Iryna Makarenko – Safeguarding our oceans and marine life

Slide 1:Safeguarding our oceans and marine lifeIryna MakarenkoLL.M., Pollution Monitoring and Assessment OfficerPermanent Secretariat of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea against PollutionSlide 2:Bucharest Convention (1)Slide 3:Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against PollutionWas signed in Bucharest in April 1992;Ratified by all six Black Sea Countries in the beginning of 1994;Its basic objective is to substantiate the general obligation of the Contracting Parties to prevent, reduce and control the pollution in the Black Sea in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and to provide a legal framework for co-operation and concerted actions to fulfil this obligation.Bucharest Convention (2)Slide 4:It has 4 thematic Protocols:Protocol on the Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment Against Pollution from Land Based Sources (LBS Protocol);Protocol on the Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment Against Pollution by Dumping;Protocol on Cooperation in Combating Pollution of the Black Sea Marine Environment by Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Emergency Situations;The Black Sea Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Protocol (CBD Protocol).Strategic Action Plan (SAP) on the Protection and Rehabilitation of the Black Sea – adopted in 1996 and amended in 2009.Bucharest Convention (3)Slide 5:Strategic Action Plan (BS SAP) on the Protection and Rehabilitation of the Black Sea (2009):Item 3.1 Key management approaches.The Black Sea SAP will adhere to 3 key environmental management approaches. These are:Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM);The Ecosystem Approach; andIntegrated River Basin Management (IRBM).The BS SAP was elaborated from consensus reached at a multinational level in relation to a series of proposals that include: Ecosystem Quality Objectives (EcoQOs); short, medium and long term targets; and legal and institutional reforms and investments necessary to solve main environmental problems identified within the 2007 BS TDA.Bucharest Convention (4)Slide 6:6 Advisory GroupsThe Advisory Groups to the Black Sea Commission are the main source of expertise, information and support in the implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan.ESAS – Advisory Group on the Environmental Safety Aspects of Shipping;PMA – Advisory Group on the Pollution Monitoring and Assessment;LBS – Advisory Group on Control of Pollution from Land Based Sources;ICZM – Advisory group on the Development of Common Methodologies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management;CBD – Advisory Group on the Conservation of Biological Diversity;FOMLR – Advisory Group on the Environmental Aspects of the Management of Fisheries and other Marine Living Resources.Bucharest Convention (5)Slide 7:Ongoing collaboration with relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs),UN Agencies and International Financial Institutions (IFIs)Mutual Observer Relations with 9 International and Public Organizations:UN Environment;EU;GEF/UNDP;IMO;ICPDR;BSEC;PABSEC;ACCOBAMS;BSC-Port State Control MoU;Black Sea NGO Network.Currently deepening cooperation with the Secretariats of European RSCs and relevant MEAs:UNEP/MAP (MoU signed in 2016); HELCOM; OSPAR, CBD Convention.MoUs with IMO, ACCOBAMS (Conservation Plan for Black Sea Cetaceans), UN GFCM, UNIGE, IAEA, EMODNet Project etc.New joint initiatives with IMO and Tehran Convention on Ballast Water Management, invasive species. Contingency Planning and other relevant projects with possible involvement of IFIs.Bucharest Convention (6)Slide 8:Bucharest Convention was elaborated 29 years ago, latest version of BS SAP is dated 2009, some new challenges as climate change, marine litter, marine noise, green economy, MSFD requirements (definition of GES), neither blue growth or circular economy etc. were not reflected;Work to incorporate these considerations in the documents of the Bucharest Convention (text of Convention, BS SAP, BSIMAP etc.);Relevant chapters of Black Sea SoE (www.blacksea-commission.org/SoE2009-2014/SoE2009-2014.pdf (blacksea-commission.org)) and SAPIR include socio-economic aspects and new challenges;30 datasets contribute to the indicators relevant to MSFD which are hosted by BSC and Regional Activity Centre for Pollution Monitoring and Assessment (PMA RAC), activities shall be sustained.Bucharest Convention (7)Slide 9:Short format of reporting elaborated and adopted (based on indicators agreed by consensus (E-TRIX, BEAST, H-Shannon 95 (biomass), Landings per unit of effort etc., compatible with MSFD, GFCM, ACCOBAMS and global approach to indicators (UNEP) and SDGs);text of the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Program - BSIMAP for years 2017-2022 (drafted within EU MSFD Project, main approaches are harmonized, definition of GES and descriptors, reporting format to ICPDR, data-bases for harmonization);First Report on the Implementation of the (amended) BS SAP (2009) – SAPIR and “State of the Black Sea Environment” Report – SoE (outlines reflect the MSFD requirements and global approach);Progress (1)Slide 10:Work on incorporation of deliverables of relevant projects (EMBLAS+, DEVOTES, PERSEUS, IRIS-SES, EMODNET, Baltic2Black, MSFD, MISIS, BS CONNECT etc.);Signature of the MoU between UNEP/MAP and BSC PS, work on Marine Litter;Black Sea Marine Litter Regional Action Plan was adopted by BSC in October 2018 and Monitoring Guidelines are on the final stage of finalization;The Commission adopted the Guideline on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Black Sea;Signature of Practical Arrangements with International Atomic Energy Agency on QA/QC (cooperation in the Area of Strengthening Data Quality Assurance in the Analysis of Contaminants in the Black Sea Marine Environment, first results of the PT in 2016);Progress (2)Slide 11:MoU with ICPDR – annual reports;The BSC PS negotiated with Danube Sturgeon Task Force (DSTF) on cooperation to implement the Program for sturgeon revival in the Danube Region and the Black Sea;Started cooperation with WWF Turkey on sturgeons conservation.Proogress (3)Slide 12:Cooperation with UN Environment:17th Global Meeting of Regional Seas was hosted in Istanbul by the BSC (October, 2015)Work in Working Group on global indicators together with RSCs;Membership in Global Partnership on ML and implementation of marine litter related activities under the BSC PS - UNEP Small Scale Funding Agreement;Addressing implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (indirectly, in cooperation with UNEP);Cooperation between BSC and FAO GFCM and ACCOBAMS Agreement;The Commission joined the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and BSC PS was recognized as GEO Participating Organization (November 2015);Cooperation with CBD Convention Secretariat and on description of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSA process) and establishment of EBSA sites for the Black Sea (April 2017 joint workshop with Caspian Sea in Baku), 17 sites were endorsed at CBD Convention COP Meeting in Egypt in November, 2018;Contribution to UN World Ocean Assessment II (WOA II) Report .Progress (4)Slide 13:Cooperation with projects:The BSC PS has become member of the EMODnet Chemistry 3 consortium and joined a dedicated ‘Board of MSFD experts’ to intensify the direct dialogue and interaction with Regional Sea Conventions (RSCs). The members of the Board of MSFD experts consist of experts in chemistry and in the MSFD implementation process;EMBLAS+ Project ongoing, monitoring activities, surveys;BSC PS is an BONUS Project Advisory Board member (under HELCOM);BSC PS contributed to elaboration of Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for the Black Sea, launched in May 2019 in Bucharest by the EC, as well as Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea.Progress (5)Slide 14:Since December, 2016, the UNEP/MAP Secretariat supports a number of activities under EU-funded Marine Litter MED project to strengthen bilateral collaboration in the field of Marine litter management;Preparation and finalization of the draft Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Black Sea, which was adopted by the Black Sea Commission in October 2018;Development of the draft Marine Litter Monitoring Programme for the Black Sea, which is being discussed now in the region;Mechanism of regular bilateral cooperation between the Secretariats, example of successful collaboration between the Regional Seas on the global level;We organized three annual joint meetings between both Secretariats, held in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively; during these meetings we prepared a joint work plan between the UNEP/MAP and the BSC PS;Back-to-back to 3rd bilateral meeting Regional Verification Workshop on marine litter issues, UNEP/MAP joined to present best practices and status of implementation of their IMAP and RAP on ML.Marine Litter (1):Slide 15:Involved into all dedicated UNEP’ activities and joined their efforts on the global level, within the work of UNEP Global Group on Indicators, in drafting the World Ocean Assessment Report II, within activities of Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI);We are active members of UNEP Global Initiative on Marine Litter;We consider the possibility to become a Regional Node for the Black Sea under the UNEP Global Initiative on Marine Litter;Contributed to preparation of Russian version of the UNEP Massive open online course (MOOC) on marine litter pollution;Follow all relevant activities of our partners, such as General Fisheries Commission for Mediterranean (GFCM) and ACCOBAMS Agreement on Conservation of Cetaceans in Mediterranean and the Black Sea.Marine Litter (2):Slide 16:The BSC PS is taking steps to promote regional cooperation on marine and coastal environmental issues, inter alia, research & innovations activities, contributing to the proper marine assessments and coordination of efforts on data-bases with other RSCs and partners;The BSC PS welcomes the progress of other RSCs, appreciates cooperation with PABSEC, BSEC, EC, other relevant organizations and stands ready to discuss further collaboration and activities;The BSC PS invites relevant partners to take part in the implementation of BSIMAP 2017-2022, next BS SoE 2018-2023 assessment and implementation of ocean-related SGDs in the Black Sea basin.Conclusions:Slide 17:Launched BSC official accounts in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and InstagramSlide 18:Thank you for your kind attention!For more information please visit:www.blacksea-commission.orgcontact:irina.makarenko@blacksea-commission.orgor visit our official accounts in FB, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram!!!