Ocean governance including science policy, partnerships, gender, and youth
The Regional Seas Programme drives inclusive and coherent ocean governance by combining science, policy, and partnerships with a focus on gender and youth, fostering regional cooperation and implementing multilateral agreements to safeguard marine biodiversity and ecosystems, combat pollution, address climate change and promote sustainable development
Introduction
Ocean governance plays a vital role in the sustainable management and conservation of the world’s oceans, safeguarding them for future generations. It involves the regulation and administration of the ocean's uses, aiming to maintain biodiversity, mitigate climate change impacts, and promote sustainable livelihoods. UNEP’s Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs) are instrumental in driving ocean governance by fostering regional cooperation, informed by science-policy dialogues and inclusive partnerships, with a strong focus on gender and youth engagement.
Why It Matters
The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, supporting critical ecosystem services, regulating the climate, and providing livelihoods to billions of people. However, it faces unprecedented threats from pollution including plastic pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change. Strong governance is necessary to ensure the health and resilience of marine ecosystems, which, in turn, safeguard food security, economic opportunities, and the well-being of coastal communities. Empowering science, policy, partnerships, and inclusive governance, particularly involving women and youth, is critical to addressing these complex challenges effectively.
What We Do
UNEP, through the Regional Seas Programme, provides a framework for regional ocean governance that supports member states in managing their marine and coastal environments.
The Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs) have been actively shaping innovative ocean governance around the planet, and have progressively erected comprehensive institutional, legal and implementing frameworks for sustainable management and the protection of ecosystems. They have supported member states and contracting parties to address marine and coastal issues through a range of measures and approaches. The regional seas programmes and/or their contracting parties have developed various strategic documents that set clear objectives, goals and targets for their regions. The documents range from:
- Regional Seas Conventions, Protocols and Action Plans: Most regional seas (in the 1970’s to 1990’s) adopted a Convention for the protection of the marine and coastal environment, or an Action Plan, or both. In most cases, such Action Plans are underpinned with strong legal frameworks in the form of regional Conventions and associated Protocols addressing specific problems or specific objectives and goals as defined for their member states and parties to collectively achieve. Some Regional Seas have adopted thematic protocols according to their regional priorities (Mediterranean, Caribbean, Eastern Africa, Caspian, ROPME, South-East Pacific).
- Regional Seas Strategies and Work programmes: In order to elaborate on the implementation of the Regional Seas Conventions and/or Action Plans, each region has developed strategies and/or work-programmes. Each presents the main objectives, actions, and in several cases targets and indicators for the period noted.
- Strategic Action Programmes (SAPs): Those regional seas with countries that are eligible for Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding, have received funding to develop Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis reports (TDAs) to first identify the main causes of environmental degradation and transboundary issues, followed by Strategic Action Programmes (SAPs) to elaborate the objectives, targets and actions required to address this causes.
- Other strategies and/or actions: This is in particular thematic strategies on land-based sources of pollution, marine and coastal biodiversity conservation, Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans (ICZM), pollution from shipping and oil, gas exploration/exploitation marine litter, sustainable development, adaptation to climate change, coastal zone management, marine protected areas, invasive species and others
Selected examples to exemplify the Regional Seas work with regards to ocean governance
- Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention): Protects marine and coastal environments against pollution and fosters sustainable development through the Mediterranean Action Plan, supported by protocols on land-based pollution and specially protected areas.
- Western Indian Ocean (Nairobi Convention): The Action Plan for the Western Indian Ocean addresses marine pollution, coastal management, and biodiversity, with a particular focus on ecosystem monitoring frameworks and community resilience.
- Wider Caribbean (Cartagena Convention): Focuses on protecting the region’s marine and coastal resources through protocols on oil spills, land-based pollution, and the conservation of wildlife and habitats.
- East Asian Seas (COBSEA Secretariat): Aims to reduce marine pollution, conserve marine and coastal biodiversity, and enhance ocean-based climate action through the COBSEA Strategic Directions 2023-2027, Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI) and the Marine and Coastal Ecosystems (MCE) Framework.
Regional Seas Programme governance structure
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Secretariats
The secretariats of regional seas play a critical role in supporting countries to progress towards delivery of the set goals and programmes and provide an established mechanism to facilitate coordinated and integrated ocean solutions across diverse and multisectoral stakeholders.
Regional Coordinating Units (RCUs)
In the regions, the Regional Seas programme work through Secretariats or Regional Coordinating Units (RCUs) and Regional Activity Centers (RACs). The RCU is the nerve center and command post of the conventions and action plan's activities and has the overall and practical responsibility for the implementation of the decisions of member countries (or contracting parties) regarding the operation of the action plan.
The RCU is responsible for
- Following up and implementation of legal documents, the programme of work and of strategies and policies adopted by the member countries.
- Carrying out the diplomatic, political and public relations functions of the action plan.
- Cooperating with governments, other UN and non-UN agencies and NGOs, and facilitates the capacity building of its own regional activity centers and of member governments.
Regional Activity Centers (RACs)
UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme is supported by a strong network of regional activity centres which provide specialized support on assessments, research, capacity building, etc. The RACs serve the member states by carrying out specialized activities of the action plan as agreed and guided by the Conference of the Parties or intergovernmental decisions. RACs are an integral part of the action plan and report directly to the RCU. They are financially supported by the contracting parties and by the host country through the financial mechanisms of the action plan. RACs are usually developed to produce technical information needed to implement Action Plans, but they can be formed to respond to political interest in a Member State, which typically offers to fund the RAC.
They are:
4. Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP).
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Governing bodies
1. MOPs, COPs, IGMs, etc.
The Regional Seas and their governance processes, with regular meetings of the governing bodies (Conference of Parties (CoPs), Inter-governmental Meetings (IGMs), senior officials as well as technical bodies (such as thematic working groups), contribute to strengthening UNEP’s strategic regional presence, propelling the work of UNEP towards regional and global consensus and policy coherence on key issues relating to the environmental dimension of sustainable development, as envisaged in the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) 2022-2025.
2. Regional Seas Programme global meetings
The annual Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans organized by UNEP is a coordination mechanism of the 18 regional seas conventions and action plans, providing a platform for adoption of global strategies for cooperation, channelling UNEP programmatic support to the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, particularly in areas complementary to the UNEP Programme of Work and strengthening linkages between the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans and other relevant global conventions and agreements.
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Policy frameworks
- Regional Seas Strategic Directions
The Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs) aim to connect regional activities with global processes through the strategic directions, strengthening the Regional Seas Programme at the global level in response to global agendas such as GBF, BBNJ, SDGs etc. The Regional Seas Strategic Directions provide high-level priorities for regions to take into consideration when developing strategies and workplans, aligning regional activities with ongoing global processes such as GBF, BBNJ, SDGs etc. and encouraging consistent approaches across all regions.
The strategic directions are aimed at strengthening the Regional Seas Programme (RSP) at the global level and are intended to complement the implementation of the programmes of work of the individual Regional Seas, as well as the decisions of the governing bodies of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Programmes. They provide an opportunity to improve efficiency both individually and collectively within the RSPs, increase greater cooperation, and incorporate new elements into future programmes of work.
The strategic directions priorities are packaged under key themes that capture the essence and ambition of the programme and are influenced by emerging issues, different regional contexts, the UNEP midterm strategies and global agendas.
Since 2004, the Regional Seas programmes have formulated collective Regional Seas Strategic Directions (RSSD) that lasted for four years. The 2022 - 2025 RSSD complements the previously adapted Strategic Directions (2004-2007, 2008-2012, 2013-2016, 2017-2020 ).
The individual Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans have both a normative and implementation mandate. They provide an expression of common regional priorities, including those in the delivery of global mandates such as the 2030 Agenda, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a legally binding instrument on plastics pollution including in the marine environment, Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), provisions of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions. They also provide platforms for taking action, including through integrated assessments, policy development, capacity building and exchange, as well as through implementation of projects.
2. COP/MOP/IGMs/Decisions
3. PoW and Budget
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Project implementation on ocean governance
To support and boost the effective delivery of priorities to tackle the triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss) in order to promote good environmental status of marine and coastal environment in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders including women and youth.
Science, Policy, and Partnerships
UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme promotes science-based decision-making by supporting environmental assessments and fostering science-policy dialogues. Partnerships are critical to advancing research, sharing data, and implementing projects across regions. Regional Action Plans and Strategic Directions provide the blueprint for collaborative action, aligning with global multilateral environmental agreements such as UNCLOS, CBD, and UNFCCC.
Assessment and Monitoring in some selected RSCAPs
- HELCOM: There are 12 agreed HELCOM monitoring programmes covering sources and inputs of human pressures and various variables reflecting the state of the environment. HELCOM monitoring programmes are compiled in the HELCOM Monitoring Manual. Current monitoring and assessment activities are guided by the HELCOM Monitoring and Assessment Strategy
- PERSGA: Has established a Regional Monitoring Program aims at: Supporting member states with human and technical capacities as well as equipment to implement monitoring activities and reduce the gap between States in implementing their national monitoring programs.
- Tehran Convention: Protocol on Environment Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context
- OSPAR’s Joint Assessment & Monitoring Programme (JAMP) describes the strategy, themes and products that OSPAR Contracting Parties are committed to deliver, through collaborative efforts
Gender and Youth
The RSCAPs integrate gender equality and youth empowerment into their ocean governance frameworks. By supporting capacity-building initiatives and inclusive stakeholder engagement, the Regional Seas Programmes ensure that women and youth contribute to and benefit from sustainable ocean management. Gender-responsive policies are crucial for resilience, particularly in climate-vulnerable coastal communities, while youth involvement drives innovation and long-term stewardship of marine ecosystems.
