Emerging and unresolved issues: the example of marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction - Ocean Sustainability in the 21st Century - page 344

9.4.5 Promoting capacity-building
From the point of view of capacity-building and development, a 1993 assessment by the
World Bank, the latest of its kind, estimated that research institutes in the fields of marine
biology and marine biotechnology related areas were scattered throughout the developing
world, but that their capabilities varied widely. While many had the capability to perform
rudimentary experiments in marine biology, only a few could take on complex projects.
While marine biotechnology is a sector undergoing rapid expansion and several develop-
ing countries have now developed advanced technological capabilities, some conclusions of
this assessment may still be valid, since the report notes that the capability required for re-
search and development involving advanced biotechnologies is of an order of one or two
magnitudes more demanding in terms of expertise and equipment than are classical invest-
igations in biology and bioscience. It also appears that most developing countries lack the
infrastructure and funding to perform the necessary activities to ensure continued viability
of their gene bank collections (United Nations, 2007b ) .
The continued and strengthened participation of experts from developing countries in
relevant activities (exploration, investigations, and observations) is a precondition to devel-
oping adequate capacity in marine sciences to study and research marine biodiversity, in-
cluding in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In that regard, besides the capacity-building
programmes offered by various international organizations, south-south cooperation, which
increasingly complements north-south cooperation, has a critical role to play. The General
Assembly has emphasized the need to focus on strengthening south-south cooperation as an
additional way to build capacity and as a cooperative mechanism to further enable countries
to set their own priorities and needs (United Nations, 2012b ) . Examples of south-south co-
operation include the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic, the Micronesia
Challenge, the Caribbean Challenge, and the Coral Triangle Initiative.
Thereisalsoaneedforinternational initiatives toaddressgapsinscientific information
anddatasharingrelatedtomarinebiodiversityinareasbeyondnationaljurisdiction.Amajor
capacity challenge will be to set up adequate integrated monitoring systems for these areas.