1. - The First & Second Cycles of the UN Regular Process
Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment,
including socioeconomic aspects
The First & Second Cycles of the UN Regular Process -
Presentation by
Alan Simcock,
Joint Coordinator of
the Group of Experts of the Regular Process

2. World Ocean Assessment I is complete
UN Regular Process
World Ocean Assessment I is complete
Published by Cambridge University Press (ISBN )
and available on line (Final Report)

3. World Ocean Assessment I
Overall Message
“The greatest threat to the ocean comes from a failure to deal quickly with the manifold problems that have been described above. Many parts of the ocean, including some areas beyond national jurisdiction, have been seriously degraded. If the problems are not addressed, there is a major risk that they will combine to produce a destructive cycle of degradation in which the ocean can no longer provide many of the benefits that humans currently enjoy from it.” ,

4. World Ocean Assessment I
How was WOAI organized?
Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole
Terms of Reference and Working Methods
Outline of the first global integrated assessment
Guidance for contributors
Group of Experts of the Regular Process
Pool of Experts
Secretariat – DOALOS
Website
Trust Fund ,

5. Why a Regular Process? UN Regular Process
What business does not check on the state of 7/10ths of its assets?
2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development recommended a “Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socioeconomic aspects”
The UN General Assembly consequently agreed on a process to produce:
an integrated assessment of the ocean
agreed priority cross-cutting thematic issues such as food security
a baseline for future global assessments.

6. World Ocean Assessment I
How was WOAI organized?
Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole
Terms of Reference and Working Methods
Outline of the first global integrated assessment
Guidance for contributors
Group of Experts of the Regular Process
Pool of Experts
Secretariat – DOALOS
Website
Trust Fund ,

7. World Ocean Assessment I
10 Main Themes (1)
Manifold problems linked to climate change and linked issues
Marine biota – higher mortality, lower reproductive success
Food security and safety is at risk
Biodiversity hotspots are magnets for human activities
Increased and conflicting demands for ocean space

8. World Ocean Assessment I
10 Main Themes (2)
Excessive inputs of harmful material
Cumulative impacts are key issue
Uneven distribution of benefits from the ocean
Integrated management is essential – and that needs more and better information
Lack of knowledge about integration should not lead to delay in implementing known solutions

9. World Ocean Assessment I
A. Climate Change
Changes:
Sea-surface temperature; sea-level rise; salinity; stratification; circulation; storms; as well as acidification; UV radiation
Implications:
Seasonal life-cycles; loss of sea ice; plankton; fish-stock distribution; seaweeds; shellfish productivity; low-lying coasts; coral reefs; submarine cables; eutrophication problems; Arctic shipping

10. World Ocean Assessment I
B. Marine biota
Challenges
Higher mortality – less successful reproduction
Over-fishing
Changes in breeding and nursery areas
Bycatch
Hazardous substances and eutrophication
Noise
Recreational fisheries
Implications
Food security
Species structure of highly productive areas

11. C. Food security and safety
World Ocean Assessment I
C. Food security and safety
Importance of sea-based food
Importance of livelihoods
Importance of small-scale fisheries
Significance of aquaculture and fish-stock propagation
Compromised food safety
Problems of subsidies
Role of women
Importance of food safety

12. D. Patterns of biodiversity
World Ocean Assessment I
D. Patterns of biodiversity
Patterns of marine biodiversity
Importance of temperature
Significance of capture fisheries
Lack of knowledge
Implications
Biodiversity hotspots and ecosystem services
Biodiversity hotspots and economic activities

13. D. Patterns of biodiversity
World Ocean Assessment I
D. Patterns of biodiversity
Patterns of marine biodiversity
Importance of temperature
Significance of capture fisheries
Lack of knowledge
Implications
Biodiversity hotspots and ecosystem services
Biodiversity hotspots and economic activities

14. World Ocean Assessment I
E. Use of ocean space
Challenges
Population and urbanization; aquaculture and marine ranching; cables and pipelines; offshore hydrocarbons; offshore mining; offshore renewable energy; fisheries management areas; marine protected areas
Implications
Too many demands to meet them all
Need to develop ways of managing them

15. F. Inputs of harmful material
World Ocean Assessment I
F. Inputs of harmful material
Challenges
Land-based inputs (sewage; fertilisers; hydrocarbons; heavy metals; persistent organic pollutants; endocrine disruptors); solid waste disposal; marine debris; shipping; offshore hydrocarbon industries; offshore mining
Implications
Human health; food safety; food security; marine biodiversity

16. World Ocean Assessment I
G. Cumulative impacts
Fisheries, demand for ocean space, inputs of harmful materials, noise, non-native species have a cumulative effect:
In all main marine regions
In the open ocean
On top predators
On vulnerable habitats – corals reefs, mangroves, kelp forests and seagrass meadows, seamounts, salt marshes, estuaries
On tourism and cultural values

17. H. Distribution of ocean benefits
World Ocean Assessment I
H. Distribution of ocean benefits
Changes in fish and seafood: lower consumption in poorer areas: diversion to richer areas
Employment and income from fisheries
Maritime transport
Changes in universal benefits
Offshore energy
Tourism
Offshore mining
Marine genetic material

18. I. Integrated management
World Ocean Assessment I
I. Integrated management
There are constraints in assessing only the oceans
But
We have reached the end of the time when human impacts are small in relation to the vastness of the ocean
Many interactions (eg sewage, ship pollution, plastic debris, excessive nutrient inputs, overfishing, acidification) emphasise the problems caused by the absence of integrated management

19. World Ocean Assessment I
J. Urgency for action
Some problems – such as those flowing from climate change and acidification – can only be dealt with at a global level
Many problems have more local causes and are only global problems because they occur in many places
Known solutions exist for many of these locally caused problems
Not implementing those solutions imposes environmental, social and economic costs

20. Problems of the first cycle
World Ocean Assessment I
Problems of the first cycle
G77 fear of OECD takeover
Lack of resources – limited meetings, and those hand-to-mouth
Slow set-up of website – problems with Pool of Experts
Lack of support from Pool of Experts
No National Focal Points
Shortened timescale – no separate peer review

21. The Second Cycle is under way
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
The Second Cycle is under way
In 2016, the UN General Assembly decided:
To launch the second cycle, and that
In the first cycle, the scope of the Regular Process focused on establishing a baseline
The scope of the second cycle will extend to evaluating trends and identifying gaps
The second cycle will cover five years, from 2016 to 2020,

22. Outputs of the Second Cycle
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Outputs of the Second Cycle
Output I: second World Ocean Assessment(s)
Begin with a scoping exercise in January The assessment(s) would be finalized by late Scoping exercise and the assessment(s) supported through regional workshops to among other things, help to identify regional priorities.
Output II: Regular Process support for other ocean-related intergovernmental processes
Preparation of Technical Abstracts to support and interact with ongoing ocean-related intergovernmental processes

23. Technical Abstracts completed
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Technical Abstracts completed
Published by UN Secretariat and distributed at relevant meetings

24. UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
2017 Regional Workshops
Five workshops before the end of 2017:
North Atlantic (including the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the North Sea)
South Atlantic (including the Wider Caribbean)
The North Pacific
The South Pacific
The Indian Ocean (including the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the ROPME/RECOFI area)
The Arctic Council and the Antarctic Treaty organizations will be asked for views in correspondence.

25. UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Aims of Workshops
Present the main conclusions of World Ocean Assessment I
Put forward views on the scope and structure for assessment(s) in the second cycle: in particular
What aspects of the ocean are most relevant and how far can we establish trends
How to establishment trends now and in the future
How to evaluate risks
What are regional priorities?
How to promote capacity-building?
How to increase cooperation/coordination?
How to structure assessments to help policy-makers?
How to improve networking?

26. UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Other consultations
The Regional Seas Organizations
The Regional Fisheries Management Organizations
The relevant members of the UN family:
- FAO, IAEA, IMO, UNEP, UNESCO-IOC
- Others if they are interested
Members of the Pool of Experts of the first cycle of the Regular Process

27. Process after consultation
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Process after consultation
Group of Experts prepare proposals in the light of the Regional Workshops and other consultations (Jan/Feb 2018)
Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole determines the scope and structure of the assessment(s) for the second cycle of the Regular Process
Pool of Experts for the second cycle is organized on the basis of nominations by States and suggestions of intergovernmental organizations
Writing Teams and their Convenors are identified and organized
Timetable for completion by 2020 is established

28. Possible elements – substance (1)
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
Possible elements – substance (1)
Better integration of environmental, social and economic aspects
World Ocean Assessment I had a “cubist” approach, looking at everything from three angles: ecosystem processes, human activities and habitats (including species)
Better coverage of socio-economic issues
Relation to Sustainable Development Goals
Focusing on specific audiences

29. How to integrate better?
UN Regular Process – Second Cycle
How to integrate better?
Possibly look at the way in which issues link together?
Possible linkages:
The ocean and its circulation
The food web
Coastal and shelf seas
The open ocean