“Our Oceans Are in Crisis”

The United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, part of the Office of Legal Affairs, is currently hosting a regional workshop aimed at enhancing the understanding of the BBNJ Agreement (the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) for small island developing states in the Caribbean.

This workshop is part of the Division’s ongoing efforts under General Assembly resolution 77/321 to promote awareness of the BBNJ Agreement and prepare for its implementation. Linked to a project funded by the European Union, titled “Promotion of a Better Understanding of the BBNJ Agreement,” the event seeks to build the capacity of developing states to join and implement the Agreement.

The workshop seeks to deepen participants’ understanding of the BBNJ Agreement, focussing on the rights and obligations it establishes. It is specifically designed to support states in their efforts to join the Agreement and prepare for its implementation. Attendees will explore a variety of modules, including the background and significance of the BBNJ Agreement, an overview of its key components, and the implications of becoming a party. Additionally, the workshop will cover the agreement’s substantive and cross-cutting elements, relevant legal frameworks, and the roles of global, regional, and sectoral organizations. Participants will also learn about the procedural steps required for states to become parties to the agreement.

A special focus will be placed on identifying technical needs and requirements for implementing the agreement, including legal and policy framework gaps, through needs identification and gap analysis exercises.

CEO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amalia Mai, said, “The BBNJ agreement is extremely important for its own substantive reasons, but its adoption was an achievement for multilateralism at a time when that issue is in serious doubt. The agreement signals a strong interest of states in further strengthening the international legal regime in relation to oceans and, importantly, a commitment to protecting our ocean’s diversity.”

CEO Mai added, “Our oceans are in crisis. Pollution from plastics, overfishing, the explosion of sargassum, and climate change are dealing an all-out assault on our oceans. The rate of ocean warming has doubled in the last twenty years. The high seas are becoming more acidic. Estimates indicate that the ocean is polluted by a plastic smug made up of an estimated 171 trillion plastic particles.”

High Commissioner of the UK to Belize, Nicole Davison, said, “The UK is very supportive of the BBNJ agreement, recognising it as an important step towards coordinators global action to tackle the climate and nature crisis.

The workshop is being hosted by the Government of Belize from October 7 to 10, 2024, at the Umaya Resort in Placencia, Belize.