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THE OCEAN POLICY SUMMIT (TOPS) 2005

International Conference on Integrated Ocean Policy:
National and Regional Experiences, Prospects, and Emerging Practices

11-13 October 2005 | Lisbon, Portugal
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16 October 2005

Highlights from Wednesday, 12 October 2005

On Wednesday, 12 October, participants at The Ocean Policy Summit 2005 heard reports from the recent Ocean Donors Roundtable and an informal workshop of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, both held on Monday, 10 October 2005. This was followed by two panel discussions in the morning and working group meetings in the afternoon.

Report from the Donors Roundtable
Charles A. Buchanan, Jr., Administrator of the Luso-American Foundation, comments on the Donors Roundtable report Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, presents the report from the Ocean Donors Roundtable held earlier in the week
Panel on Establishing Integrated National and Regional Ocean Policies
The first panel discussion focused on “Getting Started: Establishment of Integrated National and Regional Ocean Policies.” During this session, speakers reviewed lessons learned from the establishment of integrated ocean policies, including the catalytic factors involved, the type of processes involved, the role of legislation and ocean commissions, and the role of external constituencies and international programmes. The session was chaired by Charles Ehler, Vice-Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas – Marine. Speakers included John Roberts, Head of the Marine and Waterways Division, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Paul Sandifer, former Commissioner with the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, Tiago Pitta e Cunha, Member of Cabinet of the European Commission for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs; Hiroshi Terashima, Executive Director, Ocean Policy Research Foundation of Japan; Bernice McLean, Independent Consultant, South Africa; Antonio Diaz de Leon, Director General for Environment Policy, Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Mary Power, Secretariat of the Pacific Commission; Indumathie Hewawasam, World Bank; Tom Laughlin, Deputy Director, International Affairs Office, NOAA; and Huming Yu, Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA). Panel Chair Charles Ehler wrapped up the discussion by noting that there are many approaches to oceans policies: many will succeed, some will probably fail. However, it is useful to document both in a systematic way so we know what works and what does not.
Panel on Getting Started, Establishment of Integrated National and Regional Ocean Policies, chaired by Charles Ehler
Dr. Tiago Pitta e Cunha, with the European Commission and former Coordinator of the Portuguese Strategic Commission for Oceans John Roberts of the Marine and Waterways Division of DEFRA, UK Hiroshi Terashima, Executive Director of the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in Japan
Mary Power, Coordinator of the Reef Fisheries Observatory and part of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Noumea
Tom Laughlin, Deputy Director of the International Affairs Office at NOAA
Dr. Huming Yu with the UNDP/IMO/Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
Panel on Cross-Sectoral Harmonization of Ocean Uses and Agencies
This panel focused on achieving cross-sectoral harmonization of ocean uses and agencies. It was chaired by Tom Laughlin, NOAA. Speakers included Biliana Cicin-Sain, Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy, University of Delaware, who presented a comparative overview of the issue, as well as Elie Jarmache, Secrétariat Général de la Mer, Prime Minister’s Office, France; John Richardson, Head of the Maritime Policy Task Force for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs; Aldo Cosentino, Director-General of Italy’s Directorate for Nature Protection Sea Protection; Gerhard Kuska, Co-Executive Secretary, Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources, U.S. Ocean Action Plan, NOAA; Ramos de Oliveria, Commandant, Portuguese Navy; and Evelia Rivera-Arriaga, Centro de Ecología, Pesquerías y Oceanografia del Golfo de Mexico. In the ensuring discussion, one participant asked Gerhard Kuska about a comment that sensitive issues should be placed to one side. Kuska clarified that these issues could prove intractable if addressed directly or in a confrontational way too early on in the process, although he agreed that they do have to be dealt with over the medium or long term.
Panel on Achieving Cross-Sectoral Harmonization of Ocean Uses and Agencies, chaired by Tom Laughlin
Elie Jarmache, Secretary General of Oceans in the French Prime Minister’s Office John Richardson, Head of the Maritime Policy Task Force in the EC DG for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
Dr. Aldo Cosentino, Director-General of the Directorate for Nature Protection and Sea Protection in the Italian Ministry for Environment and Protection of the Territory
Gerhard Kuska, Co-Executive Secretary of the US Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources
Lt. Commander José Ramos de Oliveira of the Portuguese Navy
Working Group Discussions
On Wednesday afternoon, conference participants met in five simultaneous working groups to discuss guidance for integrated ocean policies and a Lisbon Conference Statement as an outcome of the meeting. Participants also provided comments on the substantive pre-meeting materials, proposed tangible ideas to encourage integrated national and regional ocean policies, and addressed capacity building needs in all regions.
Daily web coverage: 11 October - 12 October - 13 October
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