Established in 1969 as an advisory body on the scientific aspects of marine environmental protection for the  United Nations (UN) System, GESAMP consists of 17 experts from a wide range of disciplines who undertake studies, analyses and reviews of relevant topics for the protection of the marine environment. 

GESAMP is sponsored by ten UN agencies and intergovernmental organizations, including ISA. Representatives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations (DOALOS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) were in attendance, including the World Maritime University (WMU) as an observer. 

The meeting was the opportunity to report on the progress of the different working groups and activities carried out after the preceding meeting of GESAMP held in September 2022 in London. A number of studies, reports and policy summaries have also been completed, and more are expected to be published by the end of the year. GESAMP members also received updates on other UN processes, including the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the UN regular process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment and the recent adoption of the BBNJ. (Read more)