Building Partnerships to Assist Developing Countries to Reduce the Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water (GloBallast Partnerships)

The overall objective of GloBallast Partnerships is to promote the development of regional partnerships that will implement coordinated long-term measures to minimize the adverse impacts of aquatic invasive species transferred through ships’ ballast water on coastal and marine ecosystems, economy, human health and well-being in accordance with the relevant IMO international Convention. Related to this, two development objectives have been identified as follows:·To promote regional partnerships, based on existing regional structures and programmes, for the effective implementation of the International Convention for the Control and Management of ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, building on the experience and through the expertise accumulated in the six Pilot Countries.·To integrate regional ballast water programmes with other marine and coastal environmental management strategies. The objectives of GloBallast Partnerships should be a logical expansion of the pilot phase, with a greater regional focus and more emphasis on integrated management. The project is designed to build on the regional approach established during the pilot phase and is based on the principle of integrated implementation.