ABOUT THE GLOBAL FORUM

The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands was created at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002, to advance the interests of oceans--incorporating 72% of the Earth; coasts--the home of 50% of the world's population; and islands--43 of the world's nations are small island developing States (SIDS), which are especially dependent on the oceans. The Global Forum brings together ocean leaders from governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, ocean donors, and scientific institutions, to achieve the sustainable development of oceans, coasts, and islands.

The Global Forum's major goals are to:

• Work as a catalyst to mobilize knowledge, resources, and organizational action to advance the global oceans agenda and to promote integrated oceans management
• Foster a mutually-supportive global network of ocean policy leaders with the capacity to implement integrated oceans management
• Raise the international profile of oceans, coasts, and SIDS in relevant global, regional, and sub-regional Fora
• Mobilize public awareness on global issues related to oceans, coasts, and islands, and promote information sharing and dissemination
• Work together with governments, international and intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and others to effectively implement, at national and regional levels, major international agreements on oceans, especially the commitments made in the Plan of Implementation of the WSSD, commitments from Agenda 21, and other related agreements.

The Global Forum works to:

• promote the implementation of international agreements related to oceans, coasts, and small island developing States (SIDS), especially the goals emanating from the 2002 WSSD
• analyze emerging issues such as improving the governance regime for ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction
• promote international consensus-building on unresolved ocean issues
• promote cross-sectoral dialogue on ocean and coastal issues, especially among governments, nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, and scientific institutions
• provide a mechanism for advocacy of oceans, coasts, and islands at the highest political levels
• assist in linking oceans and freshwater issues and concerns

The Global Forum was first mobilized in 2001 to help the world's governments to address issues related to oceans, coasts, and small island developing States on the agenda of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and was later formalized at the 2002 WSSD in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the preparatory process for the WSSD, it became evident that ocean issues were not on the World Summit agenda. Hence, the Global Forum was mobilized to hold the first Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands (in December 2001 at UNESCO, Paris) to lay the groundwork for the inclusion of an oceans perspective at the WSSD by calling attention to the economic and social importance of oceans, coasts, and small island developing States and the serious problems besetting these areas. These efforts were successful, as at the 2002 WSSD, government delegates agreed on an action plan for oceans, coasts, and islands, with specific targets and timetables for action.

There is now a global consensus at the highest political levels that there is an urgent need to take specific actions to achieve the sustainable development of oceans, coasts, and of small island developing States. The Global Forum is a response to perceived needs for fostering cross-sectoral dialogue on ocean issues among governments, NGOs, international organizations, and the private and scientific sectors; the need for constant advocacy for oceans at the highest political levels; and the imperative of taking an ecosystem-based and integrated approach to oceans governance at national, regional, and global levels, including treating the water system-from freshwater, to coasts, to oceans-as the interlinked system that it is.

Since 2001, the Global Forum has involved ocean experts representing all sectors from 93 countries and has organized three Global Conferences (in 2001, 2003, and 2006 at UNESCO in Paris) with preparations for a fourth Global Conference to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam in April 2008. The Global Forum has organized the Ocean Policy Summit in Lisbon in 2005 documenting experiences with integrated oceans governance in over 20 countries and 4 regions around the world. In addition, the Global Forum has prepared a number of reports on:

• the implementation of the WSSD ocean targets,
• ocean issues in island States for the 2005 Mauritius International Meeting on Small Island Developing States
• capacity development needs on ocean and coastal management in eight world regions

Also provided is a series of Internet information services, including periodic newsletters. All of these reports, materials, and newsletters can be found on the Global Forum website.

The work of the Global Forum is directed by a Steering Committee of more than 80 members, and run by a small Secretariat, the International Coastal and Ocean Organization, an international NGO accredited to the UN Economic and Social Council.

For a more detailed description of the Global Forum's past, present, and future activities and accomplishments, please see the Report of Activities, 2005-2007 and Future Directions.