The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Global Ocean Forum (GOF) project on Strengthening Global Capacity to Effectively Manage Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction has developed the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) Regional Leaders Program. This program is designed to strengthen the capacity of leaders from developing countries and small island developing States (SIDS) at the regional and national levels to better address ABNJ resources and issues and to more effectively participate in global and regional ABNJ discussions.
The 2016 session of the ABNJ Regional Leaders Program, organized by the GOF and University of Delaware with FAO and other project partners, will select up to 8 regional and national leaders to participate in the session on March 21 to April 2, 2016 at the United Nations in New York. Travel and per diem costs of the participants will be supported by the project, with preference given to applicants from developing countries and SIDS. Additional self-funded qualified participants may be accommodated, subject to space considerations.
“Regional leaders” include staff/officers of, and representatives of state parties to, regional organizations (e.g., Regional Seas Programs, regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs), Large Marine Ecosystem Programs, regional economic organizations), which carry out regional activities related to the management of the environment and resources relevant to areas beyond national jurisdiction. “National leaders” include government officers and subject matter specialists in relevant government agencies, e.g., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Fisheries, responsible for the management of national activities (or activities of their nationals) in ABNJ, either based in national capitals or those assigned to the permanent missions to the UN in New York.
The application period for the 2016 session of the ABNJ Regional Leaders Program has now ended.
For more information about the ABNJ Regional Leaders Program, please click here.
Resources:
MODULE 1. OVERVIEW OF ABNJ RESOURCES AND ISSUES
MODULE 2. THE LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION—GLOBAL LEVEL
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
MODULE 3. EXISTING USES OF THE ABNJ AND AUTHORITIES AND PROCESSES RELATED TO ABNJ AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
Marine Genetic Resources and Bioprospecting
Regional Fishery Management Organizations
Submarine Cables and Global Telecommunications
MODULE 4. AREA-BASED APPROACHES TO MANAGEMENT OF ABNJ
Area-Based Management – Existing Experiences in EEZ and Coastal Zones
Tools for Area-Based Management
Applying Area-Based Management Planning to ABNJ: Challenges and Opportunities
MODULE 5. GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS REGARDING ABNJ: EVOLUTION OF NEGOTIATIONS, ISSUES, CONDUCT OF THE PREPCOM ON BBNJ
MODULE 6. CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT REGARDING ABNJ
Capacity Development in ABNJ: Capacity Needs
Capacity Development Initiatives at UN-DOALOS
MODULE 7. PROTECTION OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY: SCIENCE TOOLS AND APPROACHES
Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
Convention on Biological Diversity’s Programme of Work on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity
MODULE 8. AUTHORITIES AND PROCESSES RELATED TO ABNJ AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL: EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Regional Authorities and Experiences – The Sargasso Sea Case
MODULE 9. PREPARING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PREPCOM NEGOTIATIONS: HOW THE UN WORKS AND THE DYNAMICS OF INTERNATIONAL OCEAN NEGOTIATIONS
Side Event at the 1st Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” on Regional and National Perspectives on Area-Based Management and Capacity Development Needs in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ): Examples from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands Regions