International Centre for Ocean Governance

International Centre for Ocean Governance
Name	International Centre for Ocean Governance
Formation	2018
Type	International research centre
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Region served	Global
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Marie Legrand
Parent organization	International Maritime Organization

International Centre for Ocean Governance.

The International Centre for Ocean Governance is an intergovernmental research and policy hub that advises on maritime law of the sea, sustainable development, and marine biodiversity management, engaging stakeholders from United Nations agencies, regional bodies and civil society. It serves as a bridge between academic institutions such as University of Oxford, Stanford University, and University of Cape Town, treaty processes including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and Convention on Biological Diversity, and technical agencies like the International Maritime Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. The centre hosts convenings similar to the Our Ocean Conference, provides expert input to negotiations akin to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, and produces policy briefs cited by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization.

Overview

The centre operates at the intersection of United Nations Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, International Seabed Authority, and regional organizations such as the European Union and African Union, offering legal analyses, capacity building and policy design. Its outputs are used by national authorities including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and Norway and by non-state actors like Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, Ocean Conservancy, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. It convenes experts from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, University of British Columbia, Monash University, and National University of Singapore.

History and establishment

Established in 2018 following recommendations from the Our Ocean Conference and the Global Ocean Commission, the centre was founded with seed support from the Government of Switzerland, philanthropic funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and technical endorsements from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Resources Institute. Founding partners included the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Nippon Foundation, and the European Marine Board, and the inaugural advisory board featured experts associated with the Royal Society, Academia Europaea, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Mandate and objectives

Mandated to support implementation of international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Paris Agreement, the centre aims to harmonize marine governance across regimes like the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Objectives include strengthening capacity for parties to the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations and aligning national policy with initiatives like the Blue Economy agenda, the Sustainable Development Goal 14 processes, and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Governance and organizational structure

The centre is governed by a board composed of representatives from the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization, regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum, and donor governments including Germany, France, and Norway. Its scientific advisory panel includes scholars from Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Tokyo, Universidade de São Paulo, and Cairo University, while operational units collaborate with legal experts from the International Court of Justice, practitioners from the International Chamber of Shipping, and economists affiliated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Programs and activities

Programs comprise legal research supporting marine protected areas negotiations, capacity-building workshops for delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and applied projects with agencies such as the World Health Organization on marine pollution and with the Global Environment Facility on biodiversity finance. Activities include datasets development with partners like Global Fishing Watch, scenario modelling in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and training for stakeholders from Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and regional fisheries bodies such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.

Partnerships and collaborations

Key partners include the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, European Commission, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, academic networks like the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and NGOs including The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society. The centre also works with industry actors represented by the International Chamber of Shipping, insurance firms active in Lloyd's of London, and certification schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Funding and resources

Funding is diversified across multilateral donors like the European Investment Bank, philanthropic foundations including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, bilateral funders such as Sweden and Japan, and competitive research grants from agencies like the European Research Council and the National Science Foundation. The centre leverages in-kind contributions from partners including the Shipping Federation, maritime registries, and oceanographic institutions for data, vessel time and technical expertise.

Impact and criticisms

Impact includes contributions to treaty texts referenced in the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement, capacity gains among delegations to the United Nations Ocean Conference, and policy change in states influenced by the High Seas Treaty negotiations; its reports are cited by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Criticisms highlight perceived proximity to industry actors such as the International Chamber of Shipping and calls from advocacy groups like Ocean Conservancy and Friends of the Earth for greater transparency, while scholars from Harvard University and London School of Economics have debated its methodological choices in ecosystem valuation and its role relative to the International Seabed Authority.

Category:International organizations Category:Ocean governance institutions