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UD expert to lead 20-nation ocean policies initiative
Founded in 1962 in Tokyo, the Nippon Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports projects relating to maritime development, overseas cooperation, social welfare and volunteerism in Japan and around the world. It recently organized a new initiativethe International Ocean Governance Networkto enhance education and build capacity in ocean management at the international level. Under Cicin-Sains guidance, the foundations Research Task Force on National Ocean Policies will bring together academicians and government officials from 20 countries that are working to implement a holistic approach to marine resource management. These countries will share the lessons theyve learned with each other, as well as with other coastal nations that are in the preliminary stages of national ocean policy development. David VanderZwaag, a professor at Dalhousie University School of Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will serve as the task forces vice-chairperson. Miriam Balgos, who earned her doctorate in marine policy at the UD College of Marine Studies, will help coordinate the project. While most coastal nations have had a variety of policies in place to manage different uses of the ocean, such as shipping, fishing, and oil and gas development, its only been recently that countries have undertaken concerted efforts to implement an integrated vision for governing the ocean areas under their jurisdiction, Cicin-Sain says. These countries have had to tackle the difficult tasks of harmonizing existing ocean laws, fostering sustainable development of ocean areas, protecting biodiversity and coordinating the actions of the many government agencies that typically are involved in ocean affairs, she notes. This is a very encouraging development internationally that responds to the serious conflicts of use that are occurring in the coastal zone, as well as the Law of the Seas emphasis on treating ocean space as a whole. According to Cicin-Sain, the task forces chief goals will be to develop a framework for analyzing and comparing national ocean policies and for drawing lessons useful to other countries. The team also will develop suggested guidance for countries contemplating national ocean policy formulation and implementation and organize an international conference to share information. When the project concludes in July 2005, Cicin-Sain says the results will be shared with government officials, journalists and other interested readers through a new book, web-based newsletters and reports and policy briefings. Photo by Kathy Atkinson To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |