UN-Oceans
UN-Oceans
is an inter-agency
mechanism that seeks
to enhance the
coordination,
coherence and
effectiveness of
competent
organizations of the
United Nations system
and the International
Seabed Authority,
within existing
resources, in
conformity with the
United Nations
Convention on the Law
of the Sea, the
respective competences
of each of its
participating
organizations and the
mandates and
priorities approved by
their respective
governing bodies.
UN-Oceans
will:
(a)
Strengthen and promote
coordination and
coherence of United
Nations system
activities related to
ocean and coastal
areas;
(b)
Regularly share
ongoing and planned
activities of
participating
organizations within
the framework of
relevant United
Nations and other
mandates with a view
to identifying
possible areas for
collaboration and
synergy;
(c)
Facilitate, as
appropriate, inputs by
its participating
organizations to the
annual reports of the
Secretary-General on
oceans and the law of
the sea and on
sustainable fisheries
to be submitted to the
Secretariat;
(d)
Facilitate
inter-agency
information exchange,
including sharing of
experiences, best
practices, tools and
methodologies and
lessons learned in
ocean-related matters.
The
United Nations Legal
Counsel/Division for
Ocean Affairs and the
Law of the Sea is the
focal point of
UN-Oceans.
Background
information
In resolution 57/141,
the General Assembly
invited the
Secretary-General to
establish an
effective, transparent
and regular
inter-agency
coordination mechanism
on oceans and coastal
issues within the
United Nations system.
On 31 October 2003,
the United Nations
System Chief
Executives Board for
Coordination (CEB)
endorsed the
conclusion of the High
Level Committee on
Programmes (HLCP) to
establish an ocean and
coastal areas network
(OCAN), building on
the former
Subcommittee on Oceans
and Coastal Areas
(SOCA) of the
Administrative
Committee on
Coordination. OCAN was
subsequently changed
to UN-Oceans.
In
2013, the General
Assembly, in its
resolution 68/70,
recognized the work
undertaken so far by
UN-Oceans, approved
the revised terms of
reference for the work
of UN-Oceans, with a
revised mandate, as
annexed to that
resolution, and
decided to review
these terms of
reference at its
seventy-second session
in the light of the
work of UN-Oceans.
