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GRID-Arendal has assisted Ecuador and Costa Rica
with the process of completing their submissions for
extended continental shelf. GRID-Arendal has provided
Ecuador with a comprehensive data project sourced
from the One Stop Data Shop and also assisted Ecuador
with an application to the United Nations trust-fund to
cover the cost of specialist maritime boundary software
and training. GRID-Arendal is currently assisting Costa
Rica to develop the geological argument to support the
repositioning of its outer ECS limits. This has involved
a detailed examination of existing data. A new trust fund
application has also been prepared in order to co-fund
our work with Costa Rica through 2015.
5C
Shelf Programme – Areas Beyond National
Jurisdiction
The GEF-funded ‘Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction’
project was approved in June 2014. The project contracting
is currently being finalised by UNEP/World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (WCMC), with project activities set to
commence in the first half of 2015.
5D
Sustainable Seas – Management of Human
Impacts on the Marine Environment
GRID-Arendal has been actively involved in building
capacity in ecosystem-based marine management in
developing countries. Having worked with UNEP and
the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of
UNESCO to develop a ‘Capacity Building for State of
the Marine Environment Reporting’ programme, a draft
workplan has now been prepared by GRID-Arendal, and
consultations are ongoing with UNEP and IOC. GRID-
Arendal also helped UNEP design a global support
programme for the Regional Seas Programme that is
now being tested in West Africa.
The State of the Marine Environment (SoME) web-based
reporting portal commissioned by the Secretariat of
the Abidjan Convention was delivered and presented at
the 11th Conference of the State Parties to the Abidjan
Convention in March. The basic approach was also
adopted by the states parties in decision CP11/13,
27
for
implementation throughout the entire region.
During a workshop held in February, GRID-Arendal
assisted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
27.
http://cop11.abidjanconvention.org/media/documents/Report/COP11%20%20%20Final%20Report%20En.pdf