The UN Atlas supports Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, the blueprint for the sustainable development of oceans adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The development of the Atlas began in November 1999 by the UN agencies responsible for matters relevant to the sustainable development of the oceans and the advancement of ocean science as an initiative of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) (formerly the Subcommittee on Oceans and Coastal Areas of the Administrative Committee on Coordination).
