International Ocean Institute Training Programme

UNEP(OCA)/LBA/IG.2/7
Page 18
31. States should :
Activities
A. Participation in regional and subregional arrangements
a) Pursue more active participation, including accession or ratification, as appropriate, in regional
seas and other international marine and freshwater agreements, conventions and related
arrangements;
b) Strengthen existing regional conventions and programmes, and their institutional arrangements;
c) Negotiate as, appropriate, new regional conventions and programmes.
B. Effective functioning of regional and subregional arrangements
32. With respect to the institutional aspects of regional and subregional arrangements, States
should:
a) Invite multilateral financing agencies, including regional development banks, and national
institutions for bilateral development cooperation to cooperate in programming and in national
implementation of regional agreements in the developing country regions;
b) National action strategies and programmes can sometimes be best developed in a regional and
subregional context. In developing such programmes of action, due consideration should be
given to the suggested approaches and targets identified in chapter V of the present
Programme of Action, and to the methodology specified in chapter II above. The programmes
of action should be developed and implemented on a timetable appropriate to regional or
subregional circumstances and decided upon by the governing bodies of the regional or
subregional agreements, conventions or arrangements as appropriate;
c) Establish or strengthen regional information networks and linkages for communicating with
clearing-houses and other sources of information;
d) Ensure close collaboration between the national and regional focal points and regional
economic groupings, other relevant regional and international organizations, development banks
and regional rivers authorities / commissions, in the development and implementation of
regional programmes of action;
e) Encourage and facilitate cooperation between and among regional organizations / conventions
to promote the exchange of information, experience and expertise;
f) Ensure that there is adequate secretariat support for regional and subregional arrangements
(legal agreements and programmes of action), including;
i. Clear definition of secretariat functions and responsibilities;