Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects Taking forward Global Oceans Assessment I - Welcome to the Brussels Workshop!

Global Oceans Assessment I Workshops are a vital element to gather input for the Regular Process – and for dialogue to improve marine assessment at all levels, national, regional and global

Background to the Regular Process Inventory and evaluation of existing assessments and approaches to gaps in them Comments on the “Outline of Global Oceans Assessment I” and “Guidance to Authors” Evaluation of existing assessment capacity and approaches to capacity-building to fill gaps Start to capacity-building for integrated assessment Provide new focus for networking between experts Aims of the Workshops Global Oceans Assessment I

Origins of the Regular Process Establishment of the Regular Process Organization now in place Remaining elements to be put in place I. Background Global Oceans Assessment I

From the 1992 Earth Summit on, it was clear that the world needs improved coordination of actions at global level of the oceans Such improved coordination needs an integrated assessment as the start of the policy cycle The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development recommended a regular assessment process The UN General Assembly endorsed a regular process in December 2002 Origins of the Regular Process Global Oceans Assessment I

An international workshop in 2004 considered modalities The UN General Assembly agreed in December 2004 that the output should be, by 2014:  agreed priority cross-cutting thematic issues such as food security  an integrated assessment of the oceans  a baseline for future global assessments A second international workshop in 2005 considered a start-up phase The UN General Assembly in 2006 reaffirmed the aims and initiated the Start-Up Phase – the Assessment of Assessments (AoA) From endorsement to start-up Global Oceans Assessment I

The AoA Start-Up Phase examined 500+ regional and thematic assessments in In 2009 the UN General Assembly endorsed –Objective, Scope and Principles of the Regular Process –Production of a First Integrated Assessment by 2014 From start-up to the first cycle (1) Global Oceans Assessment I

The UN General Assembly agreed in December 2010 –Ad Hoc Working Group to oversee and guide the Regular Process –DOALOS to be Secretariat –Technical and scientific support from UNEP, IOC, FAO, IMO and other specialist agencies –a Group of Experts of Regular Process (GOERP) –Group of Experts to provide a Set of Options –Re-emphasis of goal of First Global Integrated Marine Assessment by 2014 From start-up to the first cycle (2) Global Oceans Assessment I

Ad Hoc Working Group considered the Set of Options from GOERP in February 2011 and agreed: the need for regional workshops the need for a pool of experts to help GOERP and in June 2011 agreed: Guidelines for Workshops Criteria for members of the pool of experts (subject to review) terms of reference and working methods for GOERP From start-up to the first cycle (3) Global Oceans Assessment I

In April 2012, the AHWGW agreed: Terms of Reference and Methods of Work Outline of the Global Oceans Assessment I These await final approval from the UN General Assembly From start-up to the first cycle (4) Global Oceans Assessment I

Designation of the members of the pool of experts Finalization of the Guidance to Contributors Assignment of tasks of drafting and reviewing Working Papers Further workshops Remaining tasks for the First Phase (to Dec 2012) Global Oceans Assessment I

From the start, the Regular Process has been intended to build on existing assessments What it adds is a global, integrated view Need to identify and evaluate existing arrangements II.Existing Assessments and what needs doing Global Oceans Assessment I

The AoA report contained regional summaries of assessments for the North-East & North-West Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean This was based on regional summary templates and detailed templates for each assessment identified What does the workshop think about those evaluations? What other assessments are there and how does the workshop evaluate them? Separate presentation on the regional assessments What should the workshop do about existing assessments? Global Oceans Assessment I

Are there issues important for the regions but which have not been assessed? Is there information on any of them? If so, how can it best be mobilized? Where there is no information, what can be done to fill the gap? Gaps and filling them Global Oceans Assessment I

These will be the main formal guidance to all those involved in preparing Global Ocean Assessment I. Comments welcomed from the workshop on these two documents The outline is now agreed – comments therefore need to focus on how to fill it out III. “Outline of First Global Integrated Marine Assessment” and “Guidance to Authors” Global Oceans Assessment I

Output of the first cycle of the Regular Process will be limited because of current lack of monitoring and assessment capacity in many parts of the world Building capacity is therefore an essential part of the Regular Process, so that each cycle can improve on its predecessor IV – Capacity Building Global Oceans Assessment I

Some of the regions covered by this workshop are world leaders in marine assessment, either regionally or nationally Some need to make more progress All probably need to do more on social and economic aspects Regional Needs Global Oceans Assessment I

All regions of the world need to build their capacities to carry out integrated assessments We are all learning as we do it Integration will be an important part of guidance for contributors Capacity building for integrated assessment Global Oceans Assessment I

Workshops are a vital element to gather input for the Regular Process – and for dialogue to improve marine assessment at all levels, national, regional and global Let us start now! Thank you!