Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting for Sustainable Development
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
Citation
Abstract
Vital information to monitor and evaluate progress towards SDG 14 exists, but it is fragmented across scientific domains, policy frameworks and institutions. There is no standard approach to integrating diverse data on the ocean to support public policy decisions and optimal use of ocean resources. In response to the UN Statistical Commission decision 49/110 in March 2018, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Environment Programme started to develop statistical guidelines and methods to improve ocean data and statistics.
Taking an accounting approach, UNESCAP and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in collaboration with partners through the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) have produced a preliminary consultation draft of the Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting for Sustainable Development (Version 0.8), contained in the present document.
The technical guidance describes a statistical framework for compiling ocean-related data, statistics and indicators in a spatially consistent, comparable and coherent manner. Development of the technical guidance started with the identification of nine key technical issues for testing and resolution at the Asia-Pacific Regional Expert Workshop on Ocean Accounts in August 2018.