In two new publications, our interdisciplinary research group of ‘The Future Ocean’ around Martin Visbeck emphasizes the need for international cooperation and governance to protect the marine environment and secure blue wealth. Continuing human development and economic growth, and unrestricted access to ocean resources and global environmental changes, along with climate change, are putting enormous pressures on marine and coastal systems and threatening the values and needs of current and future generations. The authors therefore suggest to develop and promote a focussed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for the Ocean and Coasts. Such an outstanding sustainability goal among the SDG to replace the UN’S Millennium Development Goals from 2015 on could give guidance for effective, forward-looking and harmonized ocean governance at international level and provide a framework for implementation agreements.

Visbeck, M., Kronfeld-Goharani, U., Neumann, B., Rickels, W., Schmidt, J., van Doorn, E., Matz-Lück, N., Ott, K. and Quaas, M.F., 2014, Securing blue wealth: The need for a special sustainable development goal for the ocean and coasts. Marine Policy, 48: 184-191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.03.005

Visbeck, M., Kronfeld-Goharani, U., Neumann, B., Rickels, W., Schmidt, J., van Doorn, E., Matz-Lück, N. and Proelss, A., in press, A sustainable development goal for the ocean and Coasts: Global ocean challenges benefit from regional initiatives supporting globally coordinated solutions. Marine Policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.02.010

So far, the ocean is explicit mentioned in the working document on the proposed Sustainable Development Goals post 2015 development agenda. The UN Working Group is meeting these days for further discussing on the future Sustainability Development Goals 12th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, 16-20 June 2014