Organization

The centre

Today the Regional Seas Programme is coordinated by a staff of five (see contacts) from an office at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, withing the UNEP Division of Environmental Conventions (DEC)(visit DEC).

Its main tasks are to:

Promote collaboration and co-ordination among Regional Seas Conventions
Co-ordinate all UNEP's work related to the Regional Seas and Action plans
Co-ordinate and direct the implementation of projects and activities under the responsibilities of the Regional Seas Branch
Support to the implementation of the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions
Support to the implementation of the Jeddah and Kuwait Conventions
Support to the implementation of the Cartagena Convention for the Wider Caribbean
Support the implementation of the Lima Convention for the South-East Pacific
Support to the negotiation and development of a new regional seas convention for the North-East Pacific
Collaborate with the Helsinki Convention for the Baltic Sea
Implement of the UNEP Polar Strategy, including support to the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)
Develop of a Regional Programme of Work on Land-Based Sources of Pollution for the North-East Pacific
Coordinate the management of financial resources of the Barcelona Convention and directly manage UNEP/MEDU's operational budgets
Coordinate the management of financial resources of the Cartagena Convention and directly manage CAR/RCU's operational budgets.

The regions

The work of most of the Regional Seas programmes is managed by a Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU), often aided by Regional Activity Centres (RACs) for implementing particular aspects of each regional action plan such as marine emergencies, information management and pollution monitoring. (See list)

Beginning in June 1998 the secretariats and coordinating units of the regional programmes have held yearly meetings to monitor progress and set the stage for their continued work. [Read the reports]