GLOBAL FORUM WORKING GROUP ON THE HIGH SEAS AND DEEP SEABED

In December 2005, the Global Forum organized a Working Group designed to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue prior to, at, and beyond the Third Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, held January 23-28, 2006, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, and to provide input, where possible, to other fora addressing these issues. At the Third Global Conference, the Working Group approached the issue of governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction broadly through an expert panel and two multi-stakeholder dialogue sessions, addressing issues relating both to the high seas (defined in part VII of UNCLOS) and the deep seabed, or the "Area" as defined by Part XI of the Convention. During the Third Global Conference, it was agreed that the Working Group would continue on as a "knowledge network," and also consider the need for further research and analytical work. The Working Group is co-chaired by Alfonso Ascencio Herrera of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations and Salvatore Arico of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and includes members, from a broad range of sectors including national governments, academia, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and industry, representing both developed and developing nations.

Working Group Co-chairs Report from the Third Global Conference 

Working Group Members

Co-Chairs
Salvatore Arico, UNESCO
Alfonso Ascencio Herrera, Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN

Existing and Invited Working Group Members
Tim Adams, Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Transform Aqorau, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency
Frida Armas-Pfirter, Austral University, Argentina
Robert Baldi, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, UK
Miriam Balgos, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Awni Behnam, International Ocean Institute
Dominique Benzaken, Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Sergio R. Carranza Forster, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Spain
Leif Christoffersen, formerly of Diversa Corporation
Thia-Eng Chua, formerly with Partnerships in Environmental Management in the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
Biliana Cicin-Sain, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
Carlos Correa, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Industrial Property and Economics Law, The University of Buenos Aires
Bruno Corréard, Independent Fishing Alliance and Responsible Fishing Alliance
Marcos de Almeida, Ministry of Defense, Brazilian Navy
Michel Dion, Organisation des Producteurs Francais de Thon Congele (ORTHONGEL)
Sylvia Earle, Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER)
Martin Exel, Austral Fisheries
Anne Frenette, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Mani Muthu Gandhi, Ministry of External Affairs, India
Serge Garcia, formerly with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Valentina Germani, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS)
Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Kristina Gjerde, The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Lyle Glowka, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Vladimir Golitsyn, formerly of UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
Michel Goujon, Comité National des Pêches Maritimes et des Elevages Marins (CNPMEM)
Alistair Graham, WWF-International
Stefan Hain, UNEP Coral Reef Unit
Barbara Hanchard, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency
Olive Heffernan, Nature Reports Climate Change, UK
Arlo Hemphill, Defying Ocean’s End
Paul Holthus, formerly with Marine Aquarium Council
Elie Jarmache, Prime Minister's Office, France
Sam Johnston, Institute of Advanced Studies, United Nations University (UNU-IAS)
Kim Juniper, University of Victoria
Dennis Takahashi-Kelso, Ocean Conservancy
Lee Kimball, Independent Consultant
Kazuhiro Kitazawa, Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC)
Isao Koike, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo
Gunnar Kullenberg, Independent Consultant
David Leary, United Nations University – Institute of Advanced Studies
Rebecca Lent, NOAA Fisheries International Office
Haiqing Li, State Oceanic Administration, China
Michael Lodge, High Seas Task Force
Ronan Long, National University of Ireland Galway
Carl Lundin, The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Eric Mathur, Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
Fernanda Millicay, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Argentina
Jennifer Mooney, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Daniel Owen, Fenners Chambers, United Kingdom
Jean-Francois Pulvenis de Seligny, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Gaile Ramoutar, Trinidad and Tobago
Rosemary Rayfuse, University of New South Wales
Russell Reichelt, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
John Richardson, European Commission
Lori Ridgeway, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Alex Rogers, Zoological Society of London
Karen Sack, Greenpeace International
Charlotte Salpin, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS)
Renée Sauvé, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
Tullio Scovazzi, University of Milano-Bicocca
Enele Sopoaga, Tuvalu
Asterio Takesy, Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Norma Taylor Roberts, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jamaica
Hiroshi Terashima, Ocean Policy Research Foundation, Japan
Chris Tompkins, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, UK
Edward Urban, Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR)
David VanderZwaag, Dalhousie University
Monica Verbeek, Seas at Risk
Marjo Vierros, United Nations University – Institute for Advanced Studies
LaVerne Walker, St. Lucia
John Young, ExxonMobil Exploration Company

Conference Background Information from Working Group

Working Group Terms of Reference 

Governing the Oceans Beyond National Jurisdiction: Multistakeholder Policy Analyses and Policy Dialogues for Improved Governance Leaflet 

KEY SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP ON GLOBAL OCEANS ISSUES IN MARINE AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION, January 23-25, 2008, Nice France

Workshop Program and Participants. 

Workshop Briefing Volume on Key Information Sources. 

Burnett, Douglas R. Legal Jurisdiction over International Submarine Cables. 

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 2005. The International Legal Regime of the High Seas and the Seabed beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction and Options for Cooperation for the Establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Marine Areas beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction. Note by the Executive Secretary. Ad-Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Protected Areas. First Meeting, Montecatini, Italy, 13-17 June 2005. 28 April 2005. UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/1/INF/2. 
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 2006. Scientific Information on Status and Trends of, and Threats to, Deep Seabed Genetic Resources beyond National Jurisdiction. Note by the Executive Secretary pursuant to SBSTTA recommendation XI/8. 10 February 2006. 

German Advisory Council on Global Change. 2006. The Future Oceans – Warming Up, Rising High, Turning Sour. Special Report. Berlin. 

IUCN Workshop on High Seas Governance for the 21st Century, New York, October 17-19, 2007. Co-Chairs’ Summary Report. December 2007.  

Observations, some current conditions and evaluations on climate change and marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, Dr. Gunnar Kullenberg, former Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. 

Ridgeway, L. 2007. Marine Genetic Resources: Outcomes of the United Nations Informal Consultation Process (ICP) and Policy Implications of the Debate. IFLOS Symposium on Marine Genetic Resources, Forthcoming publication, in press. 

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 1983. Part VII. High Seas. 

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 2006. Report of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. Transmittal letter dated 9 March 2006 from the Co-Chairpersons of the Working Group to the President of the General Assembly. 20 March 2006. 

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 2007. Report on the work of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea at its eighth meeting. Letter dated 30 July 2007 from the Co-Chairpersons of the Consultative Process addressed to the President of the General Assembly. A/62/169. 

UNU-IAS. 2006. Implementing the Ecosystem Approach in Open Ocean and Deep Sea Environments - An Analysis of Stakeholders, their Interests and Existing Approaches. UNU-IAS Report.  

World Climate Research Programme Briefing to IOC 2007. 

Submission of the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands to the UN Ad Hoc Open-Ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, New York, 28 April - 2 May 2008

Global Forum General Statement to the 2nd Ad Hoc Working Group Meeting. 

Global Forum Submission to the 2nd Ad Hoc Working Group Meeting. 

Side Event at the 2nd Ad Hoc Working Group Meeting. 

For More Information

Contact: Miriam C. Balgos, Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands Secretariat, at mbalgos@udel.edu or 1-302-831-8086