David Osborn began his career as a Seaman Officer with the Royal Australian Navy, gaining firsthand an appreciation of the problems associated with marine litter and coastal pollution. This experience, coupled with qualifications in environmental science and law, launched a career dedicated to protecting and conserving coastal and marine environments. His appointments include Director of Coastal Policy and Water Quality with the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Water Resources; Advisor to the Hon Senator Ian Campbell, Federal Minister for Environment; and Director of Community Partnerships with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. David joined the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2008 as the Coordinator for the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA). Developed by governments in 1995, the GPA is the only global intergovernmental initiative addressing the direct link between terrestrial and marine environments