Summary
Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019
Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) finalized discussions on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in an informal working group, and opened discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT), facilitated by Olai Uludong, Palau. Under CB&TT, they considered the types and modalities, including a clearinghouse mechanism; and issues related to funding, including the funding mechanism and whether funding would be mandatory of voluntary.During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on:
• implementation of indigenous and traditional knowledge in the high seas treaty, presented by South Africa;
• twenty-five years of ISA’s contribution to deep-sea marine scientific research and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), presented by the International Seabed Authority and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; and
• cooperation between regional seas programmes and regional fisheries bodies, presented by the UN Environment Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).In the corridors, it was difficult to ignore the fact that positions were still poles apart, with the usual lines drawn between a cohort preferring only voluntary funding options, and those on the receiving end, holding out for a mix of voluntary and mandatory financing. When some called for aspects of the funding discussion to be brought up under cross-cutting issues, others resolved that, clearly, “the real negotiations are going to come down to the wire,” with three days left and counting.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon
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Informal Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments
Informal Working Group on Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology
