The present overview was prepared at the request of the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office in response to decision 19114: B of the 19th Session of the Governing Council of UNEP (Nairobi, 27 January-7 February 1997) on the expansion of the activities related to the Global Programme of Action to all Regional Seas Programmes and the support to the implementation and strengthening of a programme of cooperation between Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay for the Upper Southwest Atlantic, focusing this support on projects and activities related directly to the GPA. This Overview was prepared based on documents, publications and reports made available by researchers, international organisations and the scientific literature.