Sustainable Development Goal 14 aims to aims to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The increasingly adverse impacts of climate change -including ocean acidification-, overfishing and marine pollution are jeopardizing recent gains in protecting the ocean. Against this backdrop, ESCAP resolution E/ESCAP/RES/72/9 requested the secretariat, inter alia, to undertake an assessment of capacity development needs of the countries in Asia and the Pacific for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Responding to this request, ESCAP undertook an assessment to gain a better understanding of the capacity development needs in relation to SDG 14 in Asia and the Pacific and to help inform ESCAP’s work in this area. The assessment was undertaken through an online survey, a pilot case study, desk based research and telephone interviews. A webinar was organized to present the findings of this assessment.