Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
12.6 Towards sustainable oceans in the 21st century
Some tools do exist that further our understanding of the oceans and promote their sustain-
able management and improve ocean governance.
Freestone (
2009
) has suggested a set of ten complementary principles, most of which
have already been agreed upon at the international level, in order to serve as an integrated
modern basis for further developing the system of high seas governance. They include: (1)
conditional freedom of the high seas; (2) protection and preservation of the marine environ-
ment; (3) international cooperation; (4) science-based approach to management; (5) public
availability of information; (6) transparent and open decision-making process; (7) precau-
tionary approach; (8) ecosystem approach; (9) sustainable and equitable use; and (10) re-
sponsibility of the states as stewards of the global marine environment.
Ecosystem-based management and site-based action continue to be tested and pro-
moted. Approaches such as the designation of biosphere reserves under UNESCO's Man
and the Biosphere Programme have triggered bold initiatives such as the recent pledge by
the government of the Maldives to designate the entire country and its exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) as a biosphere reserve by 2017. This pledge entails challenging technical work
in relation to the feasibility of applying the biosphere reserve status beyond the territory of
a state, i.e. not only to the territorial sea; but in itself it clearly indicates that countries are
increasingly cognizant and eager to utilize some of the practical tools at our disposal today.
Cicin-Sain
et al
. (
2012
) point out the following major initiatives to advance the oceans
agenda in the near future: the reform and enhancement of UN-Oceans; the Global Part-
nership for Oceans; the Sustainable Ocean Initiative; the Yeosu Declaration on the Living
Ocean and Coast; and the World Marine Assessment.
Capitalizing on the mandates, expertise, and experiences of individual UN specialized
agencies, programmes, and funds active in the area of the oceans, and ensuring effective co-
ordination of UN activities on oceans have all been promoted through UN-Oceans, the UN
interagency coordination mechanism on ocean matters. Recently the UN General Assembly
