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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI)

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD/UNEP)
#SDGAction40027
Description
Description
SOI will provide a global platform to build partnerships and enhance capacity to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets related to marine and coastal biodiversity in a holistic manner. This will contribute to the capacity development of SIDS from national to subnational level, and through thematic and regional cooperation initiatives) to sustainably manage their ocean and coastal biodiversity and benefit from the many environmental, social, and economic services provided by healthy marine ecosystems.
Implementation of the Project/Activity

The central activities of SOI include:· National, subnational and regional level capacity development workshops;· Development of training materials of modules addressing conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, with a focus on supporting ground-level implementation;· Development of an online information-sharing mechanism to link different sources of information on ocean science and policy and provide centralized access to important sources of information to support research prioritization and policy development and implementation;· Facilitating sharing of lessons-learned from different experiences in ocean and coastal management, including through online information-sharing mechanism, capacity development workshops, and global partnership meetings;· Development of a training-of-trainers programme to equip potential trainers with the background knowledge, skills and practical experience needed to train individuals at different levels and relay this information in a way that is useful to managers and ground-level implementers. · Development of expert guidance materials to support sound and science-based policymaking and impementation · Identification of specific opportunities for partnerships to improve on-the-ground implementation, with a focus on sustainable fisheries (Aichi Target 6), marine protected areas (Aichi Target 11), and the impacts of multiple stressors, including climate change and ocean acidification, on vulnerable marine ecosystems such as coral reefs (Aichi Target 10), among others.

Capacity

All of the activities of SOI aim to focus centrally on capacity building to provide countries, in particular SIDS and developing countries, with the tools and resources needed to progress towards the achievement of the CBD Aichi Biodiversity Target on marine and coastal biodiversity (in particular, Aichi Biodiversity Targets 6, 10, 11 and 12).

Governed

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity currently coordinates the implementation of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative. Coordination will be further supported by a website/online information-sharing mechanism, along with periodic SOI Global Partnership Meetings.

Partners
Since its inception, necessary financial resources for the implementation of SOI have been provided by Japan (through Japan Biodiversity Fund) and France (through French marine protected areas agency); in-kind contribution by Senegal, Republic of Korea, China through hosting the workshops/meetings; technical support provided by Australia (through Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation: CSIRO), Germany (through GIZ), Monaco (through Monaco Blue Initiative), Korea (Korea Maritime Institute, Korea Environment Management Corporation), United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-UNESCO, regional seas organizations/regional fisheries management organizations/other relevant regional initiatives (such as Abidjan Convention, North West Pacific Action Plan, Partnership for Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, South-east Atlantic Fisheries Organization, etc), IUCN-Commission on Ecosystem Management-Fisheries Expert Group, Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiatives, Lifeweb Initiative, Global Island Partnership, MedPAN: the Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, Brest_Metropole Oceane as the chair of the Maritime Innovative Territories International Network-MITIN, and many other partner organizations.

Goal 14

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Goal 14

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
Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

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
Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

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
Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

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
Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

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

Development of online information-sharing mechanism
National and regional capacity development workshops
Global partnership meetings
Development and implementation of training of trainers programmeecific topics (including integrated coastal management)
Development of expert guidance on specific topics (including integrated coastal management)
In-kind contribution
All partners will provide some form of in-kind contribution, whether it be hosting of workshops, training materials, information on relevant experiences, linkages to various types of web-based resources, etc.
Financing (in USD)
Interested CBD Parties, such as Japan and France, will provide financial resources to support SOI implementation; as partnerships and activities are continually being developed, the exact figure of financial contributions is changing
Staff / Technical expertise
The CBD Secretariat will provide staff support and technical expertise to coordinate the implementation of SOI
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False
Action Network
Small Island Developing States
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Timeline
01 January 1970 (date of completion)
Entity
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
SDGs
14
Region
  1. Africa
  2. Europe
  3. North America
  4. Asia and Pacific
Countries
United States of America
United States of America
Contact Information

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, The

secretariat@cbd.int