preliminary analysis of voluntary commitments...1 preliminary analysis of voluntary commitments this...

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PreliminaryanalysisofvoluntarycommitmentsThisanalysisreliesonapreliminary“firstlook”atinformationcollectedfromTheOceanConferenceVoluntaryCommitments (VCs). Itaddresses, inbroadterms, themeasuresandactionsidentifiedintheVCs,typesofresourcescommitted,linkswithotherSDGs,relation to theCall toAction, gaps, and informationabout specific issues, ecosystemsandactions.Amorein-depthanalysiswillbeprovidedatafuturedate.

1.OverviewofvoluntarycommitmentsAt the time of writing this document, 1393 VCs have been registered by differententities (governments,UNagencies, IGOs,NGOs, civil societies, academic institutions,scientific community, private sector and other relevant actors). These commitmentsrelated to multiple ocean basins and SDG 14 targets. The graphic below (which waspreparedatthetimewhen1372VCswereregistered)providesabreakdownoftheVCs,illustratingthatonanoceanbasinlevel,mostcommitments(31%)relatedtotheNorthAtlantic,which also incorporates the Caribbean andMediterranean Seas, followed bytheSouthPacific(21%), IndianOcean(16%),NorthPacific(15%),SouthAtlantic(10%),andtheArcticandSouthernOceans(3%each).

Figure1:Voluntarycommitmentsbyoceanbasin

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OfthetotalVCs,amajority(613or45%)weresubmittedbygovernments,followedbyNGOs(277or20%),UnitedNationsentities(112or8%),civilsociety(84or6%),privatesector (79 or 6%), IGOs (58 or 4%), partnerships (49 or 4%), academia (45 or 3%),scientificcommunity(21or2%),philanthropicorganizations(18or1%)andothers(16or1%).

Figure2:Voluntarycommitmentsbyentities.WhileallSDG14targetswerecoveredintheVCs,sometargetsreceivedmoreattentionthan others. The most frequently addressed target was target 14.2 (sustainablemanagement andprotectionofmarine and coastal ecosystems) at 706 (51%of total)registeredcommitments.Thistarget isalsoarguablythebroadesttarget inscope.Thenextmostpopularwastarget14.1(preventingandreducingmarinepollutionby2025)at 540 commitments (39%), followed by target 14.a (increasing scientific knowledge,researchcapacityandtechnologytransfer)at529commitments(39%),andtarget14.4(effectivelyregulatingharvestingandendingoverfishingandIUUfishingby2020)at414commitments (30%). Target 14.5 (conservation of at least 10%of coastal andmarineareas by 2020) received 386 (28%) commitments, target 14.7 (increasing economicbenefits to SIDS and least developed countries by 2030) received 327 (24%)commitments,andtarget14.c(implementinginternationallawasreflectedinUNCLOS)received 272 commitments (20%). Targets 14.b (providing access to small-scale andartisanalfisherstomarineresourcesandmarkets)and14.3(minimizingandaddressingimpacts of ocean acidification) both received 232 (17%) commitments. Target 14.6(prohibitingcertainformsoffisheriessubsidies)waslastwith92(7%)commitments.Itshouldbenotedherethatmostcommitmentsreferredtomultipletargets.

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Figure3:VoluntarycommitmentsbySDG14target.

2.MeasuresandactionsidentifiedinthevoluntarycommitmentsThissectionwilldiscussthetypesofmeasuresandactionsidentifiedintheVCs,andwillprovide examples of bothmeasures and specific commitments related to eachof theSDG14 targets. In reading this section, it shouldbekept inmind that97%of theVCsincludedactionsthataddressedmultipletargets,andinsomecasesmultipleSDGs.Thisis not surprising given the close interrelationships between the targets, and indicatesthatprojectsandevenindividualactivitiescanoftenbeusedtoprogressmultipleSDG14targetsatthesametime.

Addressingmarinepollution(SDG14.1)ThemajorityofVCsrelatingtomarinepollutionproposedtoaddressplasticsorlitterinthemarineenvironment.Thisisclearlyareflectionofrecentinternationalattentiononthe problem of plastics in the ocean and their impact on the health of ecosystems,species and human communities. Addressing plastics is also a relatively new area ofworkinthebroadercontextofmarinepollution,andonewhereconcreteprogresscanbe made by raising awareness and changing consumer and producer practices. Theproposed measures included bans on plastic bags and bottles, coastal clean-ups,recovery and recycling of plastics and other measures. Many measures also includebroaderpreventionandremovalofmarinelitter,includinglostfishinggear(ghostnets).OneexampleisacommitmentbySustainableCoastlinesCharitableTrustsupportedbythePacificRegionalEnvironmentProgramme(SPREP)toworkwithcommunityleadersin New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii to address marine litter of all kindsthrough coastal cleanups, awareness raising, prevention and building human capacity($200,000fundingcommitment).Other measures and actions identified in this target include nutrient managementthrough treatmentofwastewaterandaddressingagricultural inputs suchas fertilizers

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andmanurethroughimprovedmanagementactions.OneexampleofthistypeofVCisacommitment by the Government of Cyprus to eliminate all treated and untreatedwastewaterdischargesintheseaby2020($35,000,000fundingcommitment).Pollutionfromshippingwasalsoaddressedinadditiontoland-basedsourcesofmarinepollution. An important aspect of this is preventing the spread of alien species fromballastwaterandbiofouling,bothofwhichareproblemstackledbytheVCs.Examplesare an Estonian project to develop national infrastructure to implement the BallastWater Convention ($300,000), and an IMO-facilitated effort to build partnerships tominimizeimpactsofbiofouling($10,000,000).For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 4below.

Figure4:MeasuresandactionsunderSDG14.1

Sustainablemanagementandprotectionofmarineandcoastalecosystems(SDG14.2)Themeasures relating to this VC generally involved some aspect ofecosystem-basedmanagement, including integratedcoastalmanagementandmarinespatialplanning.The Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) approach was an important measure in thesecommitments, as were community-based marine managed areas and climateadaptationmeasuressuchasecosystem-basedadaptationandbluecarbon.

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There is a large degree of overlap betweenmeasures addressing this target and SDG14.5,giventhatarea-basedmeasurescanprovideforbothsustainablemanagementandconservation of specific areas, and have also been proposed as a tool to enhanceresiliencetoclimatechange.Target14.4iscloselyrelatedtothepresenttargetbecausemany of the measures to implement it (particularly the LME approach and marinemanagedareas)alsoaddressfisheriesmanagement.Theincreasingimportanceofmarinespatialplanning isreflectedbyitsinclusionin33VCs. Some actions relate to supporting marine spatial planning and improving theinformational basis for it through research, while others relate to enhancingintersectoral cooperation and commitments to develop nationalmarine spatial plans,for example in the Seychelles, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Argentina,Montserrat,Mexico,BrazilandBarbudaTheissuesofclimatechange,ecosystem-basedadaptationandecosystemrestorationwerealsoreflectedinVCsunderthistarget.WhileclimatechangeisnotformallypartoftheSDG14targets,theemphasisonstrengtheningecosystemresilienceinthepresenttargetprovidesforadaptationmeasuretotheimpactsofclimatechange.Oneexampleof this isacommitmentbyGrenadatocombat thenegativeeffectsofclimatechangethrough coastal ecosystem-basedadaptation,which includesmangroveand coral reefrestorationactivities.LargeMarineEcosystems(LMEs)featuredin20commitments,manyofwhichinvolvedfurtherdevelopmentof,andsupportto,UNDPLMEprojectsaroundtheworld.At least five commitments aim to address this target via community-based marinemanagement. One example of this includes the Food Security Project of Phang-ngaCoastalCommunitiesinThailand,whichseekstoenhancecommunitymanagementandprotection ofmangroves, provide for climatemitigation andwastemanagement andempower participation of women and youth in local management activities ($3,680financing).

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For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 5below.


Addressingoceanacidification(SDG14.3)

Atotalof69VCsaddressoceanacidification,eitherastheirmaincomponent,oraspartofabroaderrangeofmanagementandconservationactions.Specificactivitiesincludescientific researchand researchcollaborations,building resilienceagainst impactsofoceanacidification,andactivitiesrelatedtomitigationandcarbonsequestration.Becausemanyscientificuncertaintiesstillexistrelatingtotherateandimpactsofoceanacidification,aswellasthepotential forspeciestoadapt,scientific research isoneofthe key components of this target. An example of scientific research collaboration isprovided by the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), which is acollaborative internationalnetworkof367membersrepresenting66nations.GOA-ONundertakesmonitoringofoceanacidityandundertakescapacitybuildinginregionsthatcurrently have limited observation records and scientific capacity ($600,000 offinancing).TheSwedishgovernmenthaspledgedfundstosupportresearch,monitoringand capacitybuilding related tooceanacidification (via IUCNandOceanFoundation).The support contributes to training researchers inmonitoring andmeasuring, and, ifpossible,contributetocreateamonitoringfunctionforoceanacidificationtocontributedatatoGOA-ON.

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Whilescientificresearchisimportantfortheachievementofthistarget,severalVCsalsoattempttobuildresiliencetowardstheimpactsofoceanacidification.Someexamplesof this are provided by the New Zealand Pacific Partnership on Ocean Acidification,which aims to build resilience through practical adaptation actions, capacity buildingand awareness raising in the Pacific region ($NZ 2.1 million of financing). Anotherexample is a commitment to address acidification in Washington State, USA, by theMarine Resources Advisory Council and the State of Washington’s council on oceanacidification. Proposed actions include reducing carbon emissions, monitoring andforecastingchangingoceanchemistry,conductingresearchonthebiologicalresponsesof ecologically and economically important species, identifying land-based nutrientcontributions, raising awareness of ocean acidification among key stakeholders andaffected communities, and advancing innovative approaches to adapt or remediatesystems, such as buffering shellfish hatchery water and vegetation-based systems tomodifylocalwaterchemistry($3,325,000offinancing).Other commonactions includeemissions reductions, othermitigation activities, andenhancingtheabilityofcoastalandmarineecosystemstostorecarbon.For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 6below.


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Effectivelyregulatingharvestingandendingoverfishing,illegal,unreportedandunregulatedfishinganddestructivefishingpractices(SDG14.4)

SDG 14.4 and fisheriesmanagement in general received a large number of voluntarycommitments.While 414VCswere specifically registered against this target, fisheriesandthemanagementfisheriesinabroadersensereceivedatotalof434commitments.These commitments range from the global to the local. Specific actions relate toimprovedfisheriesmanagement, implementingtheecosystemapproachtofisheries,re-building fisheries, compliance, monitoring and enforcement, combatting IUUfishing, strengthening capacity, certification and market-based instruments, andimproving cooperation and available scientific information. Expanding marineprotectedareasandspecifictechnicalsolutionsrelatingtofishinggearalsofeature.The entering into force of the Port State Measures Agreement in 2016 provides animportanttoolforcombattingIllegal,UnreportedandUnregulated(IUU)fishing,thoughits implementation may prove difficult for some developing countries with limitedresources. The importance of the measure is reflected in the14 VCs, which relatedirectly to the implementation of this Agreement. For example, commitments weremadebytheFAOfortechnicalassistancetodevelopingcountries,andbycountriessuchas Myanmar, Tonga and the Maldives to implement the Agreement. New Zealandpledged to support implementation of the Agreement ($1,840,000) in Pacific IslandCountries; Sweden in coastal and small island developing States ($5,700,000); andNorwayindevelopingcountries(uptotenmillionNorwegiankroner).MonacosupportsmeasurestoendIUUfishingintheMediterraneanandBlackSea($90,000).Australiahasdevelopedasystemforidentifyingsuspiciousactivityatsea,whichwillhelpimplementthe Agreement ($2,800,000). Taken together, at least $11,626,686was committed toimplementationof thePort StateMeasuresAgreement. In addition, in kind resourcesandstafftimewerecommitted.A total of 22 VCs either directly address or include components relating to bycatchprevention and mitigation. These actions include a range of solutions relating toaddressingbycatchinspecificfisheries,forexamplebytheSouthAfricanOffshoreTrawlBycatch Fishery Conservation Project and the Nature Seekers Leatherback Sea TurtleBycatchProject inTrinidadandTobago.TheVCsalso includebroaderglobal initiativesby,forexamplebytheInternationalWhalingCommission(GlobalWhaleEntanglementResponseNetworkandother initiatives)andbyUNEP/CMSonconservationofmarineturtles.Implementing theecosystemapproach to fisherieswasanother focusofaction,withprojects including thisapproachbeingput inpractice inKenya,Philippines,Mauritius,AustraliaandBrazil.

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Also of note are efforts to support Regional Fisheries Management Organizations(RFMOS) for strengthened governance, science, capacity building and increasedcompliance through an EU commitment involving 18 RFMOs ($6,710,000 financingcommitment).On the national and local level, efforts by seafood suppliers to commit to socially-responsible fisheriesmanagement in Indonesiaandcommitmentsaiming to stop fishbombing in Malaysia, Tanzania and the Coral Triangle have the potential to provideeffectivesolutionstomakefishingmoresustainable.For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 7below.

Figure7:MeasuresandactionsunderSDG14.4.

Conservingatleast10%ofcoastalandmarineareas(SDG14.5)The measures in the VCs registered under this target relate mainly to area-basedmanagement,particularlydifferenttypesofmarineprotectedareas,marinemanagedareas,butalsoothermeasuressuchasmarinespatialplanningandintegratedcoastalmanagement.Atotalof131commitmentsincludeactionsrelatedtomarineprotectedareas(MPAs).Thesecommitmentsencompassawidevarietyofactivities includingcreationofMPAsand networks, support for capacity, funding, and improvement of managementeffectiveness,participation,aswellas researchto improvetheknowledgebase.SomeexamplesofmeasuresincludetheWildlifeConservationSocietyMarineProtectedAreaFund(WCSMPAFund),whichisdesignedtoassistcountriesmeetthe10%target.The

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WCS MPA Fund aims to invest a minimum of $15 million by 2020 to support legaldeclaration of new MPAs in 20 countries covering 3.7 million square kilometers ofpreviously unsecured and unprotected ocean. Another example is the Pew BertarelliOcean Legacyproject,which commits $30millionover five years in technical supportandpubliceducationtopromotethecreationof15large-scalemarinereservesby2022.Aspartofthiscommitment,theprojectwillcontinuetocollaborateandbuildcapacitywith local and indigenous communities to protect theirmarine environment, supportsustainablelivelihoods,andincreaseclimateresiliency.Onanational level,thegovernmentoftheSeychellescommittedtoprotecting30%ofitsmarine and coastalwaters and is also developing amarine spatial plan. The CookIslandsiscommittingtodedicateitsentireExclusiveEconomicZone,MaraeMoana,anarea of 1.9 million square kilometres to protection, conservation and integratedmanagement.Pakistan isplanningondesignating its firsteverMPAby2020.And inadeparturefromtraditionalMPAs,Ecoswell,anNGOinthetownofLobitos innorthernPeruisworkingdeclaringtheoceanoffLobitosaWorldSurfingReserve.Several commitments relate to community-managedmarine areas. For example, FijiandTuvalucommittoestablishingandstrengtheningtheirnetworkofLocallyManagedMarineAreas (LMMAs).The ICCAConsortium (ICCAsareandterritoriesconservedbyindigenous peoples and local communities) commits to promoting the appropriaterecognition of rights and support to marine and coastal ICCAs along with theirassociatedsmall-scalefisheriesintheregional,nationalandglobalarena.TheFijiLMMANetwork commits to empowering communities to scale up their current efforts to aneffectivelymanagedandgovernednetworkofLMMAsinallFijiancommunitiescovering100%ofFiji’scustomarymarineareasby2025($700,000financialcommitment).

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Prohibitingcertainformsoffisheriessubsidies(SDG14.6)ThistargetsawthefewestVCs,possiblybecausetheprocessleadingtotheprohibitionof harmful capacity enhancing subsidies will need to be undertaken through WTOnegotiations, and is likely to be politically sensitive. It also seems that somecommitmentsregisteredagainstthistargetdonotdirectlyaddresssubsidies,thougharelikely toberelevant inthebroadercontext.Thespecificactivities in theVCsaremostcommonlyassociatedwithresearchandinformationsharing,althoughsomealsorelatetoremovalofharmfulsubsidies.Direct action relating to reduction of subsidies included both policies andcommitments, including a commitment by Myanmar to remove or reduce harmfulsubsidies, the Tonga Fisheries Sector Plan, India’sNational Policy onMarine Fisheries2017,Uruguay’seffortstoenhancefisherymanagement,controlandsurveillance,andtheintegratedPapuaNewGuineaOceansPolicy.Workinginternationally,ArgentinaandNew Zealand registered commitments towards eliminating harmful subsidies, whileUNCTAD,FAOandUNEPcommit toassistinggovernmentsontrade-relatedaspectsofSDG14Inregardstoresearch,VCsrelatedtocollectionandanalysisoffisheriessubsidiesdata,analysisaboutimpactsandeffectsofsubsidies,andcountrystudiesintheWestAfrican

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region on the impacts of subsidies in the sustainable management of fisheriesresources.For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 9below.


IncreasingtheeconomicbenefitstoSmallIslanddevelopingStatesandleastdevelopedcountriesfromthesustainableuseofmarineresources(SDG14.7)Commitmentsmadeinreferencetothistargetaddressedvariousaspectsandsectorsofablue economy. These sectors included sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, tourism,transport,renewableenergyandmarinebiotechnology.Atotalof47VCsrefertodevelopmentofablueeconomy.Therelatedconceptofbluegrowthismentionedin22commitments.Itisclearthattransitiontoablueeconomyisan important undertaking for many countries. For example, in defining the blueeconomy, Kenya has identified the following key sectors: fisheries and aquaculture,maritimetransportand logisticsservices,cultureandtourism;andextractives (oilandgas, minerals and energy) as key to delivering quick and sustainable results for foodsecurity andemployment creation ($140,000,000 financial commitmentbyKenya andWorld Bank). A project mainly funded by the MAVA foundation aims to identifyindicators, select toolsandrecommendpolicies topromote theblueeconomy for theMediterranean($425,000financialcommitment).Tosupportitsblueeconomystrategy,theGovernmentofSeychellesispreparingtheThirdSouthWestIndianOceanFisheries

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Governance and Shared Growth Project (SWIOFish3) with financial support from theWorldBank, theGEF and from the issuanceof a sovereignbluebond. Seychelles hassought to diversify its sources of funding and has turned to innovative financialinstruments, such as blue bonds, which aim is to raise capital from private investorsinterestedinsupportingasustainabledevelopmentagenda.Ofthesectors,aquaculturedevelopmentfeaturedin13commitmentsunderthistarget(althoughaquacultureingeneralacrossalltargetsreceivedmanymorecommitments).Sustainable shipping was part of 79 commitments relating to this target, tourismfeaturedin87commitmentsandfisheriesin149.RelativelynewsectorswerealsothesubjectofsomeVCs.Renewableenergywaspartof39commitments.Forexample, theSIDS-SIDSPartnershiponSustainableEnergyforBlueIslandEconomies,whichcoversSIDSinCaribbean,Pacific,IndianOceanandAfrica,aims to accelerate the market introduction and commercialization of ocean energytechnologies such as wave, tidal or ocean thermal energy conversion ($1,000,000financing).Marinebiotechnologydidnotreceiveanydedicatedcommitments,butwasmentionedintwomoregeneralcommitments.TheNetherlandshasestablishedaBlueInnovation Institute for SIDS to helpmeet the twin challenges of climate change andocean degradation by promoting policy and technology innovations ($1,000,000financing).For a summary of measures and actions relating to this target, please see figure 10below.


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Increasingscientificknowledge,capacityandtechnologytransfer(SDG14.a)541 VCs were registered under this target. The commitments covered a range ofactivities related to scientific research anddeveloping capacity for research, trainingand professional development, data access and sharing, and the transfer ofmarinetechnologies.Several VCs aimed to increase scientific knowledge and capacity. For example theIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) and its partners areplanning to launch for 2021-2030 an International Decade of Ocean Science forSustainable Development, which will promote science-based solutions and theirsystematic transformation into informed policies and decisions in support of SDG 14.Scientific institutions also entered VCs, for example the Nippon Foundation NereusProject,acollaborationofseveralscientificresearchcentres,strivestoexploreabroadrangeofperspectivesandscientificopinionsonoceansustainability,and tocreateaninclusivecommunityofresearchers.A rangeof ocean-related issues and topicswere coveredunder the capacity buildingcomponent this target, and included marine protected area management, oceanacidification research, marine biodiversity and sustainable use. Some referred todeveloping individual capacity and others addressed institutional capacity. Whiletechnologytransferwasmentionedinanumberofcommitments,practicalexamplesofwere lessnumerous,and includedwastemanagement technologies, shipping relatedtechnology,powergenerationanddesalination.

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Figure11:MeasuresandactionsunderSDG14.a

Provideaccessforsmall-scaleartisanalfisherstomarineresourcesandmarkets(SDG14.b)TheVCsregisteredtothistargetincludedavarietyofactivitiesandmeasuresdesignedto improve access of artisanal and small-scale fishers to both markets and fishinggrounds. One of the most common types of commitment related to communityempowerment in management of marine resources, including community-basedmanagement and co-management. Improving access to coastal fishing grounds wasalsoincludedinsomecommitmentsaswasimprovinghumanandinstitutionalcapacityandtransferoffishingtechnologies.Accesstomarketsgenerallyincludedactionssuchasimprovingtraceablityaswellascertificationandecolabelling,andcapacitybuildingfor fishing communities relating to these actions. One example is provided by theSomaliaandYemenDevelopmentProgrammeonBankingandArtisanalFisheries,whichaims toenhance theknowledgeandcapacitiesofparticipants inartisanal fisheries,aswell as banking services in support of developing small-scale activities in this sector($60,000 financial commitment). Another example is a commitment by the MarineStewardshipCouncil to improve fisheriesmanagementthroughcertification,withhelptocountriesinhowtoachievecertificationoftheirfisheries.

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Figure12:MeasuresandactionsunderSDG14.b

ImplementinginternationallawasreflectedinUNCLOS(SDG14.c)Activities in the VCs registered to this target included a range of actions related toUNCLOS, including implementation of specific provisions of UNCLOS from oceangovernance to sustainable use to seabedmining.On the issue of seabedmining, theInternational Seabed Authority is providing capacity building, disseminating researchresults and fostering cooperation relating to deep seabed resources. Oasis Earth isworking on effectivemethods to achieve a rigorous Precautionary Approach to DeepSeaMining.Activitiesalso includeawareness raising, forexamplebythe InternationalCable Protection Committee, on the importance of submarine cables in sustainablesocio-economicdevelopment.

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Figure13:MeasuresandactionsunderSDG14.c

3.TypesofresourcescommittedA total of 573 commitments include the provision of monetary resources. The totalamount of money committed is $25,397,782,862 (e.g. approximately 25.4 billion).However,furtherresearchisneededtofurtherelaborateonthisfigure,anditshouldbeinterpreted with some caution. In general, the funding is spread over several yearsduration of each commitment. Some commitments are not new to the OceansConference, but have clearly been under development for several years. There werealso some errors encountered in how countries have entered financial commitments(forexample,onecommitmentshowsfinancingof$60forameeting,anotherone$417forintegratedmarineandcoastalareamanagement,andathirdone$39forrestorationof oyster beds. Likely theseprojects shouldhave a fewmore zeros included, andwillneed to be checked). Some figures were entered in currencies other than USD, andsomefinancialcommitmentsareactuallyloansratherthanoutrightfunding.Amajorityoffundinghasalreadybeencommittedtoaspecificpurposeand/orrecipient,whileinsome cases the purpose for the funding has been set but the recipients are still leftopen.Almostallofthecommitmentincludedinkindfundingaswellasstaffandtechnicalexpertise.The largest financial commitmentwas a commitment of $8,000,000,000 (in loans) bythe European Investment Bank for supporting in particular SIDS to reduce theirvulnerability to climate change and building a more resilient ocean economy. The

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secondlargestcommitmentwas$3,700,000,000toMauritiusbytheJapanInternationalCooperationAgencytoconnectabout50%ofthepopulationtotheseweragenetworkby2030.Mauritius isalsoco-financingthisproject. AndthethirdlargestcommitmentwasalsobytheEuropeanInvestmentBank,andincluded$3,000,000,000forsupportingprojects relating to thestrengthening the resilienceofmarineandcoastalecosystemsthrough reduction of pollution. This included a large portfolio of projects such as theMediterraneanHotSpotsInvestmentProgramme.Aroughregionalbreakdownoffinancialcommitmentscanbeprovided,thoughitshouldbekeptinmindthatthisisstillverypreliminaryandshouldbetakenasanindicationofmagnituderatherthanexactfigures.SIDS:approximately$13,486,296,200exclusivelyforoceansprojectsinindividualormultipleSIDS,andanother$172,370,000sharedwithotherregions.Africa:approximately$277,735,906exclusivelyforoceansprojectsinsingleormultiplecountries,andanother194,515,000sharedwithotherregionsAsia:approximately$3,485,406,316foroceansprojectsinindividualandmultiplecountriesinAsia,andanother$35,920,000sharedwithotherregions.SouthandCentralAmerica:approximately$86,297,851foroceansprojectsinindividualormultiplecountriesEurope:approximately$2,184,928,503toindividualcountriesortogroupsofcountries.ItshouldbenotedthatthissumincludessubstantialamountoffundingforprogrammesandprojectsintheMediterranean,whichwillalsocoverregionsbeyondEurope.NorthAmerica:approximately$216,544,144Global:approximately$494,093,5076The time frames of the commitments varied from 2017 to 2030 and beyond. Whilesomecommitmentshaveadistincttimeperiod,othersareclearlyintendedtocarryoninthe longterm.Amorethoroughanalysiswillneedtobepreparedoncommitmentsvs.individualtargets.

4.LinkswithotherSDGsTherewerenumerouslinkswithotherSDGs,andthefollowingprovidessomesamplingsofthem.Afulleranalysiscouldbeundertakentocoverthelinkagesin-depth.Poverty: A total of 37 commitments mention poverty alleviation as part of theirdescription.Whilenoneoftheseareadirectpovertymeasure(inthatthecommitmenttitle does not explicitly mention poverty), many relate to the ability of the ocean toprovidelivelihoods,income,employmentandeconomicgrowth.Onecommitmentaimstoassistsmall-scalefishers livingbelowthepovertyline.10ofthecommitmentswere

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madeby governments, 4 byUnitedNations entities, 3 by IGOs, 9 byNGOs, 3 by civilsociety,2byacademicinstitutions,1byscientificcommunity,3byprivatesectorand2bypartnerships.Foodsecurity:Atotalof81commitmentsrefertofoodsecurity,andproposeinsomewaytoadvanceit.Mostofthesecommitmentsrelatetosustainablefisheries,includingimproving governance,promoting community-based fisheriesmanagement, improvingmarketaccessforsmallscalefisheries,management,andcombatingIUUfishing.Somecommitmentsalsoapproached foodsecurity fromtheperspectiveofbluegrowthandblueeconomy,providingforhabitatprotectionandsupportingaquaculture.Itshouldbenoted that while only a portion of the commitments relating to fisheries explicitlymentioned food security, most of them would still address this issue. 33 of thecommitmentsweremadebygovernments,9byUnitedNationsentities,7byIGOs,14byNGOs,3bycivil society,8byacademic institutions,1byprivatesector,2byotherrelevantactorsand4bypartnerships.Gender:Atotalof22commitmentseitherdirectlypromotegenderequality,orexplicitlymention gender in description of the commitment. 3 of these are governmentcommitments,2arecommitmentsbyUnitedNationsentities,4byIGOs,5byNGOs,5bycivilsocietyorganizationsand3bypartnerships.SomeexamplesincludeaninitiativebyDiverseVoicesandAction(DIVA)forEquality,whichaimstomakeclearerthe linksbetween urgent action on ocean, air and land as the commons, and with feminists,womenandgirlsofdiversitiesandallagesinurbanpoor,ruralandremoteareasofFijiandthePacific.AnotherprojectiscalledWomenLeadingOceanAction,andisorganizedbyUN-Womentopromotetheparticipationofwomeninoceanmanagement.

5.Anyrelationstothe"CallforAction”The“CallforAction”wasmentionedspecificallyintwocommitments.Oneofthesewasincontextoffosteringocean-relatededucationinAlgeria,andtheotheronerelatedtosustainabletradeinfisheries.

6.AnygapsA full analysis of gaps will need to be undertaken in the future. However, marinebiotechnology did not receive many commitments, and may have the potential tobecome a promising sector for a blue economy in the future. Further involvement ofphilanthropic, scientific and industry organizations would also be helpful for fullrealizationofSDG14.

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7.OtherinformationMangroves and related ecosystems: A total of 82 commitments relate to themanagement,protectionandrestorationofmangrovesandrelatedecosystems.Someof these projects also relate to mapping, economic valuation, tourism, financing,sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and the role of mangroves and relatedecosystems suchas seagrassesas carbon sinks (bluecarbon).25are commitmentsbygovernments, 9 related to United Nations entities, 2 to IGOs, 27 to NGOs, 9 to civilsociety,3toacademicinstitutions,3tootherrelevantactors,and4topartnerships(e.g.GlobalMangroveAlliance,theBlueCarbonInitiative,FijiLocallyManagedMarineAreasNetwork,andFishingCommunity).Blue carbon was explicitly mentioned in 14 VCs, and blue carbon related activitiescoveredtherangefromresearchandpolicytopilotprojectsontheground.Human rights: 18 commitments explicitly mention or relate to human rights. Thesecommitments cover a range of topics from theOceaniaHumanRights Commission&Court Project, which will create regional human rights mechanisms, and a severalprojectscombattinghumanrightsabusesinthefishingindustry.Traditionalknowledge:Atotalof6commitmentswillrelyontraditionalknowledgeatleasttosomedegreeintheirimplementation.Outofthese,5commitmentsrefertothePacific, while 1 refers to Indonesia. They cover a diverse set of commitments fromsustainableseatransportationtoconservationofecosystemsandspecies,andclimatechangeadaptation.1

Contact Division for Sustainable Development Department of Economic and Social Affairs https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/contact/

1This note has been prepared for the Division for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs by Dr. Marjo Vierros, Director, Coastal Policy and Humanities Research and Senior Associate, Global Ocean Forum with input from Roberto Buonomo and Kenneth Kamau, DSD/UNDESA. Support to the design of The Ocean Conference Registry Voluntary Commitments was received by DOALOS and UNDP. Design by William Bly, DSD/UNDESA. Preparation of this note was made possible with generous contribution from the Government of Sweden.

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