Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (2018-2023)

Following yesterday’s landmark adoption of the historic new maritime biodiversity treaty, the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction concluded its work today, as delegates underscored the importance of the agreement’s swift implementation and rapid ratification and called for funding towards this end.

With a standing ovation marking the conclusion of years of extensive negotiations, the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction today adopted a historic maritime biodiversity treaty.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Following nearly 36 hours of non-stop negotiations, the Intergovernmental Conference today reached agreement on the text for a historic new maritime biodiversity treaty, as it adjourned its fifth resumed session.

As the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty convened on the eve of the closure of its resumed fifth session, some delegations expressed concern that discussions have gone beyond the Conference’s scope or are not adequately addressing the needs of geographically and economically vulnerable groups of countries, underscoring that the Conference’s outcome must align with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

As the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its resumed fifth session, the Secretary-General sent a message to delegations, urging them to adopt a robust and ambitious agreement that advances ocean health for future generations.

Adopting Marine Biodiversity Treaty ‘Important Step Forward’ in Advancing Ocean Health for Generations to Come, Secretary-General Tells Intergovernmental Conference

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its resumed fifth session today, as the President of the Conference, underscoring that “the time is ticking”, urged delegations to focus on the “must-dos” and “must-haves” to close on the text.

As the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty went into its second week of negotiations focusing on an updated text, some delegations expressed concern that not all proposals have been reflected in the revisions and called for flexibility, confidence-building and maintaining integrity of the process under the auspices of the Conference President’s leadership.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty convened its fourth plenary today, as the President of the Conference encouraged delegations to make an effort to work through the text focusing on “must have” provisions.

​​​​​​​The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its resumed fifth session today, as the President of the Conference noted that delegates were “four days closer to the finish line” of achieving that goal.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty convened its second plenary session today, hearing reports from facilitators and feedback from participants on the developments of the small working groups tasked with tackling different aspects of the draft agreement.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty resumed its fifth session today, as the President of the Conference called on delegates to find through commitment, flexibility and creative approaches a text that bridges the existing gaps.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty suspended its fifth session today, after delegations, racing to agree on the final elements, paused their relentless negotiations to seek compromise.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its fifth session today, with the facilitators of informal discussions on various elements updating on progress made, and delegates focused on finding the solutions needed to successfully close the fifth session on 26 August.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its fifth session today, with the facilitators of informal discussions on various elements updating on progress made during the first week.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime biodiversity treaty continued its fifth session today, with the facilitators of informal discussions on various elements updating on progress made over the last two days.

The Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction will hold a fifth session from 15 to 26 August.

As the Intergovernmental Conference, tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity, concluded its fourth session today, delegates decided to hold a fifth session with the goal of finalizing a new treaty and stressed the need to facilitate greater participation to allow all countries and communities to have a say in how marine resources existing outside of national jurisdiction should be shared.

The Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction will hold its fourth session from 7 to 18 March.

Delegates elaborating the terms of a new treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea pledged to continue negotiating in the spirit of cooperation and good faith, as the Intergovernmental Conference tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity concluded its third session today.

Experts drafting a new global instrument on biodiversity in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction today deliberated which stakeholders — ranging from adjacent coastal States to indigenous peoples to the general public — should be consulted about planned activities under the treaty, as well as their potential role in environmental impact assessments.

Experts working to draft a new treaty on biodiversity in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction today weighed provisions aimed at prohibiting States from claiming sovereignty over marine genetic resources in those areas, with speakers diverging on the question of whether their use is the “common heritage of mankind”.

Continuing negotiations to draft a new treaty on biodiversity in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction, delegates today deliberated who should be entitled to make proposals related to area-based management tools under the auspices of the new instrument, as well as which broader principles should underpin them.

Delegates working to draft a new treaty on biodiversity in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction today continued to tackle issues related to capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology — widely viewed as crucial to help developing countries implement the new instrument — as negotiations entered their second week.

Experts working to negotiate a new treaty on biodiversity in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction today deliberated ways to govern marine genetic resources — namely, materials of real or potential value — as well as the specific types of resources to be regulated and the sharing of benefits arising from them.

Speakers at the ongoing negotiations for a new treaty on biodiversity in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction agreed today that a State party to the instrument — rather than the proponent of a planned activity — should determine the need to conduct environmental impact assessments.

Negotiations on a new treaty on biodiversity in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction centred today on whether areas requiring protection through area-based management tools - including marine protected areas – should be determined on the basis of “precautionary principle” or “precautionary approach”.

Delegates working to draft a new treaty on biodiversity in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction today weighed issues related to building capacity and transferring marine technology, with speakers outlining a range of views on how — and on what basis — those types of support should be provided to States.

The process of drafting the first-ever treaty addressing marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction entered a new phase today as Member States began text-based deliberations, with a view to reaching an agreement by the first half of 2020.

The Intergovernmental Conference tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity continued its work on cross-cutting issues today, with delegates outlining whether the new treaty should establish a clearing house mechanism, and if so, for what purpose.

Delegates today grappled with the issue of funding sources for capacity‑building and the transfer of marine technology — as well as the most suitable monitoring and review processes in that arena — along with the matter of establishing subsidiary bodies, as the Intergovernmental Conference, tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity, continued its work.

The Intergovernmental Conference drafting the first‑ever legally binding instrument on marine biodiversity continued negotiations today, with delegates concluding discussions on the obligation to conduct environmental impact assessments of activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction and then focusing on how the new treaty should handle capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology among States parties.

The Intergovernmental Conference to draft a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity began its second week today, with delegates considering how that treaty should reflect the content of environmental impact assessment reports.

Delegates negotiating the terms of a new treaty governing the planet’s high seas today considered how that instrument will interact with existing bodies and frameworks, as the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity concluded its first week.

Delegates underlined a need to clarify how a new high seas treaty will interact with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea today as the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity entered its third day.

With the Intergovernmental Conference to draft a new maritime diversity treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea continuing its second substantive session today, delegates debated how best to share the benefits of marine genetic resources and how to monitor their use in areas beyond national jurisdictions.

Increased cooperation and recognizing the needs of developing States must lead discussions towards a legally binding convention to govern the high seas, delegates said, as an intergovernmental conference to draft the first‑ever treaty addressing the ocean’s biological diversity opened its second substantive session.

The intergovernmental conference drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing marine biodiversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction concluded its first session today with its President stating that it is firmly on the path to achieving its mission.

Delegates to the first session of the intergovernmental conference drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing marine biodiversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction deliberated on how to move forward today, with the majority speaking in favour of a “zero draft” or similar text around which they could focus their negotiations.

Delegates today concluded their discussions addressing marine genetic resources, before returning to the topic of area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, as the intergovernmental conference tasked with drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing maritime diversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction entered its eighth day.

The intergovernmental conference tasked with drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing maritime diversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction entered its seventh day, with speakers discussing matters related to marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits.

Conference participants tackled a myriad of topic clusters and exchanged views on procedural mechanisms, monitoring, reporting and review modalities, along with the use of terms, as the intergovernmental conference drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing marine biodiversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction continued its consideration of environmental impact assessments today.

The intergovernmental conference drafting a legally binding treaty under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing marine biodiversity in ocean waters beyond national jurisdiction entered its second week at Headquarters today with speakers discussing turning their attention to how the instrument will address environmental impact assessments.

Member States shared views today on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, during the fourth day of the intergovernmental conference to draft a legally binding treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of high seas biological diversity.

The question of whether the world’s first treaty to conserve and protect marine diversity on the high seas should include an indicative and non‑exhaustive list of types of capacity‑building and transfer of technology dominated today’s discussions at the intergovernmental conference tasked with drafting that legally binding instrument.

The intergovernmental conference to draft the first‑ever treaty to conserve and protect marine diversity on the high seas concluded its general discussions today before moving to informal negotiations on the text, with speakers calling for a universal, inclusive text that is careful not to jeopardize existing frameworks.

An intergovernmental conference to draft the first‑ever treaty addressing biodiversity on and beneath the high seas opened its first substantive session at Headquarters today with speakers emphasizing the urgency of forging an agreement — ideally by consensus — as soon as possible, but acknowledging the significant challenges that lay ahead.

Member States had set the tone for progress towards developing a legally binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, the President of the Intergovernmental Conference on the matter said today as she concluded its three-day organizational meeting.

Consensus and balance were crucial in drafting a document that captured current progress and helped guide discussions towards a legally binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, delegates stressed in interactive dialogues during the second day of the Intergovernmental Conference on the matter.

With oceans and seas moderating global climate conditions, maintaining the earth’s ecosystem, and supporting the livelihood of more than 3 billion people, it was critical to develop a binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, delegates heard today as they convened to address organizational matters towards that goal.