8 September 2015: UN Member States are discussing the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment, or ‘World Ocean Assessment,’ during the sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole on the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects. The meeting will also conclude the first cycle of the Regular Process, which is tasked with improving understanding of the world’s oceans and developing a global mechanism for providing science-based information on oceans to decision makers and to the public.

The meeting, taking place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 8-11 September 2015, is convened pursuant to UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 69/245 of 29 December 2014, and is co-chaired by João Madureira (Portugal) and Fernanda Millicay (Argentina).

The main item on the meeting’s agenda is consideration of the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment. A summary of the Assessment (A/70/112) was issued on 22 July 2015.

The Co-Chairs are expected to propose that the outcome of the meeting consist of a set of suggested recommendations to the UNGA, including on lessons learned during the first cycle of the Regular Process and the way forward, which will form part of the report of the meeting. They will prepare draft recommendations for consideration by the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole. The recommendations adopted by the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole will be transmitted by the Co-Chairs to the President of the UNGA’s 70th Session. [Regular Process Website] [Meeting Format] [Organization of Work] [Summary of First Integrated Global Marine Assessment]