Alan is Head of Marine Policy and a Marine Science Policy Adviser at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK.
Alan's role includes engaging with the global marine community by way of participation at international fora, bi-lateral relationships, project collaborations, engaging with national and foreign governments and their agencies, the UK Overseas Territories and regional organisations with an interest in the marine environment.
He has significant experience in the technical application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in particular: Part II, in defining territorial sea baselines and maritime zones; Part VI, delineation and delimitation of continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles; Part XI in relation to the mandate of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to ensure effective protection of the marine environment and in enabling equity of participation in the work of the ISA: Part XIII in relation to enabling marine scientific research and using the knowledge generated to support his role in developing and implementing ocean governance frameworks; and Part XIV in supporting the transfer of technology in accordance with the IOC Criteria and Guidelines on the transfer of marine technology.
Alan is the Alternate Head of the UK Delegation at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and is Chair of the IOC Group of Experts on Capacity Development. He is a technical expert on the ISA Partnership Fund Board, supporting NOC CEO as the Board Member, and was an Advisory Board Member of the the ISA/UN-OHRLLS Women In Deep-Sea Research Project (WIDSR). Alan supported the UK Government as a member of the UK Delegation at the UN’s Intergovernmental Conference on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ negotiations) and is the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC-UKRI) representative at the European Marine Board, where he is a current vice-Chair. He is also a member of the UK National Decade Committee.
