Global Coordination Project for the Common Oceans ABNJ  Program Maximize the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of GEF-7 investments in the Common Oceans ABNJ program. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. As noted in the TE, the GEF-5 Common Oceans ABNJ Program (GEF ID 4580) showed the challenges in achieving an effective coordination among projects under a Program implemented by different agencies and with start of the implementation at points widely separated in time. The presence of a dedicated Global Coordination Project in the GEF-7 version of the Program is a realization that only through active coordination between the various and diverse projects it will be possible to achieve the programmatic outcomes.Therefore, the main benefit of this project will be to enable the formulation of a cohesive approach to the challenges and threats that combines the vision of four very different projects, amplifying their individual impact.In terms of socio-economic benefits, the emphasis of the Component 3 of the GCP, on the engagement of the private sector, will attract fresh ineterst and resources to creating sustainable utilization approaches consistent with the Blue Economy tenets of many of the member States of multi-lateral management organizations. Some of these initiatives will open the door of major markets to fishery products that can be certified, as proposed in the Component 3. Sustainable products that have facilitated access to major markets create a source of income supporting stability of the labor markets in the originating markets and throughout the value chain in general.From the point of view of the programmatic goals that the GCP will contribute to deliver by all child projects, these aree consistent with the long-term vision for the new program is an ABNJ with a healthy ecosystem structure and function, with coordinated multi-sectoral processes providing support to address cumulative impacts and ensure a sustainable supply of ecosystem goods and services including long-term socio-economic benefits (both use and non-use values) to human populations. The Program’s objective to which the new GEF-7 Common Oceans ABNJ Program (GEF ID 10548) seeks to contribute is ‘the sustainable use of ABNJ natural living resources and strengthened biodiversity conservation in the face of a changing environment’. The steps to achieve this goal and how the GEF-7 Common Oceans ABNJ Program expects to contribute to these, are set out in a simplified Theory of Change (ToC) graphic (see Figure 1).The GEF-7 Common Oceans ABNJ Program (GEF ID 10548) aims to:(i) Strengthen frameworks, processes and incentives for more effective governance and adaptive management, particularly of fisheries, in ABNJ;(ii) Improve the capacity for participating States to more effectively implement integrated management, based on the ecosystem approach in the ABNJ (and considering their connectivity to coastal waters), including addressing science-based decision-making, compliance and enforcement issues, and mitigation of environmental impacts;(iii) Support better coordination, collaboration and partnerships between the fisheries sector and other stakeholders and relevant initiatives with interests in ABNJ to promote more coherent integrated multi-sectoral action on ABNJ issues;(iv) Improve awareness and understanding of the challenges and solutions to sustainable use of ABNJ, and encourage wider support and increased investment to address threats to, and sustainable management of, the ABNJ.The Program recognizes that threats to marine life and natural systems in ABNJ come from multiple sectors, but the focus is on addressing fisheries management challenges, taking into account, as necessary, cumulative multi-sector impacts, connections with neighboring EEZ regions (including LMEs), and the need for better understanding of ABNJ issues and for cross-sectoral coordination. This acknowledges that the distribution and impacts of fisheries activities are more widespread and extensive than those of other sectors operating in ABNJ (e.g. seabed mining, which tends to be more localized), and there is a higher chance of fisheries interacting with users from other sectors (e.g, cabling, shipping, seabed mining), directly or via cumulative effects. This warrants a Program focus on fisheries but also the need for an integrated cross-sectoral approach. Tackling these issues requires a combination of program components addressing fisheries management issues, as well as others with a multi-sector focus.The GEF-7 Common Oceans ABNJ Program will also contribute to the achievement of several of the goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. The Agenda recognizes that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. The Program particularly contributes to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and specifically its targets 14.4, 14.5, 14.6, 14.7, 14.A and 14.C (contributions to relevant SDG targets are given in Annex D). There are a number of other SDGs that are also relevant to the sector including on climate change (SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, notably targets 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, and 13.B) and SDG 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development, notably target 17.6).