GESAMP

GESAMP, the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, is an interagency scientific advisory body that provides independent advice on marine environmental protection to the UN system. Established in 1969, it is sponsored by ten UN bodies including the IMO (its administering agency and host), FAO, UNESCO-IOC, WMO, WHO, IAEA, UN, UNEP, and UNDP. Its working groups assess emerging issues: GESAMP devised the Hazard Evaluation Procedure that classifies chemicals carried in bulk for MARPOL Annex II, and it has reported on marine litter and microplastics, sea-based pollution sources, and the environmental risks of ballast-water and biofouling treatment. Its reports steer IMO regulation.