Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects Guidance for Authors

Types of input from authors Selection of authors for these inputs Sequence of inputs by authors Guidance to authors Creating the Assessment team Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

The Group of Experts of the Regular Process (GOERP) has been set up as “an integral part of the Regular Process” The Pool of Experts is being created to “support the work of” GOERP Peer Reviewers may either be members of the pool of experts who have not worked on the chapter in question, or may be people not previously involved Team of Volunteers: types of input Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

To organize necessary inputs and develop the first integrated assessment. GOERP will therefore: –Allocate the lead on each chapter to one of its members –Propose, for approval by Bureau/AHWGW the assignment of tasks to members of the pool of experts –Organize production of working papers and review results –Organize production of draft chapters –Review results and produce draft First Integrated Assessment Report –Propose, for approval by the Bureau/AHWGW, arrangements for peer- review –Agree final text of First Integrated Assessment Report and present to AHWGW Proposed role of GOERP Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

1.Criteria for nomination of members of the pool of experts have been recommended to the UN General Assembly for approval 2.Nomination of experts by States, through the UN General Assembly regional groups 3.Assignment of tasks by GOERP, subject to the approval of the Bureau/AHWGW Appointment of other contributors Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Purpose: to provide considered statements on issues identified in the Assessment Outline –some existing assessments may serve –some may synthesize at global level existing assessments and regional working papers Prepared by: Lead Drafter(s) –teams drawn from the GOERP and the pool of experts, under the leadership/responsibility of a member of GOERP Reviewed by: panels of Consultors drawn from the pool of experts Revised by: Lead Drafter(s) in the light of comments GOERP reviews and acts to fill gaps or resolve contradictions Working Papers Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Process similar to that for Working Papers: Purpose: to provide concise, clear and coherent components for the First Integrated Assessment Report Prepared by: Lead Drafter(s) Reviewed by: panels of Consultors drawn from the pool of experts Revised by: Lead Drafter(s) in the light of comments GOERP reviews and acts to fill gaps or resolve contradictions Draft Chapters Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

GOERP consolidates draft chapters into the draft First Integrated Assessment Report Peer Review –by experts from States and intergovernmental organizations –peer reviewers, to be proposed by the GOERP and approved by Bureau/AHWGW GOERP agrees the final text of the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment, in the light of peer- review comments From Drafts to Report Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

The Guidance for Authors will cover: Status of authors Access to information used DPSIR Level of detail (as between the global and regional levels) Characterizing and communicating uncertainty Treatment of risk Handling divergent views Ethics in authoring and evaluating Other issues yet to be covered: Integration Style Sheet Guidance Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

GOERP considers that: The “Set of Options” offers a workable way to involve experts from around the world in developing the First Integrated Assessment Report The two-stage approach (Working Papers (or existing assessments) and Draft Chapters) allows for necessary detail to be assembled, while ensuring that the final Report will be clear and concise The proposed guidance will help ensure a consistent approach in line with the best practice identified by the Assessment of Assessments Conclusions Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Those involvedwill act in their personal capacity as independent experts They are not as representatives of a Government or any other authority or organization. They should neither seek nor accept instructions regarding their work for the Regular Process They are free to consult widely with other experts and with government officials, in order to ensure that their contributions are credible, legitimate and relevant. Status of authors Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Status of authors Access to information used DPSIR Level of detail (as between the global and regional levels) Characterizing and communicating uncertainty Treatment of risk Handling divergent views Ethics in authoring and evaluating Access to information used Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Drivers – the underlying forces that drive change in the environment. Pressures – the channels through which these forces affect the environment; States – the resulting states of the environment; Impacts – the resulting impacts of these pressures and states on biological diversity and human well-being. Responses – the ways that society has responded and the results of those responses – But we must NOT get into discussions of policy. DPSIR Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Base as much as possible on publicly available information Other information can be used, but (as far as practicable) steps are needed to give access to it Drafts may rely on literature that has not been peer-reviewed Where non-peer-reviewed sources are used, they must be assessed and reviewed The objectives are to ensure that all information used by the Regular Process –receives critical evaluation –its use is open and transparent –all references used in the reports are, as far as possible, easily accessible. Information Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Several different ways to express uncertainty: –Likelihood (e.g., “extremely likely”) –Confidence (e.g., “high confidence”) –Level-of-understanding (described in terms of the amount of evidence available and the degree of agreement among experts); Standard terms to qualify the level of confidence and risk. GOERP will need to agree a glossary of such standard terms. Uncertainty Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

“Risk” is the product of the likelihood of an event and the seriousness of the event if it occurs Both aspects should be made clear How this will be done is case-specific Assessments will have to accommodate a wide range in data quality and quantity, and in knowledge of relationships and impacts. No single best approach to risk quantification and communication. Treatment of Risk Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

What alternative viewpoints warrant mention is a matter of professional judgment. Lead drafters influence over which viewpoints will be discussed in the process. To ensure a full range of views, authors with diverse viewpoints need to be involved Combat “confirmation bias” -the tendency of authors to place too much weight on their own views relative to other views. Document the range of scientific viewpoints considered Give due consideration to properly documented alternative views Divergent views Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Cite published work of others correctly Represent the conclusions of cited work accurately Disclose any conflict of interest. Ethics in authoring and evaluating Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

We are all learning on how to integrate assessments. “Watch this space!” Integration Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

Make sure that the text reads smoothly Minimise the amount of copy-editing Keep “comma-hunting” to a minimum Style Sheet Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects

The pool of experts is likely to have 1,000 – 1,500 members The “Guidance for Authors” is the tool to keep this army moving in the same direction Please let us have your comment Managing a myriad Regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic aspects