
IMPLEMENTING SDG 14: TAKEAWAYS FROM THE OCEAN CONFERENCE
The high-level United Nations (UN) conference to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) was held at UN Headquarters, New York from 5 to 9 June 2017. The event was specially convened to build international…

BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT (BWM) CONVENTION: LATE IMPLEMENTATION, HUGE IMPACT
Ballast water is used to stabilize the ships and is essential for the hydrodynamic safety of the ship. Ships fill in ballast water in their tanks after unloading the cargo at the destination port and then discharge it prior to reaching the…

IMO DECISIONS TO ENHANCE THE BLUE ECONOMY
The 70th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) was held from 24-28 October 2016, at International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Headquarters in London. The meeting adopted key decisions which are likely to have a long-lasting…

COOPERATIVE APPROACHES TO BLUE ECONOMY: REGIONAL MARITIME EMISSION CONTROL AREAS (ECAS)
Introduction
The ‘Blue Economy’ endorses sustainable development of the seas and oceans and attempts to balance social, environmental and economic goals while promoting exploration and utilization of oceanic resources. The concept has…

DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 14 FOR OCEANS
193 countries of the world unanimously adopted the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the form of 17 indivisible Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015. These goals which succeeded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)…

BUILDING INDIA’S MARITIME RESURGENCE THROUGH CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
A strong push has been given to the maritime agenda in India since the swearing in of Prime Minister Modi. This is evident from the range of initiatives taken by the Indian government such as Maritime India Summit-2016, announcement of ‘Sagarmala’…

GREEN PORTS: GOING BEYOND RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2016 which is an endeavour of the Government of India to promote growth of the maritime sector in the country was held in Mumbai from 14-16 April 2016. Various initiatives such as port modernization, new port development,…

STRENGTHENING OCEAN GOVERNANCE: MARINE GENETIC RESOURCES (MGR) IN AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION (ABNJ)
The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas provides the legal framework for governance of the oceans and the seas within which, all activities must be carried out. Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), are those areas of the oceans for…

PARIS CLIMATE DEAL: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
A historical climate deal was reached in Paris on 12 Dec 2015. The legally binding agreement which has been touted as differentiated, balanced, durable and ambitious aims to limit the increase…

COOPERATING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OCEANS
The United Nations Sustainable Development Summit held on 25 September 2015 formally adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets. The agreement by all 193 member countries of the UN …

‘LIFE BELOW WATER’: AN AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OCEANS
The world has moved on from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to a new era where the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ will now drive global development. The …

WORLD OCEANS DAY
World Ocean Day (WOD), celebrated on 08 June every year, brings an opportunity to raise global awareness of the impacts of human actions on the ocean, and to mobilize support for sustainable global ocean management. It was first proposed…