From 7–11 September, the 53rd Session of GESAMP is bringing leading scientific experts and its UN Sponsoring Organizations together at IMO Headquarters in London.
The focus: advancing our understanding and protection of the marine environment, and supporting its sustainable use.
The five-day session includes progress reports from various working groups. These groups cover technical areas such as hazardous substances carried by ships, ballast water management systems, atmospheric chemical inputs, marine plastics and microplastics, ocean interventions for climate change mitigation, sea-based marine litter, climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts on ocean contaminants, and the lifecycle GHG intensity of marine fuels.
Additionally, attendees will discuss contributions to major United Nations initiatives. These include the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the UN Regular Process, and the development of the international plastics treaty.
The agenda also features updates from Task Teams and Correspondence Groups focusing on climate change, exhaust gas cleaning systems, the GESAMP Strategic Review, Large Marine Ecosystems, cumulative environmental impacts and potential threats from marine coatings. Finally, the group aims to identify new and emerging marine environmental issues that may require future scientific assessment.
Stay tuned for highlights from the week.
