A subject book exhibition “The world ocean: study, development and use of resources” timed to World Ocean’s Day runs in the International Organizations Reading Room (room 207g) from 7 June to 11 July.

This Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 5 December, 2008, (resolution 63/111) and since 2009 it has been observed annually on 8 June.

The World Ocean’s Day is an occasion to recollect that World Ocean is the cradle of life on the Earth, 70 % of which are covered with water. The ocean possesses countless riches and potentials. Resources of the ocean are the basis of the development and the further existence of human civilization. Security, health and efficiency of the World Ocean are the integral component of human well-being, economic safety and a sustainable development.

The World Ocean is the important object of scientific researches. A fuller knowledge of processes proceeding at ocean and the ability to predict them will allow to solve the problem of tsunami, hurricanes and droughts, and to make the world less dependent on the elements. Learning better the secrets of oceans, scientists continue to open new forms of sea flora and fauna. Boundless open spaces of the sea depths keep multiple secrets, and till now the ocean is one of the most mysterious and poorly known objects on the Earth. Oceans form the weather and influence the general climate, bewitching us with the novel depths and strange inhabitants, and attracting with their improbable power and uncontrollability.

However, the mankind should protect the marine environment and use carefully its resources to take full advantage of the goods granted by oceans. One of the major tasks of the modern society is to protect the ocean ecology.

The diversity of species living at oceans is actually under the threat of extinction. The maritime environment is threatened with overexploitation of living resources of the sea, climate change and pollution of oceans with toxic substances and industrial waste. It equally concerns criminal activities including piracy which is a security threat to navigation and seafarers.

The United Nations Environment Program and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are in charge of the maritime environment protection. IMO is the United Nations specialized institution engaged in navy pollution prevention and international shipping protection. The organization has developed more than 40 conventions and treaties in the sphere of the marine environment protection including the so-called “Ocean Constitution” – the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea adopted in 1982.

The documents on display will acquaint readers with the international system of measures and rules aimed at ocean shipping and maritime environment protection, and also with the activities of the International Maritime Organization.

The exposition includes about 60 documents of international organizations: books, brochures, periodicals and mimeographed sources in Russian, English and French.

The exhibition includes the subject sections as follow:

The World Ocean: history, geography, nature;
The World Ocean’s resources and their development;
The exploration of the World Ocean;
The Law of the Sea. Ocean shipping protection;
The World Ocean pollution and protection;
The international cooperation for joint use of seas and oceans.

The exhibition is designed for specialists in the Law of the Sea, ecologists, seamen, biologists, oenologists, and also fro everyone who is interested in the exploitation of the sea depths and the issues of seas and oceans.

Useful links

Documents

Declarations and conventions

Other resources

The world ocean: study, development and use of resources

Informational resources

Services