A warm Pacific Greetings from OPOC. What a way to kick off the new year! Today marks an auspicious occasion and a triumph in our united efforts on oceans management and oceans governance as we celebrate the coming 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 (BBNJ Agreement).
The entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement marks an important milestone in international treaty making, with the agreement having been shaped by over 20 years of treaty negotiations which the Pacific had actively participated in and contributed to. The BBNJ Agreement was adopted on 19 June 2023 under the auspices of the United Nations, now the Third Implementing Agreement under the 1982 UNCLOS.
The BBNJ Agreement is a package deal that addresses the four areas of marine genetic resources and equitable benefit sharing, measures such as area-based management tools, environment impact assessments, and transfer of marine technology. This is aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, for the present and in the long-term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and further international cooperation and coordination. For the first time, we now have a binding legal
framework that extends global management effort beyond national jurisdictions and shining the spotlight on what is often ‘management blind-spot.’
In celebrating the coming into force of the BBNJ Agreement worldwide, we also acknowledge the immense efforts of our own Pacific Leaders who continue to be strong advocates of this new and binding international Agreement. We would like to specifically acknowledge the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) as the first UN Member to sign the BBNJ Agreement and another of our own, Palau, the first to ratify the BBNJ Agreement. We also commend all other Pacific countries immense contribution to this work, and especially those who have signed and ratified the Agreement demonstrating our commitment to strong and meaningful
global ocean governance. In the Pacific, eight of our countries have ratified the BBNJ Agreement.
Today, there are 145 signatories and 83 parties to the BBNJ Agreement, but this does not have to stop here. We must all work together to ensure the true universalization of the treaty. As we celebrate the milestone today, we also look forward to participating in the first Conference of Parties to the Agreement as we proudly usher in this latest success story in global oceans governance and protecting our high seas.
The Pacific Ocean Commissioner and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) were mandated directly by the Forum Leaders Meeting in 2018 to lead the regional coordination efforts in the finalisation of the BBNJ Treaty negotiations. In 2023, Forum Leaders again tasked the Commissioner and the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP) and the Pacific Ocean Alliance (POA) to work hand in hand to support Members early ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Instrument.
So far in the Pacific, OPOC has carried out nine national workshops on BBNJ Agreement, two regional meetings and jointly working on BBNJ Agreement and National Ocean Policies in two of our Pacific countries. At the end of this month, OPOC will be convening a regional legal workshop to bring together legal experts to discuss how the BBNJ instrument will be localised in various legal instruments and jurisdictions across the Pacific. We are also collaborating with CROP and POA to map out ways forward in terms of our support to Members on implementation. With the ocean being one of our major resources, the BBNJ instrument will enable us to extend management beyond national jurisdictions in line with the Forum Leaders decision to effectively manage 100% of our ocean and its resources, both within and beyond national jurisdictions.
In commemorating the occasion, Pacific Ocean Commissioner Dr. Filimon Manoni noted that while we have good cause to celebrate this momentous occasion, we also understand that the real work lies ahead, and as such, laying the groundwork ahead of time to enable effective participation in the treaty is crucial. OPOC together with our CROP Agencies as well as our Pacific BBNJ Group will continue the effort to provide the necessary support to Members in this regard.
Sulang
