Together with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and GRID-Arendal, the Global Ocean Forum is collaborating in the preparation of a project on Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (The Cross-Sectoral Capacity Development Project, Common Oceans Program, Phase II). This project, to be implemented by UNEP, is part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) intervention on ABNJ through the Common Oceans Program led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). To be executed by the GOF, WCMC, and GRID-Arendal, together with regional organizations in two pilot regions, this project aims to develop and strengthen capacity for sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination among national, regional and global institutions in the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ. Specifically, the project will build the capacity of regional organizations (e.g., inter alia, Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs), Regional Seas Programmes (RSPs), Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) programs), their Member States (officials, managers, ministerial representatives), and representatives from global ocean-related organizations, to facilitate cross-sectoral coordination to achieve sustainable ocean use.
The project builds on the outcomes and outputs of the Capacity Project and the Deep Sea Project under the Common Oceans Program Phase I.
The project, which is expected to start in 2022, will have two components:
- Building and strengthening capacity for sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination in ABNJ in two pilot regions.
The project will enhance functional capacity of national, regional and global organizations in sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination initiatives in ABNJ management. In particular, the project would like to improve capacity for enhanced application of area-based management tools (ABMTs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and marine spatial planning in the pilot regions.
- Improving sectoral and cross-sectoral knowledge management on and public awareness of ABNJ in the pilot regions.
The project will demonstrate effective knowledge exchange and improved access to the best available information for well-informed decision-making in cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination among key ABNJ management organizations (national, regional and global). The project will aim to put in place a cross-organizational knowledge exchange process tested in each pilot region.
For more information about this project, contact:
Isabelle Vanderbeck, UNEP (isabelle.vanderbeck@un.org)
Miriam Balgos, Global Ocean Forum (mbalgos@globaloceanforum.com)
Nina Bhola, UNEP-WCMC (Nina.Bhola@unep-wcmc.org)
Louise Lieberknecht, GRID-Arendal (louise.lieberknecht@grida.no)