Marine and coastal biological diversity: enhancing the implementation of integrated marine and coastal area management

The Conference of the Parties

1. Takes note of the analysis of obstacles and enabling activities relevant to integrated marine and coastal area management (IMCAM) contained in the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management, and summarized in the note by the Executive Secretary on the subject (UNEP/CBD/COP/8/26/Add.1);

2. Notes that Parties will be at different stages in developing national integrated marine and coastal area management frameworks, and that Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management can assist in informing these existing processes, where relevant;

3. Recognizing the importance of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management in reaching the 2010 target, invites Parties and other Governments to facilitate effective implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management by, as appropriate:

(a) Encouraging participation by indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders, to provide input into consideration of integrating the recommendations of IMCAM into national and regional processes;

(b) Where appropriate, considering the development of institutional structures and other modalities for Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management;

(c) Where appropriate, developing and adopting a national integrated marine and coastal area management strategy;

(d) Where appropriate, undertaking a comprehensive review of domestic environmental and other related legislation related to integrated marine and coastal area management, and, where necessary, enacting appropriate legislation;

(e) Considering appropriate institutional mechanisms to support the provisions of the international and regional instruments relevant to integrated marine and coastal area management;

(f) Ensuring effective enforcement of legislation, including by raising awareness among law enforcement agencies about the importance of sustainable use of coastal and marine resources and the importance of promoting compliance and apprehending offenders; and

(g) Considering participation in international initiatives and agreements, such as regional seas programmes, large marine ecosystem (LME) projects, and river basin initiatives,) in order to improve trans-boundary cooperation;

4. Invites Parties and other Governments, with the help of coastal‑management practitioners and relevant organizations, and within their respective capacities to:

(a) Assess the baseline level of IMCAM implementation through the adoption and application of indicators or criteria, such as the UNEP IMCAM Progress Indicator Set (see annex II of the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management (UNEP/CBD/COP/8/26/Add.1)) and relevant global outcome-oriented indicators;

(b) Encourage indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders to use resources sustainably, consistent with Articles 8(j) and 10(c); and, where required, to diversify their economic and livelihood base;

(c) Develop processes for, and undertake valuation of natural resources and their economic significance, and use the information in decision-making;

(d) Fully utilize information generated by global and regional coastal observation systems to support decision-making on integrated marine and coastal area management;

(e) Ensure that information about the social, economic, health, environmental, and cultural benefits of integrated marine and coastal area management are widely disseminated among government officials, policy makers, users of coastal resources and the general public;

(f) Significantly improve capacity-building for coastal managers and coastguards on integrated marine and coastal area management activities through regular training programmes and educational curricula in marine sciences and policy, where needed; and

(g) Support collaboration with existing efforts for the development and use of a global interactive database of integrated marine and coastal area management efforts;

5. Requests Parties, in the course of reporting on implementation of the marine and coastal programme of work, to report on measures taken to enhance implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management in their national reports, where relevant;

6. Urges Parties and other Governments to support initiatives to:

(a) Improve collection, collation, interpretation, communication, and dissemination of information and participation of stakeholders and the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities in the implementation of management decisions;

(b) Design adaptive integrated marine and coastal area management programmes that respond to environmental change, as well as recurrent or emerging physical or biological hazards, as long term mitigation tools complementary to early warning systems for coastal/marine hazards.

7. Requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with Parties, relevant organizations and indigenous and local communities, to compile and analyse case‑studies on successful and unsuccessful implementation of integrated marine and coastal area management, and to provide lessons learned for the consideration of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice before the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

8. Invites funding agencies to enter into partnership with developing country Parties, according to their national priorities, in order to support national and regional efforts to build long-term capacity in effective implementation of integrated marine and coastal area management, and to ensure that funding is commensurate with national integrated marine and coastal area management needs.