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Management of the ocean and its resources is a huge task. New Zealand is currently developing a comprehensive National Oceans Policy which aims to pull together the several strands of the issue, from utilisation of fisheries to maritime transport to the protection of the marine environment.
The international dimension of oceans debates is
just as complex and takes place in a variety of organisations and contexts. The
major global legal instrument governing the oceans is the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Ministry has played a leading role in ensuring that New Zealand has been to the forefront of international action taken to protect the oceans. For example in the past New Zealand played a major role in founding the United Nations Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea - an annual forum aimed at rationalising discussion of oceans issues throughout the United Nations system. We are mindful of the fact that vast areas of ocean surround New Zealand and our neighbouring Pacific Island countries. Therefore, sustainable management of the oceans, in line with the objectives set out in Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration, is vital to New Zealand and our neighbouring South Pacific countries’ well being and interests.
The United Nations is also involved in the protection of the maritime environment through the establishment of regular assessments of the Global Marine Environment and through various functions of the International Maritime Organisation.
