The Nippon Foundation
RESEARCH TASK FORCE ON NATIONAL OCEAN POLICIES
Part of the Nippon Foundation's International Ocean Governance Network

Background
The Nippon Foundation has organized the International Ocean Governance Network (IOGN) to enhance education and build capacity in ocean governance around the world. A first step in the creation of the Network has been the establishment of the Education Task Force to determine the current status of education and training in the ocean governance field.

The Network will also carry out collaborative, cross-national research on a number of important topics in ocean governance, to be chosen periodically through consultation among Network members. Research results, such as papers and reports, will be used for capacity building purposes (e.g., in enhancing ocean governance curricula of university teaching programs and specialized courses for public officials), as well as to assist countries in promoting best practices in the field.

The Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies, the first research activity of the Network, aimed to analyze emerging patterns of national ocean policies, share experiences, draw lessons, and develop guidance on 'best practices.'

Development of National Ocean Policies Around the World
While most coastal nations of the world already have a variety of sectoral policies in place to manage different uses of the ocean (such as shipping, fishing, and oil and gas development), it has only been in the last decade that coastal nations have undertaken concerted efforts to articulate and implement an integrated vision for the governance of ocean areas under their jurisdiction-to harmonize existing uses and laws, to foster sustainable development of ocean areas, to protect biodiversity and vulnerable resources and ecosystems, and to coordinate the actions of the many government agencies that are typically involved in oceans affairs.

This is a very encouraging development, responding as it does to the reality of serious conflicts of use in most national ocean zones and to the prescriptions articulated in both the Law of the Sea ("the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need to be considered as a whole"), and in the 1992 Earth Summit (given the interrelationship among uses and processes in the coast and ocean, ocean and coastal governance must be "integrated in content and precautionary and anticipatory in ambit").

Purposes of the Research Task Force
The Nippon Foundation Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies brought together academic experts and government officials working on national ocean policies from around the globe for the following purposes:

1. Develop a framework for cross-national analysis of national ocean policies and for drawing lessons useful to other cases.
2. Carry out systematic comparative analyses of national ocean policies in a selected number of countries.
3. Draw lessons from the comparative analyses and develop suggested guidance for other nations contemplating national ocean policy formulation and implementation.
4. Organize an international conference for lesson sharing on national ocean policies.
5. Disseminate the results of the research work through publications, Internet services, policy briefings to public officials and to journalists.
6. Develop and disseminate educational materials on national ocean policies.

Project Duration
February 2004 to September 2006.

Project Milestones

1. Organization of the Research Task Force (February 2004)


1) The Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies is organized under the direction of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, University of Delaware (Chair), and Dr. David VanderZwaag (Vice-Chair), Dalhousie University, Canada, vice-chair. Academic experts and government officials from selected nations working on national ocean policies have been invited to participate in the Research Task Force (see list of Task Force members and advisors below).

2) Initial research had been conducted to formulate an initial common framework for cross-national study of national ocean policies, to categorize countries undergoing national ocean policy development into various categories, and to develop an initial sample and research framework for analysis. The initial framework had been revised and enhanced through consultation with the Task Force participants.

3) Initial research indicates that there are 16 nations and 4 regions of the world which appear to be taking concrete steps toward cross-cutting and integrated national ocean policies (not just separate sectoral policies).

National and regional efforts at creating cross-cutting and integrated national ocean policies are at different phases of policy formulation and implementation, i.e.:

- implementation stage-cross-cutting and integrated national policy has already been enacted and is already being implemented

- formulation stage-a well-defined formal process is underway to develop a cross-cutting and integrated national ocean policy

- preparatory stage-informal processes are ongoing to prepare the nation in the formal development of a cross-cutting and integrated national ocean policy

The following possible cases were considered, as noted in Table 1:

Table 1. Distribution of national and regional ocean policy efforts according to stage of policy development

The countries examined by the project were selected on the basis of the following criteria:

1) Different phases of the ocean policy formulation and development process;

2) Developed and developing nations;

3) Examples of regional ocean policy formulation which will have a significant effect in shaping national ocean policies;

4) Nations from different regions of the world. The sample includes nations from all major world regions, as noted in Table 2 below:

Table 2. Initial selection of countries according to region

5) Significant marine nations/regions with large Exclusive Economic Zones. The sample includes close to 75% of the world's Exclusive Economic Zones.


2. Conduct of the comparative studies in each country/region (February 2004 to March 2005)

Task Force members were invited to prepare studies of each country/region following the list of questions and the guide noted later in this document.


3. Meetings to discuss the project and to seek feedback (February 2004 to September 2004)

The progress of the work was presented and feedback sought at several relevant meetings:


• The Research Task Force meeting held on April 23-24, 2004 at the Nippon Foundation in Tokyo 
• A Research Task Force meeting held on June 12-13, 2004 in New York, following the 5th United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (June 7-11, 2004) 


4. Review, editing, and lesson drawing from the country case studies (April-June 2005)

During this period, the results from the country analyses were reviewed to draw lessons, and to develop a draft of the book on comparative national ocean policies being prepared through the project.


5. Production of draft book on national ocean policies for use, in part, in capacity building efforts (June 2006)

A draft book containing national and regional case studies was completed and distributed at the TOPS 2005 The Ocean Policy Summit.


6. International conference on national ocean policies (September 2005)

The Research Task Force organized the TOPS 2005: The Ocean Policy Summit, "Integrated Ocean Policy: National and Regional Experiences, Prospects and Emerging Practices", which took place on October 10-14, 2005 in Lisbon Portugal. The 218 participants represented 53 countries, and brought together members of governments, regional organizations, UN agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations, donor agencies, and industry representatives. The conference featured in-depth analyses of the experiences of 23 nations and 3 regions of the world that have taken concrete steps toward cross-cutting and integrated ocean policy.


7. Preparation of draft teaching module on national ocean policies and testing of the module at the International Conference (July 2005-September 2006)

A capacity-building workshop entitled The Ocean Policy Strategy Workshop for Decisionmakers from Small Island Developing States, Developing Countries and Economies in Transition, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, October 14, 2005, in conjunction with TOPS 2005: The Ocean Policy Summit. The workshop addressed topics that were identified by small island developing States, developing countries and economies in transition as priority areas for capacity development in integrated ocean and coastal management:

1. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf delimitation and management
2. Multilateral Environmental Agreement negotiations (MEA)
3. Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA)


8. Final production of book on national ocean policies (August 2007)

A book on Integrated Regional and National Ocean Policies: Comparative Practices and Future Prospects, resulting from the work reported at TOPS 2005: The Ocean Policy Summit will be published by the United Nations University Press in 2008. The book, which brings together the experiences of 18 countries and 4 regions in integrated ocean policy, includes 23 chapters authored by 53 authors.


9. Final production of guidance to national practitioners and international agencies on national ocean policy formulation and implementation (August 2007)

The guidance document on best practices in national ocean policy formulation and implementation is incorporated in the ocean policy book.


10. Internet services (throughout the duration of the project)

Information on national ocean policies emanating from the study has been placed on the global web service organized by the University of Delaware on behalf of the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands (www.globaloceans.org).

Participants, Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies

Chair: Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, University of Delaware
Vice-Chair: Dr. David VanderZwaag, Dalhousie University School of Law
Project Coordinator: Dr. Miriam C. Balgos, Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, University of Delaware

Task Force members:

National ocean policies

Australia: Donna Petrachenko and Ben Addison, Department of the Environment and Water Resources

Brazil: Milton Asmus, Fundacao Universidade do Rio Grande (FURG)

Canada: David VanderZwaag, Dalhousie University; Camille Mageau, Department of Fisheries and Oceans; Sue Farlinger, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

China: Haiqing Li, State Oceanic Administration; Jiao Yongke, China Institute for Marine Affairs

India: Harsh Gupta, former Secretary, Department of Ocean Development (Retired)

Japan: Hiroshi Terashima, Ocean Policy Research Foundation, Japan; Moritaka Hayashi, Waseda University

New Zealand: Prue Taylor, Department of Planning, University of Auckland

Norway: Terje Lobach, Directorate of Fisheries; Alf Hakon Hoel, University of Tromso

Philippines: Robert Jara, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Jay Batongbacal, Philippine Center for Marine Affairs, Inc.

Portugal: Mario Ruivo, Intersectorial Oceanographic Commission, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education; Tiago Pitta e Cunha,Cabinet of the Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, European Commission; Francisca Menezes-Ferreira, Intersectorial Oceanographic Commission and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal

Russian Federation: Yuriy M. Kolochkov and Yuriy Mikhaylichenko, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade; Valentin P. Sinetsky and Genrikh K. Voitolovsky, Council for Study of Productive Forces

United States: Biliana Cicin-Sain, University of Delaware

United Kingdom: John Roberts, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), UK; Hance Smith, Cardiff University

Vietnam: Nguyen Chu Hoi, Ministry of Fisheries; Hoang Ngoc Giao, Law School, Vietnam National University

Regional ocean policies

Africa region: Ali Mohamed, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); Indu Hewawasam, Africa Region, World Bank

South Pacific: Cristelle Pratt and Mary Power, SOPAC

European Union: John Richardson, Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, European Commission

Connection between national ocean policies and international ocean agreements: Jon Van Dyke, University of Hawaii School of Law

Advisors, Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies

1. Dr. Patricio Bernal, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), UNESCO
2. Dr. Alfred Duda, Senior Advisor, International Waters, Global Environment Facility
3. Dr. Serge Garcia, Director, Fishery Resources Division, United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
4. Dr. Jean-François Pulvenis de Séligny, Director, Fishery Policy and Planning Division, United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
5. Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, Regional Programmme Director, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
6. Dr. Isao Koike, Professor, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo
7. Dr. Gunnar Kullenberg, Independent Consultant, and former Secretary, IOC/UNESCO
8. Mr. Andrew Hudson, Principal Technical Adviser on International Waters, United Nations Development Programme
9. Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd, Coordinator, UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities
10. Mrs. Annick de Marffy, Director, U.N. Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
11. Mr. Philip Burgess, Co-chairperson, U.N. Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS)
12. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Felipe H. Paolillo, Uruguay, Co-chairperson, U.N. Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS)

Case Study Guides

• Research Study Guide on National Ocean Policies 
• Research Study Guide on Regional Ocean Policies