Methodology for the Assessment of the Open Ocean

The open ocean is by international convention the largest transboundary space, with ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction covering about half of the surface of planet Earth (ocean areas under national jurisdiction cover a further 20 per cent), under the ultimate governance of the UN General Assembly. Governance of the open ocean is mediated largely through global international treaties based on particular themes (climate change, fisheries, pollution, biodiversity), as well as some regional conventions.