28 August 2012: Six policies from five countries are shortlisted for the 2012 Future Policy Award, which celebrates effective and exemplary policies. The award is given by the World Future Council, in partnership for this year with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), with support from the Okeanos Foundation. The 2012 award focuses on the protection of oceans and coasts.

Shortlisted policies for this year’s award include: California’s Ocean Protection Act, 2004, which has accelerated ecosystem-based ocean management through marine spatial planning and enabled the creation of 124 connected marine protected areas (MPAs); Namibia’s Marine Resources Act, 2000, which established strict monitoring and control systems and regulations addressing the key drivers of degradation of marine capture fisheries; Palau’s Protected Areas Network Act, initiated in 2003, which has resulted in the designation, to date, of 35 protected areas, including reefs, lagoons, mangroves and a sardine sanctuary; Palau’s Shark Haven Act, 2009, following which Palau has taken a global lead in shark protection by declaring its entire territorial waters a sanctuary for all shark species; the Philippines’ Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act, 2010, which is a model of action for successful coral reef conservation supporting at the same time local artisanal fisheries; and South Africa’s Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008, which reinstates historic common property rights to the coast, after being denied during Apartheid, and sets guidelines for coastal management plans at local, provincial and national levels.

The winning policy will be announced in September 2012, and winners will be celebrated at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 11). [World Future Council/CBD/FAO/GEF Press Release]