2 The Regular Process for Global Reporting
and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment,
Including Socioeconomic Aspects
To help provide a sound, scientific basis for decisions at the global level on the
world’s oceans and seas, the United Nations General Assembly set up in 2004 a
regular process to assess the environmental, economic and social aspects of
the world’s oceans and seas, and periodically report on its assessments. A Group
of Experts representing all regions of the world completed the first World Ocean
Assessment in 2015.
16
This is the only science-driven exercise in the oceans that is universal, representative of every region, and which counts the support of hundreds of scientists from
all over the world. It is unique in that it aims to provide regular assessments at the
global and supra-regional levels as well as an integrated view of environmental,
economic and social aspects.
The first Assessment identified major gaps in our knowledge that hamper efforts
at sustainably managing human impacts on the ocean.
17 It also sounded the clarion
call that our ocean is facing so many major pressures that the limits of its carrying
capacity are being, or in some cases, have been reached.
18 An Abstract of the
Assessment prepared for the Intergovernmental Conference on an international
legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable
use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction highlighted
the fact that many parts of the ocean, including some areas beyond national jurisdiction, have been seriously degraded and that urgent action is needed for us to
continue to enjoy the benefits from the ocean.
19 As a matter of fact, we are
continuously gaining deeper understanding of those benefits. In particular, the
genetic and biochemical richness of the species found in deep-sea habitats is only
starting to be fully appreciated. The potential impact of this richness in medicine and
other fields cannot be underestimated.
20
16 See https://www.un.org/regularprocess/content/first-world-ocean-assessment.
17 United Nations (2017), pp. 38–39.
18 Id., p. 37.
19 See https://www.un.org/regularprocess/content/technical-abstracts.
20 United Nations (2017), p. 686.
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M. de Serpa Soares
and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment,
Including Socioeconomic Aspects
To help provide a sound, scientific basis for decisions at the global level on the
world’s oceans and seas, the United Nations General Assembly set up in 2004 a
regular process to assess the environmental, economic and social aspects of
the world’s oceans and seas, and periodically report on its assessments. A Group
of Experts representing all regions of the world completed the first World Ocean
Assessment in 2015.
16
This is the only science-driven exercise in the oceans that is universal, representative of every region, and which counts the support of hundreds of scientists from
all over the world. It is unique in that it aims to provide regular assessments at the
global and supra-regional levels as well as an integrated view of environmental,
economic and social aspects.
The first Assessment identified major gaps in our knowledge that hamper efforts
at sustainably managing human impacts on the ocean.
17 It also sounded the clarion
call that our ocean is facing so many major pressures that the limits of its carrying
capacity are being, or in some cases, have been reached.
18 An Abstract of the
Assessment prepared for the Intergovernmental Conference on an international
legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable
use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction highlighted
the fact that many parts of the ocean, including some areas beyond national jurisdiction, have been seriously degraded and that urgent action is needed for us to
continue to enjoy the benefits from the ocean.
19 As a matter of fact, we are
continuously gaining deeper understanding of those benefits. In particular, the
genetic and biochemical richness of the species found in deep-sea habitats is only
starting to be fully appreciated. The potential impact of this richness in medicine and
other fields cannot be underestimated.
20
16 See https://www.un.org/regularprocess/content/first-world-ocean-assessment.
17 United Nations (2017), pp. 38–39.
18 Id., p. 37.
19 See https://www.un.org/regularprocess/content/technical-abstracts.
20 United Nations (2017), p. 686.
324
M. de Serpa Soares