The Global Forum and the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN) are collaborating on a number of capacity building activities under the framework of the GEF/MSP: Fostering a Global Dialogue on Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS, and on Freshwater-Coastal-Marine Interlinkages. This initiative is intended to extend the impact of the MSP's activities by ensuring that the information and knowledge generated through the Global Forum MSP are identified and effectively disseminated to other GEF IW projects and other stakeholders through IW:LEARN information exchange mechanisms and through the development of a global strategy in developing capacity in ocean and coastal management.

About IW:LEARN
IW:LEARN is a program that promotes experience sharing and learning among GEF International Waters projects and the country officials, agencies, and partners working on the projects. Activities include the IW:LEARN Information Management System at www.iwlearn.net and ICT technical assistance trainings through face-to-face workshops and distance learning.

IW:LEARN's website serves as the Knowledge Base for GEF IW:LEARN and contains an extensive collection of resources, experiences, and materials for the portfolio. In addition to hosting project websites, the IW:LEARN website offers newsletters, blogs and forums, a website toolkit, and information about forthcoming IW workshops and job opportunities.

Collaboration with Oceans Training Partnership
The Global Forum is supporting the work of the Oceans Training Partnership (UNEP/GPA, UNDOALOS, UNDP/GEF, International Ocean Institute, IW:LEARN, UNESCO-IHE, Global Forum) created at the Second Meeting of the UNEP/GPA Intergovernmental Review (IGR2) in Beijing in October 2006. The Partnership aims to strengthen capacity building for better water and coastal zone management by strengthening and combining existing partnerships to maximize benefits.

To support the Partnership, the Global Forum and IW:LEARN are putting together a course catalogue starting with courses administered by the University of Delaware Center for Marine Policy, IW:LEARN, and other collaborating partners for posting on the IW:LEARN/Global Forum website. Collaborating partners will be asked to post descriptions of the courses they administer online. Creating links and providing access to actual course materials held by collaborating partners in their respective websites are among the future activities being explored by the Partnership.

Global Forum GEF/MSP at the IWC4
The Global Forum will be participating at the GEF Fourth Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC4) to be held on July 31-August 3, 2007, in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Global Forum will be sharing knowledge gained from the Global Forum GEF/MSP through the following activities:

Theme Table on Long-term Capacity Building in Integrated Oceans Governance
Wednesday, August 1, 4:30-5:30 P.M.

To achieve the WSSD targets on oceans, coasts, and islands, it is essential to identify and address capacity building needs of governments, as well as opportunities for partnerships and funding support from donor organizations, in developing States, small island developing States (SIDS), and in States with economies in transition to implement integrated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches to the management of oceans and coasts at national and regional levels. To assist States in their endeavors to develop and implement the necessary institutional frameworks, the international community needs to provide or strengthen capacity building initiatives in various regions of the world.

Under the framework of the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands GEF/MSP on Fostering a Global Dialogue on Oceans, Coasts, and SIDS, and on Freshwater-Coastal-Marine Interlinkages, the Global Forum has carried out 8 regional assessments of capacity building needs in ocean and coastal management (in East Asia, Africa, Latin America, in 4 SIDS regions (Pacific, Caribbean, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean), and among the 8 Portuguese-speaking nations). The intent of this activity is to develop a detailed proposal for action in capacity development that could be part of a funding portfolio for the GEF and other donors in the future. The Theme Table on Capacity Building will consider different modalities for achieving long-term capacity development and the special role that the GEF could play in this regard, starting from the recommendations emanating from the regional capacity assessments already undertaken.

Participant Designed Workshop: Strategic Planning to Advance the Oceans Agenda to 2016
Friday, August 3, 9:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.

In late 2006, the Global Forum began a strategic planning effort to chart strategic activities which could be undertaken together with governments, the United Nations, other intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, industry, and scientific groups to advance the global oceans agenda over the next ten-year period, to 2016. The first step was the development of a draft calendar of major events and opportunities for policy decisions (by the United Nations, governments and other parties) related to oceans, coasts, small island developing States, and freshwater taking place over the next decade, as well as tentative Global Forum policy analyses and multistakeholder workshops/global conferences in response to and/or in anticipation of such opportunities.

The next steps in the strategic planning are to be carried out through 17 working groups organized on three themes which are based on the WSSD targets on oceans, coasts, and small island developing States: 1) Achieving Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management by 2010; 2) Climate, Oceans, and Security; and 3) Governance of Marine Ecosystems and Uses in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. A number of working groups will also consider major overarching, cross-cutting issues: Poverty Reduction, Capacity Development, Marine Ecosystem Productivity/Services, Indicators for Progress, Compliance and Enforcement, and Public Education/Outreach/Media. The results of working group deliberations and a draft Global Oceans Agenda for 2006-2016 will be presented at: 1) the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management by 2010 in the Context of Climate Change, April 7-11, 2008, Hanoi, Vietnam; 2) the World Ocean Conference, May 11-15, 2009, Manado, Indonesia; and 3) other appropriate international venues.

This workshop will discuss the major substantive issues involved in advancing the global oceans agenda in the next several years, review the composition of the working groups as well as brainstorm on the approach and methodology to be followed in addressing each major cross-cutting ocean issue, including ways by which actions proposed by each working group could be harmonized for a coherent approach to achieving the WSSD targets.

This workshop will also address how GEF IW projects contribute to the overall scenario of integrated oceans governance, and how aspects or components of the GEF IW portfolio could be enhanced in order to boost its role in the achievement of WSSD targets on oceans, coasts, and SIDS in preparation for the next GEF strategic planning exercise.

This workshop will endeavor to ensure that a variety of perspectives are represented-including from developing countries/developed countries/countries with economies in transition/SIDS, governments/NGOS/international organizations, industry, and scientific groups-in the strategic oceans planning process.

Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) at the 4th Global Conference
Large Marine Ecosystems and the GEF LME projects' knowledge, experience and lessons gained in the application of the ecosystem management approach to ocean and coastal governance will be among the themes featured at the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, April 7-11, 2007, Hanoi, Vietnam. In 1995, the GEF Council included the concept of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) in its Operational Strategy as a vehicle to foster ecosystem-based approaches to the management of coastal and marine resources and address the land-sea interface. LMEs encompass coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the seaward boundaries of continental shelves, enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and the outer margins of the major current systems. LMEs are typically 200,000 square kilometers or greater, and are characterized by distinct bathymetry, hydrography, productivity, and trophically-dependent populations. To date, 64 LMEs have been identified in the global oceans. The GEF uses LMEs as units for facilitating integration across sectors, developing adaptive management frameworks with site-specific targets, and providing tools for engaging stakeholders. With GEF assistance, 129 different nations are cooperating to improve place-based management for 12 LMEs, with projects for another 7 LMEs under preparation. A Working Group on LMEs is being organized to assess progress made in LMEs, challenges to managing LMEs, and provide guidance for the enhanced management of LMEs, for presentation at the 4th Global Conference.

Global Strategy for Capacity Building
Under the framework of the Global Forum GEF-MSP, the Global Forum has organized:

• Four rapid assessments on the specific steps that can be taken to rapidly implement the Mauritius Strategy (2005) in four SIDS regions including assessing the associated capacity development needs (see discussion and report titles in the section on SIDS);
• A capacity assessment on ocean and coastal management by the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Nations (CPLP) (8 nations);
• Regional capacity assessments on integrated ocean and coastal management in Africa, East Asia, and Latin America.

The ultimate intent of this activity is to develop a detailed proposal for action in capacity development that could be part of the GEF portfolio in the future, such as a GEF Capacity Development in Ocean and Coastal Management Fund. The implications of the outcomes of the regional capacity assessments and planning for the development of the proposal will be discussed in a meeting at the IWC4. For more information, please see the website section dedicated to this activity.

News Section (Forthcoming)
A syndicated News section on the Global Forum website using IW:LEARN's news aggregator is being developed.

For more information about this collaboration, please contact:

Miriam Balgos, Program Coordinator
Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands
Email: mbalgos@udel.edu

Dann Sklarew, Chief Technical Advisor
GEF IW:LEARN
Email: dann@iwlearn.org