After more than a decade of discussions, the General Assembly (UNGA) established in resolution 72/249, in December 2017, a formal negotiating conference to develop a new legally binding Instrument under UNCLOS for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction by the end of 2020. This is the first global negotiation to address the ocean in over 30 years and provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to conserve biodiversity in the vast open ocean that covers nearly half of the Earth’s Surface. Three of the agreed conferences and attendant negotiations have already taken place and a fourth and final session is outstanding. Formal negotiations have not been held since September 2019 and the online informal discussions have been challenging for some members given time zone and technology issues, among other things. In June 2021, the General Assembly formally decided to postpone the fourth session of the conference (IGC4) to the earliest possible available date in 2022, at which time delegates will meet to finalize the text of the new treaty. With only one negotiating session remaining, delegations must agree on key issues in order to achieve a robust and effective treaty. From the outset of the negotiations, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has played a leading role. This session will provide (i) an overview of the negotiations to date (ii) the Caribbean’s role in the negotiations from leading stakeholders in the region; and (iii) viewpoints from key Caribbean negotiators on why this treaty is important to the Caribbean. It will also provide breakout sessions for an opportunity for participants to engage more fully with expert panelists from the region.
Amrikha Singh
Programme Manager For Sustainable Development, CARICOM
