Chief Executive Officers and Senior Officials,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Talofa, Alii, and warm greetings to you all!
I regret not being able to join you all in person as I am just returning home from the World Ocean Summit that was held in Japan. However, I am honoured to deliver these remarks on this momentous occasion, as the fifth national workshop in our region for the ratification and implementation of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
Let me begin by congratulating the Government of Samoa on this remarkable initiative. This bold step reflects your unwavering commitment and dedication to the conservation and the effective management of the Ocean and the resources therein, and for that I applaud you.
I am reminded of the powerful statement delivered by Samoa on behalf of the Pacific SIDS in New York during the fifth IGC in August 2022, with much disappointment that the Agreement was not concluded, Samoa remained resilient and passionately urged negotiators from around the world to maintain their commitment to negotiating and concluding the Agreement in good faith. Samoa’s determination, unwavering persistence and leadership in the BBNJ negotiations truly was the wind in the sail’s that ensured that the ship finally reached the shore on the 19th of June 2023 when the BBNJ Agreement was successfully adopted.
We are glad that here today, this national workshop truly shows Samoa’s continued commitment and leadership in the BBNJ space from negotiations to ratifications. No doubt that this national workshop will be the beginning of another commendable feat in the international forum by Samoa.
The BBNJ instrument marks a new era for Ocean governance, inclusivity, and equity, and I cannot stress enough the importance of ratifying the Agreement in order to ensure that the ambitions and priorities of the Pacific are fully realized.
There is good progress in the region in countries undertaking the necessary approval processes in the national level. Last week, the Republic of the Marshall Islands ratified the Agreement and Kiribati became a signatory. My office remains committed to coordinating with CROP and our partners the necessary support to Members in their efforts to ratify and implement the BBNJ Agreement, in accordance with our mandate from the Leaders.
As stewards of the ocean, and as guardians of the largest portion of the Pacific Ocean, our leadership matters. We need to look beyond just ratification and start to lay the groundwork for implementation. In that regard, I note that the BBNJ Agreement is ambitious and highly complex. Therefore, we need the expertise of scientists, academia, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and all relevant stakeholders who can enrich and guide the discussions around ratification and implementation, to inform effective policy and legislative decision making. This national consultation therefore marks a significant step in your journey towards ratification, and subsequently the implementation and/or domestication of the BBNJ Agreement.
More importantly, you have sovereignty and the decision-making power; you will be playing a crucial role in the national process towards becoming a Party to the Agreement and driving the work on ratification and domestication of the Agreement.
I encourage you all to utilize this opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with the experts, to ensure that upon ratifying the Agreement, and upon its entry into force, you fully understand your respective roles and obligations and that you can fully implement the provisions of the Agreement at the national level.
On that note, I wish to thank the Government of Samoa for allowing OPOC and our partners to assist with the organization of this workshop. I am confident that our joint efforts will contribute to achieving the objective of cooperation and coherence.
I wish you a successful and productive meeting in the next two days.
Faafetai lava.
