Oceans and Law of the Sea

The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will hold its sixty-fifth session from 20 October to 21 November.

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

New York, 19 September — Today, an important milestone for the ocean and our planet was reached as the conditions for entry into force of the Agreement 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 were met.

Areas of global concern including human rights, protection of the environment, trade, terrorism and the law of the sea are at the centre of this year’s treaty event, taking place during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week marking the UN’s eightieth anniversary. Themed “Eighty Years of Multilateral Treaty Making at the United Nations”, this year’s treaty event at UN Headquarters from 23 to 26 September comes at a pivotal moment to renew global commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and shared action for people and planet.

The Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini, said yesterday that in the previous four days alone, 10 of the agency’s buildings have been hit in Gaza City, including seven schools and two clinics used as shelters for thousands of displaced people.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the entry into force of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, delivered by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, in Geneva today:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Maritime Day, observed on 25 September:

The commission tasked with preparing for the entry into force of a new treaty on marine biodiversity concluded its second session today, with delegates taking stock of the extensive negotiations held over the last two weeks and committing to doing “homework” before its third session to ensure that the treaty can be operationalized with appropriate financial and institutional mechanisms.

On the penultimate day of its second session, the commission preparing for the entry into force of a new marine biodiversity treaty focused once again on the rules of procedure that will apply to meetings of its Parties, also considering cooperation arrangements with relevant instruments, frameworks and bodies.

The commission tasked with preparing for the entry into force of a high-seas biodiversity treaty continued its second session today, returning to a discussion on the financial rules that will govern its eventual secretariat and subsidiary bodies as many delegates emphasized the needs and special circumstances of developing countries in this context.