Advancing an ethical human-Ocean relationship
Ocean Vision Legal
(
Other relevant actor
)
#OceanAction57841
Description
The United Nations acknowledges that to maintain the quality of life the Ocean provides humanity, a change is required in how we view and interact with the Ocean—transitioning from exploitation and detachment to stewardship, care, and respect. Fostering an ethical Human-Ocean relationship necessitates the implementation of comprehensive measures across legal, political, educational, economic and community-based domains.
Ocean Vision Legal (OVL) is committed to advancing an ethical human-Ocean relationship, including by advocating for legal and policy recognition of, and respect for, the inherent rights and intrinsic value of the Ocean.
Our objectives are:
1. To promote and develop legal frameworks that recognise the Ocean as a living entity with inherent rights.
2. To integrate ethical and Ocean-centric principles into Ocean governance, ensuring that decision-making respects the Ocean’s ecological integrity.
3. To support Indigenous and coastal communities in advocating for Ocean protection aligned with their knowledge and traditions.
4. To enhance public and institutional awareness on the interconnected human-Ocean relationship through education, capacity-building, and literacy initiatives.
OVL will implement this commitment through a multi-pronged approach:
1. Advocacy and Movement Building: Publish a central hub (website) for the Ocean Rights movement to organise and scale Ocean Rights advocacy and contribute to Ocean Literacy, fostering a growing network of stakeholders. Conduct workshops, webinars, and high-level dialogues to enhance understanding and application of Ocean Rights. Build an inclusive movement or organisations and individuals collectively working towards a Universal Declaration of Ocean RIghts or similar by 2030.
2. Implementing Ocean Rights: Provide expert legal guidance to governments and institutions on the practical implementation of Ocean Rights. Build and disseminate policy briefs, best practices, guidelines and toolkits in collaboration with the IUCN, UNOD and other global institutions. Work with Indigenous and coastal communities to advance rights-based approaches to marine conservation, including the advancement of Whale Personhood in the Pacific.
3. Launch the Blue Governance Project alongside UNOC 2025: The goal of the project is with the goal of creating a movement for Ocean-centric governance, integrating Ocean protection in the governance structure of institutions and corporations, thus making the Ocean a vital part of impact evaluations or corporate responsibility and sustainability (ESG).
4.Judicial Enforcement: Provide legal expertise to support litigation and advisory opinions that reinforce Ocean Rights and the human right to a healthy environment. Engage in strategic litigation to uphold marine protection laws and prevent activities that cause irreversible harm to the Ocean.
To ensure the effective implementation of our commitment, OVL will:
- Track measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including the number of legal assessments, policy briefs, workshops and advocacy events conducted.
- Launch an Ocean Rights Declaration to show public support for the movement by individuals, governments, organisations, institutions and groups.
- Track implementation and enforcement of Ocean Rights laws or policies, sharing lessons learned, challenges and best practices.
- Maintain an open-access database to monitor legal and policy developments related to Ocean Rights.
Gallifrey Foundation (Philanthropic Organisation)
The Ocean Race (Private Sector)
Wild Legal (NGO)
The Leatherback Project (NGO)
Pacific Whale Fund (NGO)
SDGS & Targets
Goal 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.3.1
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.4.1
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.5.1
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
14.a.1
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 14.2 | By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans |
| 14.4 | By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics |
| 14.5 | By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information |
| 14.6 | By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation |
| 14.c | Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want" |
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Contact Information
Michelle, Legal Counsel and Head of Ocean Rights