Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP)
The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, was founded in 1967. The sponsoring organizations of GESAMP are the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Secretariat is provided by IMO. GESAMP is composed of up to 32 members, experts in their personal capacity, appointed by the Sponsoring Agencies. Its expertise covers all scientific aspects on the prevention, reduction and control of the degradation of the marine environment to sustain life support systems, resources and amenities. The structure of GESAMP comprises the Administrative Secretary the Inter-Secretariat meeting, the annual Plenary Sessions and Intersessional working groups on specific subjects. GESAMP's main functions are: to provide advice on the scientific aspects of marine environmental protection to the sponsoring organizations on specific questions referred to it; to provide advice to the other organizations of the United Nations system and to the Member States of the United Nations organizations on particular problems referred through a sponsoring organization; to prepare periodic reviews and assessments on the state of marine environment to identify problems and areas requiring special attention. For over 31 years GESAMP has produced 48 reports on technical topics related to marine pollution, protection and conservation. The group periodically produces a global State of the Marine Environment report. Its longest running working group evaluates the hazards of chemicals carried by ships for the MARPOL 73/78 Convention. Over its history, GESAMP has contributed to the landmark Stockholm Conference (1972), MARPOL 73/78, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Bruntland Commission's report on sustainable development (1987), the Rio Conference (UNCED) and Agenda 21 (1992), and the Washington Protocol on LBA - land-based activities (1995). Its current programme provides advice on the state of the marine environment, oil inputs into the sea from shipping, aquaculture in the context of Integrated Coastal Management, hazards of chemicals carried by ships, and endocrine disrupting compounds in marine ecosystems. FAO's major involvement in GESAMP's work centres around coastal and marine fisheries issues related to the protection of the environment. In particular, FAO is providing the technical secretariat to the GESAMP Working Group on Impacts of Coastal Aquaculture on the Environment.   Prepared by Heiner Naeve Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Service     Top		GESAMP logo   GESAMP focuses on marine environment protection Courtesy of NOAA  links Environmental impacts of fisheries FAO Committee on Fisheries further information GESAMP List of GESAMP Reports and Studies MARPOL Convention UN Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCED Agenda 21 Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities Integration of aquaculture in coastal management FAO webpage on GESAMP