marine environment and consequent economic loss;

142. Calls upon States, individually or in collaboration with each other or with relevant international organizations and bodies, to improve understanding and knowledge of the oceans and the deep sea, including, in particular, the extent and vulnerability of deep sea biodiversity and ecosystems, by increasing their marine scientific research activities in accordance with the Convention;

Climate Change & Ocean Acididification

Reiterating its serious concern over the current and projected adverse effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine biodiversity, and emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue,

Expressing concern that climate change has increased the severity and incidence of coral bleaching throughout tropical seas over the past two decades and has weakened the ability of reefs to withstand ocean acidification, which could have serious and irreversible negative effects on marine organisms, particularly corals, as well as to withstand other pressures, including overfishing and pollution,

Reiterating its deep concern over the vulnerability of the environment and the fragile ecosystems of the polar regions, including the Arctic Ocean and the Arctic ice cap, particularly affected by the projected adverse effects of climate change,

99. Notes the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, including its findings on the acidification of oceans, and in this regard encourages States and competent international organizations and other relevant institutions, individually and in cooperation, to urgently pursue further research on ocean acidification, especially programmes of observation and measurement, noting in particular paragraph 4 of decision IX/20 adopted at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Bonn, Germany, from 19 to 30 May 2008,45 and to increase national, regional and international efforts to address levels of ocean acidity and the projected negative impact of such acidity on vulnerable marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs;

105. Welcomes the World Ocean Conference, to be held in Manado, Indonesia, from 11 to 15 May 2009, as an opportunity to enhance understanding of the link between oceans and climate change and the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems and coastal communities, thus promoting the urgency of mainstreaming climate change-sensitive policies and enhancing adaptation capacity at all levels, especially among developing countries and small island developing States;

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Summary

166. Encourages States to work closely with and through international organizations, funds and programmes, as well as the specialized agencies of the United Nations system and relevant international conventions, to identify emerging areas of focus for improved coordination and cooperation and how best to address these issues;

The Waves of Change Campaign looks forrward to supporting the United Nations in the protection of the oceans and using ocean resources sustainably.

See Waves of Change Focus Areas

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