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In order for oceans, seas and marine resources tosuccessfully contribute to human well-being, ecosystemintegrity 130 , with properly functioning biogeochemical andphysical processes, is required. This does not requireunperturbed systems, but systems that have not sufferedserious or irreversible harm. Ecosystem integrity allows forthe provision of supporting ecosystem services which, inturn, are the bases of important regulating, provisioningand cultural ecosystem services that are of crucialimportance for humans. Whereas the benefits provided byoceans, seas and marine resources are important to allpeople, vulnerable groups, including the poor andindigenous peoples, with a high dependency on naturalresources and ecosystem services may have their wellbeingespecially tied to these benefits.The following illustrative examples underline theimportance of oceans, seas and marine resources forhuman well-being:• Over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastalresources for their livelihoods. 131• Fish provide 4.3 billion people with at least 15% of theirintake of animal protein. 132• At least 90% of the volume of global trade isseaborne. 133• Approximately 50% of all international tourists travel tocoastal areas. In some developing countries, notablySmall Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism canaccount for over 25% of GDP. 134• The global oceans-based economy is estimated atbetween USD 3-6 trillion/year. 135• Oceans capture and store about 30% of carbon dioxideproduced by humans. 136• Mangroves and coral reefs offer shoreline protection.Global coral reefs protect around 150,000 km ofshoreline in more than 100 countries and territories. 137• Marine phytoplankton produces 50% of oxygen onEarth. 138The link between oceans, seas and marine resources andhuman well-being is not one-sided. While an increase inhuman well-being is frequently generated at the cost ofecosystem integrity, it can also potentially reduce thenegative anthropogenic impacts on the marineenvironment, for example due to a more sustainable use ofresources, changes in production and consumptionpatterns and improved management and control of humanactivities, for which good governance and an enablingenvironment are required (see Box 3-1).Box 3-1. Enabling environment 139An enabling environment comprises a multitude ofelements, including political will; effective legal and policyframeworks, institutions and cooperation mechanisms;compliance with, and enforcement of, UNCLOS 140 and itsimplementing agreements, as well as other relevantinstruments; national, regional, global action plans,strategies and policies aimed at sustainable development;social and economic security and opportunities;stakeholder involvement and empowerment; increasedcross-sectoral cooperation and coordination at all levels;decent work conditions; capacity development; scientificcapacity; technology transfer and advancement; educationand training; knowledge sharing and awareness raising; andchanges in (consumer and producer) behaviour.The importance of oceans for sustainable development iswidely recognized by the international community andembodied in chapter 17 of Agenda 21, the JohannesburgPlan of Implementation and various decisions taken by theCommission on Sustainable Development. The MillenniumEcosystem Assessment emphasizes that all humans dependon the Earth’s ecosystems and the services they provide. 141In the Rio+20 outcome document, The Future We Want,Member States called for “holistic and integratedapproaches to sustainable development that will guidehumanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to effortsto restore the health and integrity of the Earth’secosystem”. In this context, they stressed, among others,the importance of “the conservation and sustainable use ofthe oceans and seas and of their resources for sustainabledevelopment, including through their contributions topoverty eradication, sustained economic growth, foodsecurity and creation of sustainable livelihoods and decentwork…”. Accordingly, the proposal of the Open WorkingGroup on sustainable development goals submitted to theUnited Nations General Assembly in August 2014 containssustainable development goal (SDG) 14 which aims to“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marineresources for sustainable development”. 142 The idea of astand-alone ocean SDG was previously supported byvarious organizations and academic institutions. 143 A recentreport released by the International Council for Science andthe International Social Science Council confirmed that SDG14 is directly or indirectly connected to all other SDGswhich underlines the concept of a network of SDGspresented in Chapter 2 of the present report. 14454