A/RES/63/111
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in chapter 17 of
Agenda 21, 6
5F
Recognizing the important contribution of sustainable development and
management of the resources and uses of the oceans and seas to the achievement of
international development goals, including those contained in the United Nations
Millennium Declaration, 7
6F
Conscious that the problems of ocean space are closely interrelated and need
to be considered as a whole through an integrated, interdisciplinary and intersectoral
approach, and reaffirming the need to improve cooperation and coordination at the
national, regional and global levels, in accordance with the Convention, to support
and supplement the efforts of each State in promoting the implementation and
observance of the Convention, and the integrated management and sustainable
development of the oceans and seas,
Reiterating the essential need for cooperation, including through capacitybuilding and transfer of marine technology, to ensure that all States, especially
developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island
developing States, as well as coastal African States, are able both to implement the
Convention and to benefit from the sustainable development of the oceans and seas,
as well as to participate fully in global and regional forums and processes dealing
with oceans and law of the sea issues,
Emphasizing the need to strengthen the ability of competent international
organizations to contribute, at the global, regional, subregional and bilateral levels,
through cooperation programmes with Governments, to the development of national
capacity in marine science and the sustainable management of the oceans and their
resources,
Recalling that marine science is important for eradicating poverty, contributing
to food security, conserving the world’s marine environment and resources, helping
to understand, predict and respond to natural events and promoting the sustainable
development of the oceans and seas, by improving knowledge, through sustained
research efforts and the evaluation of monitoring results, and applying such
knowledge to management and decision-making,
Recalling also its decision, in resolutions 57/141 of 12 December 2002 and
58/240 of 23 December 2003, to establish a regular process under the United Nations
for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment,
including socio-economic aspects, both current and foreseeable, building on existing
regional assessments, as recommended by the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, 8 and noting the need for cooperation among all States to this end,
7F
Reiterating its concern at the adverse impacts on the marine environment and
biodiversity, in particular on vulnerable marine ecosystems, including corals, of
human activities, such as overutilization of living marine resources, the use of
destructive practices, physical impacts by ships, the introduction of invasive alien
species and marine pollution from all sources, including from land-based sources
_______________
6
Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3–14 June
1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and
corrigendum), resolution 1, annex II.
7
See resolution 55/2.
8
See Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August–4 September
2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 2, annex.
2