President of the Republic of Palau, His Excellency Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr speaking to participants of the Regional Preparatory Meeting. PHOTO BY: IUCN Oceania
Regional Preparatory Meeting on 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). 31 March – 4 April 2025 Palau International Coral Reef Centre, Koror, Palau
Excellencies and Senior Officials,
Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Regional Directors,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Alii!
I trust you have enjoyed your week here in Palau and that this Regional Preparatory Meeting organised by the Chair of PSIDS and the Pacific Ocean Commissioner has been put to good use in terms of rejuvenating you to continue to effectively and strategically engage in the discussions as we prepare for the first session of the BBNJ PREPCOM negotiations and the coming into force and eventual implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.
Let me first take this opportunity to thank our organisers, the Government of Tuvalu, the Chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) for putting this Regional Preparatory Meeting together.
While advances in technology have provided us the opportunity to work and meet virtually, I believe for us in the Pacific, especially when there is a need to coordinate across the region on important issues, it more useful to meet in person, to shake each other’s hand, to break bread together, deliberate together and learn together as we map our way forward toward the eventual implementation of the Agreement. For that, let me reiterate my gratitude to the PSIDS chair, OPOC, our CROP experts and the Partners for convening this important work here in Koror, Palau.
Additionally, it is my hope that in your travel here from different parts of the Pacific and of the world, that you are reminded of the vastness of our Pacific Ocean. In fact for some of you in the Pacific, travelling here would have taken longer then it does to get to New York, such is the expanse of our great Blue Pacific Continent and even greater the responsibility on each of us, despite our small numbers, to stand and be counted where it matters most, by continuing to take strong leadership on the protection, conservation and sustainable management of our Ocean.
I trust that your meeting here in Palau will put us as a region in good stead as we prepare for the task ahead in New York, in the very least it should give us as a region renewed vigour and commitment as we prepare for the entry into force and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.
Indeed, as the PSIDS Chair – Ambassador of Tuvalu stated in his opening remarks, our work in relation to BBNJ is not over yet. The real work begins, now.
As you edge towards the end of your program here, I hope that you have found some common approaches and convergences on each of the cluster of issues that remain to be finalized at the upcoming negotiations, such as, the subsidiary bodies of the COP of the BBNJ Agreement, rules of procedures, the Secretariat, the clearing house mechanism, the financial rules and so forth.
Overall, we must keep in mind, that the adoption of the BBNJ Agreement is in itself a historical milestone in global oceans governance, and it has been a long time coming. As stewards of the Pacific Ocean the adoption of the Agreement was not only a milestone to be celebrated but in effect it is our legacy – to leave behind to our future generations. This is our legacy.
Therefore, let us continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we have done everything that we possibly can for our ocean and in particular for the benefit of future generations in this respect.
Let us work to keep our seat at the table at every BBNJ meeting and continue to work with a single purpose as a collective united under PSIDS banner and counting on our big brothers Australia and New Zealand to join in our efforts to mould and influence the discussions and to protect our collective interests in relation to our Ocean and the BBNJ Agreement.
As you set your sails ready to make your way back to your own island homes, let me leave you with a call to expediate action to sign and ratify the BBNJ Agreement. Ratification of the Agreement is imperative to facilitate effective participation and in particular at COP1.
In 2023, we the Forum leaders, encouraged Member countries to sign the BBNJ Agreement and appointed OPOC as the coordinated lead for the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.
In 2024, we your Leaders, encouraged the expeditious ratification of the BBNJ Agreement noting the important decisions that are expected to be made at the First BBNJ Conference of the Parties.
In conclusion, let us match our advocacy and passion with action. We must honour the countless resources and time that we have collectively and consistently committed to the BBNJ work at all its stages. We must honour the sacrifices of our own Pacific negotiators who have spent countless hours, often negotiating late into the night and pushing for the incorporation of PSIDS priorities and principles of importance to the region in the Agreement. We cannot stop here, we need to continue to rally for more countries to sign and ratify the Agreement and bring this Agreement into force in the near future.
Sulang.
