The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs serves as the secretariat of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and provides information, advice and assistance to States with a view to promoting a better understanding of the Convention and the related Agreements, their wider acceptance, uniform and consistent application and effective implementation, which is essential for the development of sustainable ocean-based economies.
Its core functions are
- Providing to States and intergovernmental organizations a range of legal and technical services, such as information, advice and assistance as well as conducting research and preparing studies, relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Agreement relating to the implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS and the Agreement for the implementation of UNCLOS relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (UN Fish Stocks Agreement) with a view to promoting a better understanding of UNCLOS and the implementing Agreements, their wider acceptance, uniform and consistent application and effective implementation
- Providing substantive servicing to the General Assembly on the law of the sea and ocean affairs, including the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process established by the General Assembly in its resolution 54/33 in order to facilitate the annual review by the Assembly of developments in ocean affairs; the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention and to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf;
- Providing support to the organizations of the United Nations system to facilitate consistency with the Convention of the instruments and programmes in their respective areas of competence;
- Discharging the responsibilities, other than depositary functions, of the Secretary-General under the UNCLOS and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement;
- Conducting monitoring and research activities and maintaining a comprehensive information system and research library on the Convention and on the law of the sea and ocean affairs; and
- Providing training and fellowship and technical assistance in the field of the law of the sea and ocean affairs.
Regional Seas and UNDOALOS
- Nairobi Convention and UNDOALOS among other organizations organized two regional capacity building workshops on ecosystem based management, economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services and ecosystems assessments
- Ongoing Regional Seas Programme collaborations with UN-DOALOS include SACEP, etc
Please visit their website: https://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm
