NEW YORK—During the fourth Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), the Philippines pointed out the urgent need for a global regime to conserve and sustainably use marine-biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
According to the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo, who led the country’s delegation, the continued exploitation of resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) threatens the whole marine ecosystem. He said the international legally binding agreement on the BBNJ being negotiated under the UN’s auspices could bring marine areas beyond national jurisdiction under common management and monitoring.
The instrument is expected to address marine environmental degradation and climate change-related impacts on marine biodiversity.
In her statement at the conference, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office Maria Angela A. Ponce joined numerous delegations in supporting the immediate conclusion of the agreement as part of the global action to address pressures on the world’s oceans.
Ponce expressed support “for the way forward,” particularly on the convening of IGC5 in August 2022 provided by Ambassador Rena Lee, who is the president of the conference. The former looked forward to the conclusion of the agreement.
“The urgency of protecting our high seas and its resources is rising. 2022 is, after all, a special year, for it is the 40th anniversary of UNCLOS: the foundation upon which this agreement is anchored,” the assistant secretary stated. “We hope that, in the spirit of [such], we will be able…to reach convergence on all points, and come to a final text.”
The Philippines also underscored the principle of the common heritage of mankind to guide the new legal regime for BBNJ. It stressed the importance of giving due regard to the rights and jurisdiction of adjacent coastal states, and highlighted the special recognition that must be accorded to the archipelagic kind.
The unique geography of the Philippines, as archipelagic, makes the country entirely dependent on the sea, as the country’s ecosystem is affected by changes in the larger ocean ecology. Thus, preferential treatment, such as access to capacity building and transfer of marine technology, must be taken into consideration by the instrument.
The conference was held from March 7 to 18 at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The Philippine delegation was composed of representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as its Biodiversity Management Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau.
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