A democratic approach to ocean governance

The Independent World Commission on the Oceans, chaired by Mario Soares, former President of Portugal, issued recently its final report, The Ocean...Our Future, which represents the first attempt to deal holistically, in a single volume, with the full range of problems confronting our oceans on the eve of the third millenium. Nearly 40 distinguished international personalities from all regions of the world and a variety of disciplines and backgrounds have come together in order to advance innovative ideas for improving governance of the oceans and coastal zones so as to make a more sustainable use of the ocean commons. The major themes of their work, which identify directions for future action and debate, centre on security and equity; science, technology and resources; and a democratic approach to ocean governance.