A/RES/63/111
129. Encourages States to include relevant experts in their delegations
attending the meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group;
130. Recognizes the importance of making the outcomes of the Ad Hoc Openended Informal Working Group widely available;
131. Notes the work under the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal
Biological Diversity 54 and the Convention on Biological Diversity elaborated
programme of work on marine and coastal biological diversity, 55 as well as the
relevant decisions adopted at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity;45
53 F
54F
132. Reaffirms the need for States, individually or through competent
international organizations, to urgently consider ways to integrate and improve,
based on the best available scientific information and the precautionary approach
and in accordance with the Convention and related agreements and instruments, the
management of risks to the marine biodiversity of seamounts, cold water corals,
hydrothermal vents and certain other underwater features;
133. Calls upon States and international organizations to urgently take further
action to address, in accordance with international law, destructive practices that
have adverse impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems, including seamounts,
hydrothermal vents and cold water corals;
134. Reaffirms the need for States to continue and intensify their efforts,
directly and through competent international organizations, to develop and facilitate
the use of diverse approaches and tools for conserving and managing vulnerable
marine ecosystems, including the possible establishment of marine protected areas,
consistent with international law, as reflected in the Convention, and based on the
best scientific information available, and the development of representative
networks of any such marine protected areas by 2012;
135. Notes the work of States, relevant intergovernmental organizations and
bodies, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, in the assessment of
scientific information on, and compilation of ecological criteria for the
identification of, marine areas that require protection, in light of the objective of the
World Summit on Sustainable Development to develop and facilitate the use of
diverse approaches and tools, such as the establishment of marine protected areas
consistent with international law as reflected in the Convention and based on
scientific information, including representative networks by 2012,8 and notes with
satisfaction that the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity at its ninth meeting adopted scientific criteria for identifying ecologically
or biologically significant marine areas in need of protection in open-ocean waters
and deep-sea habitats and the scientific guidance for selecting areas to establish
representative networks of marine protected areas, including in open-ocean waters
and deep-sea habitats, and took note of the four initial steps to be considered in the
development of representative networks of marine protected areas; 56
8H
5F
136. Acknowledges the Micronesia Challenge, the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Seascape project, the Caribbean Challenge and the Coral Triangle Initiative, which
in particular seek to create and link domestic marine protected areas to better
_______________
54
See A/51/312, annex II, decision II/10.
UNEP/CBD/COP/7/21, annex, decision VII/5, annex I.
56
UNEP/CBD/COP/9/29, annex I, decision IX/20, annexes I and II.
55
23