A/RES/57/261 Reaffirming the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 7 which provides the overall legal framework for ocean activities, and emphasizing its fundamental character, 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, Emphasizing the importance of national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector as recognized by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in chapter 17 of Agenda 21, 8 Recalling the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, signed at Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 24 March 1983, 9 which contains the definition of the wider Caribbean region of which the Caribbean Sea is part, Welcoming the adoption, on 6 October 1999 in Aruba, of the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities 10 to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, Welcoming also the entry into force, on 18 June 2000, of the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife 10 to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, Recalling the relevant work done by the International Maritime Organization, Considering that the Caribbean Sea area includes a large number of States, countries and territories, most of which are developing countries and small island developing States that are ecologically fragile, structurally weak and economically vulnerable and are also affected, inter alia, by their limited capacity, narrow resource base, need for financial resources, high levels of poverty and the resulting social problems and the challenges and opportunities of globalization and trade liberalization, Recognizing that the Caribbean Sea has a unique biodiversity and highly fragile ecosystem, Emphasizing that the Caribbean countries have a high degree of vulnerability occasioned by climate change and climate variability, associated phenomena, such as the rise in sea level, the El Niño phenomenon and the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters caused by hurricanes, floods and droughts, and that they are also subject to natural disasters, such as those caused by volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes, _______________ 7 See The Law of the Sea: Official Texts of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 and of the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 with Index and Excerpts from the Final Act of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.V.10). 8 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3–14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. 9 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1506, No. 25974. 10 Available on the Internet at www.cep.unep.org/law/sub_law/htm. 2