Oceans and the law of the sea A/RES/74/19 upstream, by addressing consumption and production patterns, including through awareness-raising campaigns; 97 218. Recognizes the need for better understanding of the sources, amounts, pathways, distribution, trends, nature and impacts of marine debris, especially plastics and microplastics, and to examine possible measures and best available techniques and environmental practices to prevent its accumulation and minimize its levels in the marine environment, and welcomes in this regard the work conducted under the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and its report entitled Sources, Fate and Effects of Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Global Assessment, its report entitled Guidelines for the Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Litter in the Ocean, and the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme on marine plastic debris and microplastics, which reviews best-available knowledge and experiences in this regard and gives recommendations for further steps to reduce plastic litter and microplastic in the oceans; 98 219. Notes that the UNEP Frontiers 2016 Report identifies microplastics as one of six key emerging environmental issues, further notes that the sixth Global Environment Outlook stresses, inter alia, the urgency of addressing ocean plastic pollution and the proven adverse impacts of microplastics to marine ecosystems, and calls upon States to implement resolution 4/6 on marine plastic litter and microplastics, adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme at its fourth session, held in Nairobi from 11 to 15 March 2019; 11 220. Welcomes the request by the United Nations Environment Assembly, in paragraph 2 of its resolution 4/6, to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, subject to the availability of resources and benefiting from the work of existing mechanisms, to immediately strengthen scientific and technological knowledge with regard to marine litter, including marine plastic litter and microplastics; 221. Acknowledges the decision of the United Nations Environment Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its resolution 4/6, to extend the mandate of the ad hoc op en-ended expert group on marine litter and microplastics, and its request to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to report to the United Nations Environment Assembly at its fifth session on the progress achieved in the implementation of that resolution; 222. Welcomes the activities of relevant United Nations bodies and organizations, in particular the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization and other intergovernmental organizations, to address the sources and impacts of marine debris, including through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, as well as actions relating to marine debris taken under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 99 in particular the adoption by the Conference of the Parties to that Convention at its twelfth meeting of resolution 12.20 on the management of marine debris, and notes the work of the International Whaling Commission on assessing the impacts of marine debris on cetaceans; __________________ 97 98 99 19-21313 See A/71/204. UNEP/EA.2/5. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1651, No. 28395. 37/57