Asia-Pacific CoP

The GOAP Asia Pacific Community of Practice (APCoP) is a regional collaboration platform bringing together governments, international organisations and research institutions who are interested in learning about and developing ocean accounts in the Asia-Pacific region. The APCoP is led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and supported by GOAP’s founder and co-chair the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

Note: The Pacific region now has its own dedicated Pacific Community of Practice to better address the unique needs of Small Island Developing States.

Objectives

• Support countries in the Asia-Pacific with the development and implementation of ocean accounts
• Assist countries in the Asia-Pacific to mainstream ocean accounting into ocean governance tools, economic accounts and national development planning
• Showcase how ocean accounts can support evidence-based decision-making and policy development to underpin the sustainable development of the ocean
• Showcase how information on the ocean and ocean resource-use can be utilised to produce statistics and indicators to aid sustainable development decision-making
• Provide a communication and collaboration platform for regional GOAP member institutions and regional stakeholders to engage in mutual capacity building and share knowledge on ocean accounting
• Promote learning through training and the creation of new knowledge to advance the development and uptake of ocean accounting in the Asia-Pacific

Ocean Accounting Projects

• Ocean accounts in Phang-Nga Bay, Thailand
• Natural Capital Accounting in Laamu Atoll, the Maldives
• Ocean Accounts for Fiji: A focus on Mangroves
• Viet Nam Ocean Account: Case Study in Quang Ninh Province
• Ocean Accounts of Indonesia

Resources

ESCAP maintains a Regional Ocean Accounts Platform and has developed the following resources:

• Scoping reports, presentations and final reports for national ocean accounts pilots in China, Canada, Malaysia, Samoa, Thailand and Viet Nam
• Training materials on the Ocean Accounts Framework (Overview, Tools and Methods, Linking to the SEEA Central Framework, Ecosystem Extent and Condition, Ecosystem Services Supply and Use, group exercises)
• Training materials on environment statistics (FDES, SEEA Central Framework, SEEA Ecosystems)
• A Global Ocean Data Inventory which includes descriptions of data on spatial units, ecosystems and their condition, services provided by these ecosystems and how these services are used
• A feasibility study for Mapping Global Ocean Ecosystems and the feasibility of integrating these data into a user-centric Pacific Ocean Accounting Portal

Partners, Supporters and GOAP Members

Contact

We encourage you to reach out to us for more information, for assistance with your ocean accounting projects, or collaboration opportunities within the APCoP.

• Michael Burnside, Secretariat Manager, GOAP
• Contact the GOAP Secretariat at info@oceanaccounts.org