Scientific and Policy Trends

Major events on Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas

Notes

For incidents of which Year is known but Month is not known, the second left column is blank.

Green colored incidents means general environmental ones. On the other hand, not-colored incidents are ocean or sea specific ones.

Black bold words are for the help of understanding EMECS activities in a context of global environment.

2020-

- 2019

- 2010

- 2000

- 1990

- 1980

Notes

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2020 -

Year Month Major events

2030 All SDGs should be achieved by this year.

2022 06 IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report will be finalized.

2021 11 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. UK on 1-12 November

2021 10 IPCC AR6 Working Group 2 Report (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) will be approved by IPCC56

2021 09 IPCC AR6 Working Group 3 Report (Mitigation of Climate Change) will be approved by IPCC 55

2021 09 EMECS 13- ECSA58 Joint Conference in Kingston upon Hull, U. K. on 6-10 September

2021 07 IPCC AR6 Working Group 1 Report (Physical Science Basis) will be approved by IPCC 54　

2021 05-06 Kick Off Conference of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in Berlin, Germany on 31 May- 2 June

2021 05 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Bio Diversity (CBD COP15) in Kunming. China on 17-30 May

2021 03 8th Annual World Ocean Summit & Expo 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal on 2-4 March

2021 02 5th Session of UN environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Kenya, Nairobi on 22-26 February

2020 52nd Session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBSTA52) in Bonn, Germany

2020 All Aichi Biodiversity Targets should be achieved by this year.

2020 2nd UN World Ocean Assessment (WOA-Ⅱ)

2020 53rd session of the IOC Executive Council in Paris, France Review of the Implementation plan for the “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”

2020 2nd UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal

2020 IPBES/IPCC joint workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change in London, UK

2020 4th "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" in New York

2020 12 Our Ocean Conference in Palau. on 7-8 December

2020 10 53rd Session of the IPCC on 6-10 October (TBC)

2020 09 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75) on 15-30 September in New York, US

2020 05 8th International Nitrogen Initiative conference (INI 2020) in Berlin, Germany. on 3-7 May

2020 02 52nd Session of the IPCC in Paris, France on 24-28 February

2020 02 The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) in San Diego, CA, USA on 16-21,February

- 2019

Year Month Major events

2019 11 Sustainable Ocean Summit 2019 will be held on November 20-22 in Paris, France.

2019 10 Our Ocean Conference will be held on October 24-25, 2019 in Oslo, Norway.

2019 09 OceanObs’19 Conference will be held on September 16-20, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

2019 09 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) will be finalized.

2019 08 3rd "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" will be held on March 25 to April 5August 19-30 in New Yok.

2019 08 IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) will be finalized.

2019 07 HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) will be held on July 9-18 in New York. Theme: Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.

2019 05
03 2nd "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" will be held on March 25 to April 5 in New Yok.

2019 03 6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) will be published by UNEP.

2019 03 4th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA4) will take place from March 11-15, 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya

2019 03 World Ocean Summit 2019 will be held on March 5-7 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

2019 UN report "Global Sustainable Development Report (2019 edition)”

2019 GESAMP report #99 “Guidelines for the Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Litter in the Ocean”

2019 GESAMP report #98 “High Level Review of a Wide Range of Proposed Marine Geoengineering Techniques”

2018 11 EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2018 was held on November 27-30 in Iloilo, Philippines.

2018 11 Sustainable Blue Economy Conference was held on November 26-28 in Nairobi, Kenya.

2018 11 Sustainable Ocean Summit 2018 was held on November 14-16 in Hong Kong, China.

2018 11 EMECS 12 (Cooperative stewardship for integrated management toward resilient coastal seas) was held November 4-8 in Pattaya, Thailand

2018 11 4th Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Bali, Indonesia.

10

2018 10 Our Ocean Conference was held on October 29-30 in Bali, Indonesia.

2018 10 IPCC Special Report on Global warming of 1.5℃ (SR15)

2018 09 1st “Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)” was held in New Yok.

2018 09 ECSA 57 (Changing estuaries, coasts and shelf systems – Diverse threats and opportunities) was held on September 3-6 in Perth, Australia.

2018 07 HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) was held on July 9-18 in New York. Theme: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.

2018 06 19th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) was held in New York. Major issues: Anthropogenic underwater noise.

2018 05 1st Ocean Risk Summit (Reducing Risk from a Changing Ocean) was held in Southampton, Bermuda.

2018 04 2nd Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations and Regional Fishery Bodies on Accelerating Progress Towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

2018 IUCN report "Ocean Connections – An Introduction to Rising Risks from a Warming Changing Ocean"

2018 GESAMP (Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection) report #97 “The magnitude and impacts of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen inputs to the ocean”

2018 GESAMP report #96 “Report of the 44th Session of GESAMP, 2018”

2017 12 3rd UN Environment Assembly (UNEA3, theme: Pollution) was held on December 4-6 in Nairobi, Kenya.

2017 10 Our Ocean Conference was held on October 5-6 in Malta.

2017 07 HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) 2017 was held on July 10-19 in New York. Theme: Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.

2017 06 1st UN Ocean Conference (Our ocean, our future: call for action) was held in New York.

2017 05 18th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-18) was held in New York. Major issues: the effect of climate change on oceans

2017 GESAMP report #95 “Report of the 43th Session of GESAMP, 2017”

2016 12 7th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in Melbourne, Australia, and “Melbourne Declaration on Responsible Nitrogen Management for a Sustainable Future” was adopted.

2016 09 Our Ocean Conference was held in Washington DC, USA.

2016 08 EMECS 11 – Sea Coasts XXVI joint Conference (Managing Risks to Coastal Regions and Communities in a Changing World) was held in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2016 07 HLPF (High-level Political Forum) 2016 was held in New York. Theme: Ensuring that no one is left behind.

2016 06 17th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) was held in New York. Major issues: marine debris, plastics and microplastics.

2016 05 2nd UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) was held on May 23-27 in Nairobi, Kenya.

2016 01 WEF (World Economic Forum) report “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics”

2016 01 1st UN World Ocean Assessment was published.

2016 UNEP GEO-6 regional assessments

2016 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) report "Explaining Our Ocean Warming"

2016 UN report “Global Sustainable Development Report (2016 edition)”

2016 UNEP technical report “Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics: Global Lessons and Research to Inspire Action and Guide Policy Change”

2016 GESAMP report #93 “Sources, Fate and Effects of Microplastics in the Marine Environment (Part 2)”

2015 12 Paris Agreement was adopted at the 21 session of UNFCCC in Paris, France

2015 11 EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2015 was held on November 16-21 in Danang, Vietnum, and SDS-SEA 2015 (Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia) was adopted by the Ministerial Forum of PEMSEA in Philippines.

2015 10 Our Ocean Conference was held in Valparaiso, Chile.

2015 09 SDGs (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) was adopted by the UNGA in New York. SDGs has 18 Goals of which Goal 14 is "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development"

2015 06 HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable development) was held on June 26 – July 8 in New York. Theme: Strengthening integration, implementation and review – the HLPF after 2015.

2015 05 UNEP report "Wastewater Management – A UN-Water Analytical Brief -"

2015 04 16th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-16) was held in New York. Major issues: oceans and sustainable development.

2015 03 Marine Plastic Waste and the Circular Economy: Building Long-term Solutions to Immediate Challenges was held in Washington DC, USA.

2015 UN report “Global Sustainable Development Report (2015 edition)”

2015 UNEP report "Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter"

2015 UNEP report "Economic Valuation of Wastewater – the Cost of Action and the Cost of No Action"

2015 UNEP report “Blue Economy: Sharing Success Stories to Inspire Change”

2015 GESAMP report #94 “Proceeding of the GESAMP International Workshop on the Impacts of Mine Tailings in the Marine Environment”

2015 GESAMP report #92 “Report of the 42nd Session of GESAMP, 2015”

2015 GESAMP report #91 “Pollution in the Open Oceans”

2015 GESAMP report #90 “Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment (Part 1)”

2014 06 1st UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-1) was held on June 23-27 in Nairobi, Kenya.

2014 06 Our Ocean Conference was held in Washington DC, USA.

2014 05 15th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-15) was held in New York. Major issues: role of seafood in global food security.

2014 04 Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth was held in Hague, Netherland.

2014 UNESCO/IOC Guide “Evaluating Marine Spatial Plans”

2014 UNEP report "Valuing Plastic – the Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods Industry – "

2014 GESAMP report #89 “Report of the 41st Session of GESAMP, 2014”

2014 GESAMP report #64 “The Revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure, 2nd Edition”

2014 4th Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4) was published by CBD.

2013 11 6th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in Kampala, Uganda.

2013 11 EMECS 10 – MEDCOAST 2013 was held in Marmaris, Mugla, Turkey. The theme was “Global Congress on Integrated Coastal Management: Lessons Learned to Address New Challenges.”

10

2013 10 Global Wastewater Initiative was launched by UNEP-GPA.

2013 06 14th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-14) was held in New York. Major issues: ocean acidification.

2014 IPCC AR5 (Fifth Assessment Report) was published.

2013

2013 GPNM/INI report "Our Nutrient World: the Challenge to Produce More Food and Energy with Less Pollution"

2013 UNEP report “Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport”

2013 GESAMP report #88 “Report of the 40th Session of GESAMP, 2013”

2013 GESAMP report #86 “Mercury in the Aquatic Environment, Executive Summary”

2012 06 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Member States decided to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post 2015 development agenda.
Global Partnership on Marine Litter was launched by UNEP-GPA.

2012 06 13th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-13) was held in New York. Major issues: marine renewable energies.

05

2012 01 Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC) and 3rd Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of GPA was held in Manila, Philippines, and Manila Declaration was adopted.

2012 UNEP report “Green Economy in a Blue World”

2012 GESAMP report #87 “Report of the 39th Session of GESAMP, 2012”

2012 GESAMP report #84 “The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean”

2012 5th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) was published by UNEP.

2011 08 EMECS 9 was held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The theme was “Ensuring Accountability and Effective Communication for Successful Integrated Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas.”

2011 06 12th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-12) was held in New York. Major issues: overview of progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of relevant oceans and seas outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development; new and emerging challenges; and the road to Rio+20 and beyond.

2011 UNEP report “Taking Steps Toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management- An Introductory Guide”

2011 GESAMP report #83 “Ballast Water Managements Systems of the Future”

- 2010

Year Month Major events

2010 12 5th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in New Delhi, India.

2010 06 11th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-11) was held in New York. Major issues: Capacity-building in ocean affairs and the law of the sea, including marine science

2010 05 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands was held in Paris, France. Theme: ensuring survival, preserving life, and improving governance.

2010 UNEP/UNHABITAT report "Sick Water ? – the Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development"

2010 GESAMP report #82 “Proceedings of the GESAMP Workshop on Microplastic particles”

2010 GESAMP report #81 “Report of the 37th Session of GESAMP, 2010”

2010 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3) was published by CBD.

2009 09 OceanObs’09 Conference was held in Venice, Italy.

2009 09 Expert Panel on Ocean Acidification was held in New York.

2009 06 10th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-10) was held in New York. Major issues: Implementation of the outcomes of the Consultative Process, including a review of its achievements and shortcomings in its first nine meetings.

2009 05 Global Partnership on Nutrient Management was launched by UNEP-GPA.

2009 05 World Ocean Conference was held in Manado, Indonesia.

2009 UNESCO/IOC Guide “Marine Spatial Planning – A Step by Step Approach towards Ecosystem-based Management”

2009 “UNEP/IOC Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter”

2009 UNEP report “Blue Carbon”

2009 GESAMP report #80 “Report of the 36th Session of GESAMP, 2009”

2009 GESAMP report #79 “Pollution in the open oceans: a review of assessments and related studies”

2009 GESAMP report #78 “Report of the 35th Session of GESAMP, 2008”

2008 10 EMECS 8 was held in Shanghai, China. The theme was “Harmonizing River Catchment and Estuary.”

2008 06 9th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-9) was held in New York. Major issues: maritime security and safety.

2008 04 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The theme was “Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management by 2010 in the Context of Climate Change”

2008 GESAMP report #77 “Report of the 34th Session of GESAMP, 2007”

2008 GESAMP report #76 “Assessment and communication of environmental risks in coastal aquaculture”

2007 06 8th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-8) was held in New York. Major issues: marine genetic resources.

2007 UNEP report "Reactive nitrogen in the environment : too much or too little of a good thing"

2007 GESAMP report #75 “Estimates of Oil Entering the Marine Environment from Sea-based Activities”

2007 IPCC AR4 (Fourth Assessment Report) was published.

2007 4th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4) was published by UNEP.

2006 12 EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2006 was held in Haikou, China.

2006 10 2nd Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Beijing, China and Beijing Declaration was adopted.

2006 06 7th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-7) was held in New York. Major issues: ecosystem-based management and ecosystem approach.

2006 05 EMECS 7 – ECSA 40 was held in Caen, France. The theme was “Sustainable Co development of Enclosed Coastal Seas: Our Shared Responsibility.”

2006 01 3rd Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands: Moving the Global Oceans Agenda Forward was held in Paris, France.

2006 2nd Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-2) was published by CBD.

2005 06 6th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-6) was held in New York. Major issues: fisheries and their contribution to　sustainable development; and marine debris.

2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reports, in which the concept of Ecosystem Service was discussed.

2005 GESAMP Journal Series " The New GESAMP: Science for Sustainable Oceans"

2004 06 5th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-5) was held in New York. Major issues: new sustainable uses of oceanｓ.

2003 11 EMECS 2003 ( EMECS 6) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme was “Comprehensive and Responsible Coastal Zone Management for Sustainable and Friendly Coexistence between Nature and People.”

2003 11 2nd Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Implementation of the Commitments made at the 2002 WSSD on Oceans, Coasts, and SIDs was held in Paris, France.

2003 11 Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) was signed, and in 2006 entered into force. Conference of the Parties and Secretariat coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

2003 09 UN-Oceans was set up.

2003 06 4th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-4) was held in New York. Major issues: safety of navigation, protection of vulnerable marine ecosystem, and cooperation and coordination on ocean issues.

2003 GESAMP report #74 “Report of the 33rd Session of GESAMP”

2003 International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) was established formally.

2002 09 World Summit on Sustainable Development ( WSSD) was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development was adopted.

08

2002 04 3rd UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-3) was held in New York. Major issues: protection and preservation of the marine environment, capacity building, regional cooperation and coordination, and integrated oceans management.

2002 02 Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of Marine and Coastal Environment of the North-East Pacific (Antiqua Convention) was signed. North-East Pacific Programme coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

2002 GESAMP report #64 “The Revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure for Chemical Substances Carried by Ships”

2002 GESAMP report #73 “Report of the 32nd Session of GESAMP”

2002 3rd Global Environment Outlook (GEO-3) was published by UNEP.

2001 12 Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10: Assessing Progress, Addressing Continuing and New Challenges was held in Paris, France.

2001 11 1st Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Montreal, Canada and Montreal Declaration was adopted.

2001 11 EMECS 2001 ( EMECS 5) was held in Kobe and Awaji Island, Hyogo, Japan. The theme was “Toward Coastal Zone Management that Ensures Coexistence between People and Nature in the 21st Century.”

2001 05 2nd UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-2) was held in New York. Major issues: marine science and technology, coordination and cooperation in combating piracy and armed robbery at sea.

2001 GESAMP report #72 “Report of the 31st Session of GESAMP, 2001”

2001 GESAMP report #71 “Protecting the Oceans from Land-based Activities”

2001 GESAMP report #70 “A Sea of Troubles”

2001 GESAMP report #68 “Planning and Management for Sustainable Coastal Aquaculture Development”

2001 IPCC TAR (Third Assessment Report) was published.

2001 1st Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-1) was published by CBD.

2000 09 United Nations Millennium Declaration was adopted at UNGA, and 8 Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs), of which Goal 7 is "Ensure environmental sustainability", were set.

2000 06 1st UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-1) was held in New York. Major issues: fisheries and impacts of marine pollution and degradation.

05

- 2000

Year Month Major events

2000 GESAMP report #69 “Report of the 30th Session of GESAMP, 2000”

2000 GESAMP Journal Series " Guidance on Assessment of Sediment Quality"

1999 11 EMECS ’99 – MEDCOAST ’99 ( EMECS 4) was held in Antalya, Turkey. The theme was “Land Ocean Interactions: Managing Coastal Ecosystems.”

1999 10 OceanObs’99 was held in Saint Raphael, France.

1999 GESAMP report #67 “Repot of the 29th Session of GESAMP, 1999”

1999 2nd Global Environment Outlook (GEO-2000) was published by UNEP.

1998 GESAMP report #66 “Report of the 28th Session of GESAMP, 1998”

1997 12 UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol was adapted.

1997 08 EMECS ’97 – 7th Stockholm Water Symposium ( EMECS 3) was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The theme was “With Rivers to the Sea: Interaction of Land Activities, Fresh Water and Enclosed Coastal Seas.”

1997 GESAMP report #65 “Towards Safe and Effective Use of Chemical in Coastal Aquaculture”

1997 GESAMP report #63 “Report of the 27th Session of GESAMP, 1997”

1997 GESAMP report #62 “Marine Biodiversity: Patterns, Threats and Conservation Needs”

1997 GESAMP report #58 “Opportunistic Settlers and the Problem of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi Invasion in the Black Sea”

1997 1st Global Environment Outlook (GEO-1) was published by UNEP.

1996 GESAMP report #61 “The Contributions of Science to Integrated Coastal Management”

1996 GESAMP report #60 “Report of the 26th Session of GESAMP, 1996”

1996 GESAMP report #57 “Monitoring the Ecological Effects of Coastal Aquaculture Wastes”

1995 11 UNEP-GPA (the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities) was adopted in the Washington Declaration on Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.

1995 03 South Asian Seas Action Plan (SASAP) was adopted. SACEP (South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1995 GESAMP report #59 “The Sea-Surface Microlayer and its Role in Global Change”

1995 GESAMP report #56 “Report of the 25th Session of GESAMP, 1995”

1995 GESAMP report #55 “Biological Indicators and their Use in the Measurement of the Condition of the Marine Environment”

1995 IPCC SAR (Second Assessment Report) was published.

1994 11 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) came into effect.

1994 09 Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was adopted. NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1994 GESAMP report #54 “Guidelines for Marine Environmental Assessment”

1994 GESAMP report #53 “Report of the 24th Session of GESAMP, 1994”

1993 11 2nd EMECS (EMECS ’93) was held in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. The theme was “Toward Effective Governance of the World’s Enclosed Coastal Seas.”

1993 11 World Coast Conference was held in Netherlands. Theme: ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management)

1993 06 Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was established. SPREP coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1993 GESAMP report #52 “Anthropogenic Influences on Sediment Discharge to the Coastal Zone and Environmental Consequences”

1993 GESAMP report #51 “Report of the 23rd Session of GESAMP, 1993”

1993 GESAMP report #50 “Impact of Oil and Related Chemicals on the Marine Environment”

1992 09 Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) was open for signature, and in 1998 entered into force. OSPAR Commission coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1992 06 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED; Earth Summit) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio Declaration was made and Agenda 21 was adopted. Agenda 21 has 40 chapters of which Chapter 17 is "Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources"
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity were adopted.

1992 04 Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) was adopted, and in 1994 entered into force. Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1992 GESAMP report #49 “Report of the 22nd Session of GESAMP, 1992”

1991 06 Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy was adopted, and in 1996 Arctic Council was established. Arctic Council coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1991 GESAMP report #48 “Global Changes and the Air-Sea Exchange of Chemicals”

1991 GESAMP report #47 “Reducing Environmental Impacts of Coastal Aquaculture”

1991 GESAMP report #46 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Carcinogens”

1991 GESAMP report #45 “Global Strategies for Marine Environmental Protection along with Addendum 1”

1991 GESAMP report #44 “Report of the 22nd Session of GESAMP, 1991”

1991 GESAMP report #43 “Coastal Modelling”

- 1990

Year Month Major events

1990 08 EMECS’90 ( EMECS 1) was held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. The theme was “Environmental Management and Appropriate Use of Enclosed Coastal Seas.”

1990 GESAMP report #42 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Choosing Priority Organochlorines for Marine Hazard Assessment”

1990 GESAMP report #41 “Report of the 20th Session of GESAMP, 1990”

1990 GESAMP report #39 “The State of the Marine Environment”

1990 GESAMP report #34 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Nutrients”

1990 IPCC FAR (First Assessment Report) was published.

1989 GESAMP report #40 "Long-term Consequences of Low-level Marine Contamination Reports and Studies"

1989 GESAMP report #38 "The Atmospheric Input of Trace Species to the World Ocean"

1989 GESAMP report #37 "Report of the 19th Session of GESAMP, 1989"

1989 GESAMP report #36 "Pollutant Modification of Atmospheric and Oceanic Processes and Climate: Some Aspects of the Problem"

1989 GESAMP report #35 "The Elevation of the Hazards of Harmful Substances Carries by Ships: Revision of GESAMP reports and Studies #17"

1988 GESAMP report #33 "Report of the 18th Session of GESAMP, 1988"

1987 Brundtland Report "Our Common Future", which introduced the concept of sustainable development.

1987 GESAMP report #32 "Land/Sea Boundary Flux of Contaminants: Contributions from Rivers"

1987 GESAMP report #31 "Report of the 17th Session of GESAMP, 1987"

1986 GESAMP report #30 "Environmental Capacity, An Approach to Marine Pollution Prevention"

1986 GESAMP report #29 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Organosilicon Compounds (Silanes and Siloxanes)"

1986 GESAMP report #28 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Arsenic, Mercury and Selenium"

1986 GESAMP report #27 "Report of the 16th Session of GESAMP, 1986"

1985 06 Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention) was signed, and in 1996 entered into force. Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1985 GESAMP report #26 "Atmospheric Transport of Contaminants into the Mediterranean Region"

1985 GESAMP report #25 "Report of the 15th Session of GESAMP, 1985"

1985 GESAMP report #23 "Interchange of Pollutants Between the Atmosphere and the Ocean – Part Ⅱ"

1984 GESAMP report #24 "Thermal Discharges in the Marine Environment"

1984 GESAMP report #22 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Cadmium, Lead and Tin"

1984 GESAMP report #21 "Report of the 14th Session of GESAMP, 1984"

1984 GESAMP report #20 "Marine Pollution Implications of Ocean Energy Development"

1983 03 Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) was adopted, and in 1986 entered into force. Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP regional Seas Programme.

1983 GESAMP report #19 "An Oceanographic Model for the Dispersion of Wastes Disposed of in the Deep Sea"

1983 GESAMP report #18 "Report of the 13th Session of GESAMP, 1983"

1982 04 Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention. CCAMLR coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1982 04 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) was adopted, and in 1994 entered into force.

1982 02 Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment (Jeddah Convention) was adopted, and in 1985 entered into force. PERSGA (Programme for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1982 GESAMP report #17 "The Evaluation of the Hazards of Harmful Substances Carried by Ships"

1982 GESAMP report #16 "Scientific Criteria for the Selection of Waste Disposal Sites at Sea"

1982 GESAMP report #15 "The Review of the Health of the Oceans"

1981 11 South-East Pacific Action Plan was adopted together with Convention for Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Zones of the South-East Pacific (Lima Convention). South-East Pacific Action Plan is coordinated by CPPS (Permanent Commission for the South Pacific) and UNEP within the framework of Regional Seas Programme.

1981 04 Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Areas of the East Asian Region was approved, and in 1994 revised to involve another countries. Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1981 03 Convention for the Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention) was signed, and in 1984 entered into force. UNEP coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1981 GESAMP report #14 "Report of the 12th Session of GESAMP, 1981"

- 1980

Year Month Major events

1980 GESAMP report #13 "Interchange of Pollutants Between the Atmosphere and the Ocean"

1980 GESAMP report #12 "Monitoring Biological Variables Related to Marine Pollution"

1980 GESAMP report #11 "Marine Pollution Implications of Coastal Area Development"

1980 GESAMP report #10 "Report of the 11th Session of GESAMP, 1980"

1978 04 Kuwait Regional Convention for Co-operation on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution was adopted, and entered into force in 1979. ROPME (Regional Organization for Protection of the Marine Environment) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1978 GESAMP report #9 "Report of the 10th Session of GESAMP, 1978"

1977 GESAMP report #8 "Report of the 9th Session of GESAMP, 1977"

1977 GESAMP report #7 "Scientific Aspects of Pollution Arising from the Exploration and Exploitation of the Sea-bed"

1977 GESAMP report #6 "Impact of Oil on the Marine Environment"

1976 02 Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution was singed, and in 1978 entered into force. In 1995 it was amended and renamed Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), and in 2004 entered into force. Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1976 GESAMP report #5 "Principles for Developing Coastal Water Quality Criteria"

1976 GESAMP report #4 "Report of the 8th Session of GESAMP, 1978"

1976 GESAMP report #2 "Review of Harmful Substances"

1975 GESAMP report #3 "Scientific Criteria for the Selection of Sites for Dumping Wastes into the Sea"

1975 GESAMP report #1 "Report of the 7th Session of GESAMP, 1975"

1974 03 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention) was signed, and entered into force in 1980. HELCOM coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

1974 Regional Seas Programme was launched by UNEP

1972 06 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) was held, and UNEP was established.

Year	Month	Major events
2030		All SDGs should be achieved by this year.
2022	06	IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report will be finalized.
2021	11	26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. UK on 1-12 November
2021	10	IPCC AR6 Working Group 2 Report (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) will be approved by IPCC56
2021	09	IPCC AR6 Working Group 3 Report (Mitigation of Climate Change) will be approved by IPCC 55
2021	09	EMECS 13- ECSA58 Joint Conference in Kingston upon Hull, U. K. on 6-10 September
2021	07	IPCC AR6 Working Group 1 Report (Physical Science Basis) will be approved by IPCC 54
2021	05-06	Kick Off Conference of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in Berlin, Germany on 31 May- 2 June
2021	05	15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Bio Diversity (CBD COP15) in Kunming. China on 17-30 May
2021	03	8th Annual World Ocean Summit & Expo 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal on 2-4 March
2021	02	5th Session of UN environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Kenya, Nairobi on 22-26 February
2020		52nd Session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBSTA52) in Bonn, Germany
2020		All Aichi Biodiversity Targets should be achieved by this year.
2020		2nd UN World Ocean Assessment (WOA-Ⅱ)
2020		53rd session of the IOC Executive Council in Paris, France Review of the Implementation plan for the “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”
2020		2nd UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal
2020		IPBES/IPCC joint workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change in London, UK
2020		4th "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" in New York
2020	12	Our Ocean Conference in Palau. on 7-8 December
2020	10	53rd Session of the IPCC on 6-10 October (TBC)
2020	09	75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75) on 15-30 September in New York, US
2020	05	8th International Nitrogen Initiative conference (INI 2020) in Berlin, Germany. on 3-7 May
2020	02	52nd Session of the IPCC in Paris, France on 24-28 February
2020	02	The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) in San Diego, CA, USA on 16-21,February

Year	Month	Major events
2019	11	Sustainable Ocean Summit 2019 will be held on November 20-22 in Paris, France.
2019	10	Our Ocean Conference will be held on October 24-25, 2019 in Oslo, Norway.
2019	09	OceanObs’19 Conference will be held on September 16-20, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
2019	09	IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) will be finalized.
2019	08	3rd "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" will be held on March 25 to April 5August 19-30 in New Yok.
2019	08	IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) will be finalized.
2019	07	HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) will be held on July 9-18 in New York. Theme: Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.
2019	05 03	2nd "Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)" will be held on March 25 to April 5 in New Yok.
2019	03	6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) will be published by UNEP.
2019	03	4th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA4) will take place from March 11-15, 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya
2019	03	World Ocean Summit 2019 will be held on March 5-7 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2019		UN report "Global Sustainable Development Report (2019 edition)”
2019		GESAMP report #99 “Guidelines for the Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Litter in the Ocean”
2019		GESAMP report #98 “High Level Review of a Wide Range of Proposed Marine Geoengineering Techniques”
2018	11	EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2018 was held on November 27-30 in Iloilo, Philippines.
2018	11	Sustainable Blue Economy Conference was held on November 26-28 in Nairobi, Kenya.
2018	11	Sustainable Ocean Summit 2018 was held on November 14-16 in Hong Kong, China.
2018	11	EMECS 12 (Cooperative stewardship for integrated management toward resilient coastal seas) was held November 4-8 in Pattaya, Thailand
2018	11	4th Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Bali, Indonesia.
2018	10
2018	10	Our Ocean Conference was held on October 29-30 in Bali, Indonesia.
2018	10	IPCC Special Report on Global warming of 1.5℃ (SR15)
2018	09	1st “Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)” was held in New Yok.
2018	09	ECSA 57 (Changing estuaries, coasts and shelf systems – Diverse threats and opportunities) was held on September 3-6 in Perth, Australia.
2018	07	HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) was held on July 9-18 in New York. Theme: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.
2018	06	19th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-19) was held in New York. Major issues: Anthropogenic underwater noise.
2018	05	1st Ocean Risk Summit (Reducing Risk from a Changing Ocean) was held in Southampton, Bermuda.
2018	04	2nd Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations and Regional Fishery Bodies on Accelerating Progress Towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
2018		IUCN report "Ocean Connections – An Introduction to Rising Risks from a Warming Changing Ocean"
2018		GESAMP (Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection) report #97 “The magnitude and impacts of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen inputs to the ocean”
2018		GESAMP report #96 “Report of the 44th Session of GESAMP, 2018”
2017	12	3rd UN Environment Assembly (UNEA3, theme: Pollution) was held on December 4-6 in Nairobi, Kenya.
2017	10	Our Ocean Conference was held on October 5-6 in Malta.
2017	07	HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) 2017 was held on July 10-19 in New York. Theme: Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.
2017	06	1st UN Ocean Conference (Our ocean, our future: call for action) was held in New York.
2017	05	18th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-18) was held in New York. Major issues: the effect of climate change on oceans
2017		GESAMP report #95 “Report of the 43th Session of GESAMP, 2017”
2016	12	7th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in Melbourne, Australia, and “Melbourne Declaration on Responsible Nitrogen Management for a Sustainable Future” was adopted.
2016	09	Our Ocean Conference was held in Washington DC, USA.
2016	08	EMECS 11 – Sea Coasts XXVI joint Conference (Managing Risks to Coastal Regions and Communities in a Changing World) was held in St. Petersburg, Russia.
2016	07	HLPF (High-level Political Forum) 2016 was held in New York. Theme: Ensuring that no one is left behind.
2016	06	17th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) was held in New York. Major issues: marine debris, plastics and microplastics.
2016	05	2nd UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) was held on May 23-27 in Nairobi, Kenya.
2016	01	WEF (World Economic Forum) report “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics”
2016	01	1st UN World Ocean Assessment was published.
2016		UNEP GEO-6 regional assessments
2016		IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) report "Explaining Our Ocean Warming"
2016		UN report “Global Sustainable Development Report (2016 edition)”
2016		UNEP technical report “Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics: Global Lessons and Research to Inspire Action and Guide Policy Change”
2016		GESAMP report #93 “Sources, Fate and Effects of Microplastics in the Marine Environment (Part 2)”
2015	12	Paris Agreement was adopted at the 21 session of UNFCCC in Paris, France
2015	11	EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2015 was held on November 16-21 in Danang, Vietnum, and SDS-SEA 2015 (Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia) was adopted by the Ministerial Forum of PEMSEA in Philippines.
2015	10	Our Ocean Conference was held in Valparaiso, Chile.
2015	09	SDGs (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) was adopted by the UNGA in New York. SDGs has 18 Goals of which Goal 14 is "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development"
2015	06	HLPF (High-level Political Forum on Sustainable development) was held on June 26 – July 8 in New York. Theme: Strengthening integration, implementation and review – the HLPF after 2015.
2015	05	UNEP report "Wastewater Management – A UN-Water Analytical Brief -"
2015	04	16th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-16) was held in New York. Major issues: oceans and sustainable development.
2015	03	Marine Plastic Waste and the Circular Economy: Building Long-term Solutions to Immediate Challenges was held in Washington DC, USA.
2015		UN report “Global Sustainable Development Report (2015 edition)”
2015		UNEP report "Biodegradable Plastics and Marine Litter"
2015		UNEP report "Economic Valuation of Wastewater – the Cost of Action and the Cost of No Action"
2015		UNEP report “Blue Economy: Sharing Success Stories to Inspire Change”
2015		GESAMP report #94 “Proceeding of the GESAMP International Workshop on the Impacts of Mine Tailings in the Marine Environment”
2015		GESAMP report #92 “Report of the 42nd Session of GESAMP, 2015”
2015		GESAMP report #91 “Pollution in the Open Oceans”
2015		GESAMP report #90 “Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment (Part 1)”
2014	06	1st UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-1) was held on June 23-27 in Nairobi, Kenya.
2014	06	Our Ocean Conference was held in Washington DC, USA.
2014	05	15th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-15) was held in New York. Major issues: role of seafood in global food security.
2014	04	Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth was held in Hague, Netherland.
2014		UNESCO/IOC Guide “Evaluating Marine Spatial Plans”
2014		UNEP report "Valuing Plastic – the Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods Industry – "
2014		GESAMP report #89 “Report of the 41st Session of GESAMP, 2014”
2014		GESAMP report #64 “The Revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure, 2nd Edition”
2014		4th Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4) was published by CBD.
2013	11	6th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in Kampala, Uganda.
2013	11	EMECS 10 – MEDCOAST 2013 was held in Marmaris, Mugla, Turkey. The theme was “Global Congress on Integrated Coastal Management: Lessons Learned to Address New Challenges.”
2013	10
2013	10	Global Wastewater Initiative was launched by UNEP-GPA.
2013	06	14th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-14) was held in New York. Major issues: ocean acidification.
2014		IPCC AR5 (Fifth Assessment Report) was published.
2013		IPCC AR5 (Fifth Assessment Report) was published.
2013		GPNM/INI report "Our Nutrient World: the Challenge to Produce More Food and Energy with Less Pollution"
2013		UNEP report “Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport”
2013		GESAMP report #88 “Report of the 40th Session of GESAMP, 2013”
2013		GESAMP report #86 “Mercury in the Aquatic Environment, Executive Summary”
2012	06	United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Member States decided to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post 2015 development agenda. Global Partnership on Marine Litter was launched by UNEP-GPA.
2012	06	13th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-13) was held in New York. Major issues: marine renewable energies.
2012	05
2012	01	Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC) and 3rd Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of GPA was held in Manila, Philippines, and Manila Declaration was adopted.
2012		UNEP report “Green Economy in a Blue World”
2012		GESAMP report #87 “Report of the 39th Session of GESAMP, 2012”
2012		GESAMP report #84 “The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean”
2012		5th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) was published by UNEP.
2011	08	EMECS 9 was held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The theme was “Ensuring Accountability and Effective Communication for Successful Integrated Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas.”
2011	06	12th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-12) was held in New York. Major issues: overview of progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of relevant oceans and seas outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development; new and emerging challenges; and the road to Rio+20 and beyond.
2011		UNEP report “Taking Steps Toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management- An Introductory Guide”
2011		GESAMP report #83 “Ballast Water Managements Systems of the Future”

Year	Month	Major events
2010	12	5th INI (International Nitrogen Initiative) conference was held in New Delhi, India.
2010	06	11th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-11) was held in New York. Major issues: Capacity-building in ocean affairs and the law of the sea, including marine science
2010	05	5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands was held in Paris, France. Theme: ensuring survival, preserving life, and improving governance.
2010		UNEP/UNHABITAT report "Sick Water ? – the Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development"
2010		GESAMP report #82 “Proceedings of the GESAMP Workshop on Microplastic particles”
2010		GESAMP report #81 “Report of the 37th Session of GESAMP, 2010”
2010		3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3) was published by CBD.
2009	09	OceanObs’09 Conference was held in Venice, Italy.
2009	09	Expert Panel on Ocean Acidification was held in New York.
2009	06	10th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-10) was held in New York. Major issues: Implementation of the outcomes of the Consultative Process, including a review of its achievements and shortcomings in its first nine meetings.
2009	05	Global Partnership on Nutrient Management was launched by UNEP-GPA.
2009	05	World Ocean Conference was held in Manado, Indonesia.
2009		UNESCO/IOC Guide “Marine Spatial Planning – A Step by Step Approach towards Ecosystem-based Management”
2009		“UNEP/IOC Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter”
2009		UNEP report “Blue Carbon”
2009		GESAMP report #80 “Report of the 36th Session of GESAMP, 2009”
2009		GESAMP report #79 “Pollution in the open oceans: a review of assessments and related studies”
2009		GESAMP report #78 “Report of the 35th Session of GESAMP, 2008”
2008	10	EMECS 8 was held in Shanghai, China. The theme was “Harmonizing River Catchment and Estuary.”
2008	06	9th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-9) was held in New York. Major issues: maritime security and safety.
2008	04	4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The theme was “Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management by 2010 in the Context of Climate Change”
2008		GESAMP report #77 “Report of the 34th Session of GESAMP, 2007”
2008		GESAMP report #76 “Assessment and communication of environmental risks in coastal aquaculture”
2007	06	8th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-8) was held in New York. Major issues: marine genetic resources.
2007		UNEP report "Reactive nitrogen in the environment : too much or too little of a good thing"
2007		GESAMP report #75 “Estimates of Oil Entering the Marine Environment from Sea-based Activities”
2007		IPCC AR4 (Fourth Assessment Report) was published.
2007		4th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4) was published by UNEP.
2006	12	EAS (East Asian Seas) Congress 2006 was held in Haikou, China.
2006	10	2nd Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Beijing, China and Beijing Declaration was adopted.
2006	06	7th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-7) was held in New York. Major issues: ecosystem-based management and ecosystem approach.
2006	05	EMECS 7 – ECSA 40 was held in Caen, France. The theme was “Sustainable Co development of Enclosed Coastal Seas: Our Shared Responsibility.”
2006	01	3rd Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands: Moving the Global Oceans Agenda Forward was held in Paris, France.
2006		2nd Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-2) was published by CBD.
2005	06	6th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-6) was held in New York. Major issues: fisheries and their contribution to　sustainable development; and marine debris.
2005		Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reports, in which the concept of Ecosystem Service was discussed.
2005		GESAMP Journal Series " The New GESAMP: Science for Sustainable Oceans"
2004	06	5th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-5) was held in New York. Major issues: new sustainable uses of oceanｓ.
2003	11	EMECS 2003 ( EMECS 6) was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme was “Comprehensive and Responsible Coastal Zone Management for Sustainable and Friendly Coexistence between Nature and People.”
2003	11	2nd Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing for Implementation of the Commitments made at the 2002 WSSD on Oceans, Coasts, and SIDs was held in Paris, France.
2003	11	Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) was signed, and in 2006 entered into force. Conference of the Parties and Secretariat coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
2003	09	UN-Oceans was set up.
2003	06	4th UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-4) was held in New York. Major issues: safety of navigation, protection of vulnerable marine ecosystem, and cooperation and coordination on ocean issues.
2003		GESAMP report #74 “Report of the 33rd Session of GESAMP”
2003		International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) was established formally.
2002	09	World Summit on Sustainable Development ( WSSD) was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development was adopted.
2002	08
2002	04	3rd UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-3) was held in New York. Major issues: protection and preservation of the marine environment, capacity building, regional cooperation and coordination, and integrated oceans management.
2002	02	Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of Marine and Coastal Environment of the North-East Pacific (Antiqua Convention) was signed. North-East Pacific Programme coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
2002		GESAMP report #64 “The Revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure for Chemical Substances Carried by Ships”
2002		GESAMP report #73 “Report of the 32nd Session of GESAMP”
2002		3rd Global Environment Outlook (GEO-3) was published by UNEP.
2001	12	Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10: Assessing Progress, Addressing Continuing and New Challenges was held in Paris, France.
2001	11	1st Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the GPA was held in Montreal, Canada and Montreal Declaration was adopted.
2001	11	EMECS 2001 ( EMECS 5) was held in Kobe and Awaji Island, Hyogo, Japan. The theme was “Toward Coastal Zone Management that Ensures Coexistence between People and Nature in the 21st Century.”
2001	05	2nd UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-2) was held in New York. Major issues: marine science and technology, coordination and cooperation in combating piracy and armed robbery at sea.
2001		GESAMP report #72 “Report of the 31st Session of GESAMP, 2001”
2001		GESAMP report #71 “Protecting the Oceans from Land-based Activities”
2001		GESAMP report #70 “A Sea of Troubles”
2001		GESAMP report #68 “Planning and Management for Sustainable Coastal Aquaculture Development”
2001		IPCC TAR (Third Assessment Report) was published.
2001		1st Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-1) was published by CBD.
2000	09	United Nations Millennium Declaration was adopted at UNGA, and 8 Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs), of which Goal 7 is "Ensure environmental sustainability", were set.
2000	06	1st UN Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-1) was held in New York. Major issues: fisheries and impacts of marine pollution and degradation.
2000	05

Year	Month	Major events
2000		GESAMP report #69 “Report of the 30th Session of GESAMP, 2000”
2000		GESAMP Journal Series " Guidance on Assessment of Sediment Quality"
1999	11	EMECS ’99 – MEDCOAST ’99 ( EMECS 4) was held in Antalya, Turkey. The theme was “Land Ocean Interactions: Managing Coastal Ecosystems.”
1999	10	OceanObs’99 was held in Saint Raphael, France.
1999		GESAMP report #67 “Repot of the 29th Session of GESAMP, 1999”
1999		2nd Global Environment Outlook (GEO-2000) was published by UNEP.
1998		GESAMP report #66 “Report of the 28th Session of GESAMP, 1998”
1997	12	UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol was adapted.
1997	08	EMECS ’97 – 7th Stockholm Water Symposium ( EMECS 3) was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The theme was “With Rivers to the Sea: Interaction of Land Activities, Fresh Water and Enclosed Coastal Seas.”
1997		GESAMP report #65 “Towards Safe and Effective Use of Chemical in Coastal Aquaculture”
1997		GESAMP report #63 “Report of the 27th Session of GESAMP, 1997”
1997		GESAMP report #62 “Marine Biodiversity: Patterns, Threats and Conservation Needs”
1997		GESAMP report #58 “Opportunistic Settlers and the Problem of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi Invasion in the Black Sea”
1997		1st Global Environment Outlook (GEO-1) was published by UNEP.
1996		GESAMP report #61 “The Contributions of Science to Integrated Coastal Management”
1996		GESAMP report #60 “Report of the 26th Session of GESAMP, 1996”
1996		GESAMP report #57 “Monitoring the Ecological Effects of Coastal Aquaculture Wastes”
1995	11	UNEP-GPA (the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities) was adopted in the Washington Declaration on Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.
1995	03	South Asian Seas Action Plan (SASAP) was adopted. SACEP (South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1995		GESAMP report #59 “The Sea-Surface Microlayer and its Role in Global Change”
1995		GESAMP report #56 “Report of the 25th Session of GESAMP, 1995”
1995		GESAMP report #55 “Biological Indicators and their Use in the Measurement of the Condition of the Marine Environment”
1995		IPCC SAR (Second Assessment Report) was published.
1994	11	United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) came into effect.
1994	09	Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was adopted. NOWPAP Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1994		GESAMP report #54 “Guidelines for Marine Environmental Assessment”
1994		GESAMP report #53 “Report of the 24th Session of GESAMP, 1994”
1993	11	2nd EMECS (EMECS ’93) was held in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. The theme was “Toward Effective Governance of the World’s Enclosed Coastal Seas.”
1993	11	World Coast Conference was held in Netherlands. Theme: ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management)
1993	06	Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was established. SPREP coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1993		GESAMP report #52 “Anthropogenic Influences on Sediment Discharge to the Coastal Zone and Environmental Consequences”
1993		GESAMP report #51 “Report of the 23rd Session of GESAMP, 1993”
1993		GESAMP report #50 “Impact of Oil and Related Chemicals on the Marine Environment”
1992	09	Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention) was open for signature, and in 1998 entered into force. OSPAR Commission coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1992	06	United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED; Earth Summit) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio Declaration was made and Agenda 21 was adopted. Agenda 21 has 40 chapters of which Chapter 17 is "Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources" United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity were adopted.
1992	04	Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) was adopted, and in 1994 entered into force. Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1992		GESAMP report #49 “Report of the 22nd Session of GESAMP, 1992”
1991	06	Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy was adopted, and in 1996 Arctic Council was established. Arctic Council coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1991		GESAMP report #48 “Global Changes and the Air-Sea Exchange of Chemicals”
1991		GESAMP report #47 “Reducing Environmental Impacts of Coastal Aquaculture”
1991		GESAMP report #46 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Carcinogens”
1991		GESAMP report #45 “Global Strategies for Marine Environmental Protection along with Addendum 1”
1991		GESAMP report #44 “Report of the 22nd Session of GESAMP, 1991”
1991		GESAMP report #43 “Coastal Modelling”

Year	Month	Major events
1990	08	EMECS’90 ( EMECS 1) was held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. The theme was “Environmental Management and Appropriate Use of Enclosed Coastal Seas.”
1990		GESAMP report #42 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Choosing Priority Organochlorines for Marine Hazard Assessment”
1990		GESAMP report #41 “Report of the 20th Session of GESAMP, 1990”
1990		GESAMP report #39 “The State of the Marine Environment”
1990		GESAMP report #34 “Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Nutrients”
1990		IPCC FAR (First Assessment Report) was published.
1989		GESAMP report #40 "Long-term Consequences of Low-level Marine Contamination Reports and Studies"
1989		GESAMP report #38 "The Atmospheric Input of Trace Species to the World Ocean"
1989		GESAMP report #37 "Report of the 19th Session of GESAMP, 1989"
1989		GESAMP report #36 "Pollutant Modification of Atmospheric and Oceanic Processes and Climate: Some Aspects of the Problem"
1989		GESAMP report #35 "The Elevation of the Hazards of Harmful Substances Carries by Ships: Revision of GESAMP reports and Studies #17"
1988		GESAMP report #33 "Report of the 18th Session of GESAMP, 1988"
1987		Brundtland Report "Our Common Future", which introduced the concept of sustainable development.
1987		GESAMP report #32 "Land/Sea Boundary Flux of Contaminants: Contributions from Rivers"
1987		GESAMP report #31 "Report of the 17th Session of GESAMP, 1987"
1986		GESAMP report #30 "Environmental Capacity, An Approach to Marine Pollution Prevention"
1986		GESAMP report #29 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Organosilicon Compounds (Silanes and Siloxanes)"
1986		GESAMP report #28 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Arsenic, Mercury and Selenium"
1986		GESAMP report #27 "Report of the 16th Session of GESAMP, 1986"
1985	06	Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention) was signed, and in 1996 entered into force. Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1985		GESAMP report #26 "Atmospheric Transport of Contaminants into the Mediterranean Region"
1985		GESAMP report #25 "Report of the 15th Session of GESAMP, 1985"
1985		GESAMP report #23 "Interchange of Pollutants Between the Atmosphere and the Ocean – Part Ⅱ"
1984		GESAMP report #24 "Thermal Discharges in the Marine Environment"
1984		GESAMP report #22 "Review of Potentially Harmful Substances – Cadmium, Lead and Tin"
1984		GESAMP report #21 "Report of the 14th Session of GESAMP, 1984"
1984		GESAMP report #20 "Marine Pollution Implications of Ocean Energy Development"
1983	03	Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) was adopted, and in 1986 entered into force. Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit coordinates the UNEP regional Seas Programme.
1983		GESAMP report #19 "An Oceanographic Model for the Dispersion of Wastes Disposed of in the Deep Sea"
1983		GESAMP report #18 "Report of the 13th Session of GESAMP, 1983"
1982	04	Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention. CCAMLR coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1982	04	United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) was adopted, and in 1994 entered into force.
1982	02	Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment (Jeddah Convention) was adopted, and in 1985 entered into force. PERSGA (Programme for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1982		GESAMP report #17 "The Evaluation of the Hazards of Harmful Substances Carried by Ships"
1982		GESAMP report #16 "Scientific Criteria for the Selection of Waste Disposal Sites at Sea"
1982		GESAMP report #15 "The Review of the Health of the Oceans"
1981	11	South-East Pacific Action Plan was adopted together with Convention for Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Zones of the South-East Pacific (Lima Convention). South-East Pacific Action Plan is coordinated by CPPS (Permanent Commission for the South Pacific) and UNEP within the framework of Regional Seas Programme.
1981	04	Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Areas of the East Asian Region was approved, and in 1994 revised to involve another countries. Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1981	03	Convention for the Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention) was signed, and in 1984 entered into force. UNEP coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1981		GESAMP report #14 "Report of the 12th Session of GESAMP, 1981"

Year	Month	Major events
1980		GESAMP report #13 "Interchange of Pollutants Between the Atmosphere and the Ocean"
1980		GESAMP report #12 "Monitoring Biological Variables Related to Marine Pollution"
1980		GESAMP report #11 "Marine Pollution Implications of Coastal Area Development"
1980		GESAMP report #10 "Report of the 11th Session of GESAMP, 1980"
1978	04	Kuwait Regional Convention for Co-operation on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution was adopted, and entered into force in 1979. ROPME (Regional Organization for Protection of the Marine Environment) coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1978		GESAMP report #9 "Report of the 10th Session of GESAMP, 1978"
1977		GESAMP report #8 "Report of the 9th Session of GESAMP, 1977"
1977		GESAMP report #7 "Scientific Aspects of Pollution Arising from the Exploration and Exploitation of the Sea-bed"
1977		GESAMP report #6 "Impact of Oil on the Marine Environment"
1976	02	Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution was singed, and in 1978 entered into force. In 1995 it was amended and renamed Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), and in 2004 entered into force. Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1976		GESAMP report #5 "Principles for Developing Coastal Water Quality Criteria"
1976		GESAMP report #4 "Report of the 8th Session of GESAMP, 1978"
1976		GESAMP report #2 "Review of Harmful Substances"
1975		GESAMP report #3 "Scientific Criteria for the Selection of Sites for Dumping Wastes into the Sea"
1975		GESAMP report #1 "Report of the 7th Session of GESAMP, 1975"
1974	03	Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention) was signed, and entered into force in 1980. HELCOM coordinates the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
1974		Regional Seas Programme was launched by UNEP
1972	06	United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) was held, and UNEP was established.