United Nations Regular Process

The United Nations Regular Process

The United Nations Regular Process was established by the United Nations (UN) in 2002 and is promoted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The Regular Process aims to contribute to strengthening the regular scientific assessment of the marine environment in order to improve the scientific basis for marine and maritime policy decisions. The World Ocean Assessment (WOA) is the main outcome of the Regular Process.

The WOA is the only integrated global assessment of the ocean that covers social, economic, and environmental aspects. A collective and ongoing effort by hundreds of experts worldwide, the WOA serves as a basis for governments and policymakers around the world to make informed decisions on ocean issues in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The different groups within the Regular Process

Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole – this group oversees the Regular Process and is composed of United Nations Member States under the leadership of two co-chairs. Observers from the United Nations, relevant intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council are also invited to participate in the meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole. This group meets at United Nations headquarters to adopt recommendations to the General Assembly. The meetings of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Wholeare held biannually.

Bureau – this group has 15 members (three representing each of the geographical areas of the United Nations) and implements the decisions and guidelines of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole during intersessional periods. The Bureau normally meets once a month.

Group of Experts (GoE) – this group is composed of a maximum of 25 experts (five from each United Nations geographical area), taking into account geographical and gender balance and diversity of expertise. Under the supervision of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole, the Group of Experts coordinates the work within the WOA, proposing the structure for each of the WOAs and supervising their development through contributions from the Pool of Experts. This group meets remotely on a monthly basis and in person twice a year. The GoE database of experts can be found here.

Pool of Experts – this is a broad group of experts with knowledge in the areas covered by the WOAs who support the drafting of the WOA chapters. More than 780 experts from around the world participated in WOAII. The third cycle of the Regular Process will also require a large Pool of Experts. The database of experts can be found here.

National and Intergovernmental Focal Points – National Focal Points (NFPs) and Intergovernmental Focal Points (IFPs) are designated by Member States and by the secretariats of relevant United Nations agencies, programs, funds, and specialized bodies, and the secretariats of related organizations and conventions, respectively, to facilitate the implementation of the work program under the Regular Process.

Secretariat – The United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea has been designated by the General Assembly as the Secretariat of the Regular Process. The Secretariat provides support to the institutions of the Regular Process and implements the mandates it receives from the General Assembly, including in relation to the implementation of the work program for each cycle.

Regular Process Cycles:

The first cycle of the Regular Process that gave rise to WOAI took place between 2010 and 2014. The second cycle of the Regular Process that gave rise to WOAII took place between 2016 and 2020. The third cycle of the Regular Process, which will give rise to WOAIII, began in 2021 and will end in 2025.

The World Ocean Assessments

WOAI

The result of the first cycle was the WOAI, a nearly 1,000-page report prepared by experts from around the world, detailing the global state of the ocean, the extent of human knowledge about the ocean, and the effect of human activities on the ocean. The WOAI was released in late 2015 and can be found here. In it, experts warn that the ocean is facing multiple pressures simultaneously, with impacts so great that the limits of its capacity are about to be reached, or in some cases, have already been reached. They also indicate that urgent action is needed on a global scale to protect the oceans. Four national experts participated in this report, which is considered the benchmark for the global ocean.

Based on WOAI, three technical reports were developed (link):

Resumen técnico de la primera evaluación marina global integrada sobre el océano y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en el marco de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible

Resumen técnico de la primera evaluación marina global integrada sobre la conservación y el uso sostenible de la diversidad biológica marina en zonas situadas fuera de la jurisdicción nacional

Technical Summary of the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment on the Impacts of Climate Change and Related Changes in the Atmosphere on the Oceans

WOAII

WOAII is the main outcome of the second cycle of the Regular Process, having been developed by 300 global experts in a collective and interdisciplinary effort. WOAII provides comprehensive and integrated scientific information on the state of the marine environment to support decisions and actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 14, as well as the implementation of the societal objectives of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The report can be found here. Thirty national experts participated in this report.

The Third Cycle of the Regular Process (2021-2025)

The third cycle of the Regular Process was launched by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2019, for the period 2021 to 2025. According to the work program, one of the outcomes of this cycle will be the production of one or more assessments of the marine environment, including socioeconomic aspects (WOAIII). The third cycle of the Regular Process will also provide support for other intergovernmental processes related to the ocean. The third cycle will also include a capacity-building component with the aim of strengthening the relationship between science and ocean policy at the national, regional, and global levels.

Portugal's participation in the Regular Process/WOA

Portugal is represented in the United Nations Regular Process in the following groups:

Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Group of Experts, through Professor Maria João Bebianno.
National Focal Points, through the Foundation for Science and Technology, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of their functions is to guide and promote the involvement of national experts in the process, including the appointment of experts to the Pool of Experts.
Pool of Experts, within the scope of WOAII, through the participation of 30 national experts. The list of national experts involved in the Pool of Experts can be found here.

The national coordination of this process is carried out, at the institutional level, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and the Sea (DGPM), and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education (FCT). This national coordination group also includes Professor Maria João Bebianno, CIMA, from the University of Algarve.

Process for the participation of new national experts in the process

If you are interested in participating as a national expert, please consult the mechanism for establishing the Pool of Experts for the third cycle of the Regular Process (link) and contact the National Contact Point (see below).

Representatives:

Portuguese delegate to the Group of Experts: Maria João Bebianno, CIMA, University of Algarve
National Contact Point: Victor Silva (vitor.silva@fct.pt), FCT

FCT involvement:

Involvement of Portuguese experts and creation of a group of national experts who contribute to the different chapters of the reports;
Support for delegates to participate in meetings.