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This report is the outcome of the technical group's effort. This subject is vast and the report necessarily lengthy and in some places somewhat technical.

Twelve years ego the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972) adopted the Action Plan for the Human Environment, including the General Principles for Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution. In the light of the results of the Stockholm Conference, the United Nations General Assembly decided to establish the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to "serve as a focal point for environmental action and co-ordination within the United Nations system"(General Assembly resolution 2997(XXVII) of 15 December 1972). The organizations of the United Nations system were invited "to adopt the measures that may be required to undertake concerted and co-ordinated programmes with regard to international environmental problems", and the "intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that have an interest in the field of the environment" were also invited "to lend their full support and collaboration to the United Nations with a view to achieving the largest possible degree of co-operation and co-ordination". Subsequently, the Governing Council of UNEP chose "Oceans" as one of the priority areas in which it would focus efforts to fulfil its catalytic and co-ordinating role.

Many developing countries are unable to fulfil their obligations as signatories of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) as they tackle increasingly complex scientific and technical issues. Inadequate human, financial, and technical capacity are some of the constraints that severely impact their ability to implement MEAs. In order to address this pressing issue, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces with the European Commission (EC) and the ACP Secretariat (African, Caribbean, Pacific Group of States Secretariat) and regional organizations, namely, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to enhance the capacity of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to improve the implementation of specific MEAs.

Many developing countries are unable to fulfil their obligations as signatories of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) as they tackle increasingly complex scientific and technical issues. Inadequate human, financial, and technical capacity are some of the constraints that severely impact their ability to implement MEAs. In order to address this pressing issue, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces with the European Commission (EC) and the ACP Secretariat (African, Caribbean, Pacific Group of States Secretariat) and regional organizations, namely, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to enhance the capacity of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to improve the implementation of specific MEAs.

Indigenous peoples and local communities often depend on natural resources and biodiversity to meet their subsistence needs and sustain their livelihoods. They have demonstrated their ability to be highly effective natural resource managers under the right conditions, but are also vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change.

In 2010, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to an ambitious set of 20 targets, called the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as part of their commitment to the CBD Strategic Plan. One of the Targets (target 17) called for each country to revise its National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) in accordance with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. From 2010 to November 2016, virtually all countries have revised, or are currently completing the revision of, their NBSAP.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is committed to supporting Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in their efforts to achieving the Strategic Plan of Biodiversity (2011-2020) and the Aichi biodiversity targets.

The National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are seen as key entry points for enhancing synergies and cooperation among the key biodiversity related conventions, namely the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species of wild fauna (CMS), the World Heritage Convention (WHC), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the International Plan Protection Convention (IPPC). With close of one hundred countries currently finalizing their NBSAPs that serve as key national policy documents concerning biodiversity, this paper attempts to provide specific guidance to countries on ways and means to integrate synergistic actions across key biodiversity conventions. This paper builds on UNEP actions promoting synergies and cooperation among the biodiversity Conventions, including the 'Options Paper' that has been published in 2016 and various Decisions of governing bodies of the conventions calling for synergies.

Marine litter poses serious environmental, health, and economic threats to oceans and coastal ecosystems. It also presents a unique legal and regulatory challenge for many nation States (hereinafter States), as it can originate from diverse land-based and sea-based sources both within and outside of a State. While the full magnitude of the problem can be difficult to ascertain, some estimates suggesting that an average of 8 million tons of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2010, and this figure has been projected to increase.

Information sheet on the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML).