In their last scheduled meeting to agree on treaty text to "end plastic pollution," negotiators may base their discussions on a new non-paper by INC Chair Luis Vayas that builds on the common ground between countries.

The newly appointed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water and approximately 130 UN-Water Members, Partners, and observers discussed links between the water agenda and the three Rio Conventions, and brainstormed priority collaborative actions to advance the UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation.

The adoption in June 2023 of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement signified a change in tides, not only for ocean governance in areas beyond national jurisdiction, but also for biodiversity conservation. With the expectation that the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and ratification of the BBNJ Agreement will soon come into fruition, stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of the possible opportunities and challenges that it may bring. This side event considered how the BBNJ Agreement can work in synergy with efforts undertaken by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the GBF.

This event featured reports on progress made through the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue, launched in 2016, and highlighted the importance of cooperation and collaboration among regional bodies for achieving global goals and targets.