African Group

Highlights for Friday, 30 August 2019 Queen Angelfish from Belize, photo by Marcelo Halpern The third session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) came to a close on Friday, August 30, 2019. During the day, delegates engaged in a comprehensive discussion on the way forward. Several delegations welcomed the new format of the meeting, notably the informal-informals, with many calling for regular report-backs to facilitate broad participation, especially for small delegations. On this note, there were calls from several developing countries for increased contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund to facilitate their participation at the next meeting.In her closing remarks, IGC President Rena Lee (Singapore), called on delegates to study the proposals submitted during the intersessional period in order to make further progress at IGC-4. She noted that: the revised negotiating text for IGC-4 will likely not include all the proposals submitted or discussed at IGC-3; the advanced revised text, in English only, will be issued by the end of 2019; and IGC-4 will feature more parallel sessions, and a number of stock-taking plenaries that will consider the four elements of the 2011 package as “more of a package.” In the corridors, several delegates patted themselves on the back for having gone through the major elements of the draft text on the new High Seas treaty, but acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the pressing matters that have been raised in the negotiation process. Commenting on next steps, many delegates stressed that, for IGC-4, “the Facilitators will need to craft bridging language to close the gaps in this process.”   IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC-3. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group View of the informal working group session L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Carl Grainger, Ireland, Chair of the Credentials Committee Luis Ugarelli, Peru Henry Suarez, Venezuela Indira Guardia, Cuba Alina Llano, Nicaragua Gennady Kuzmin, Russian Federation Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas L-R: Gou Haibo, China; IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; and Evan Bloom, US L-R: Florian Botto, Monaco; Mamadou Diallo, Senegal; and Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Asela Peneueta, Tuvalu, on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Andreas Papaconstantinou, EU Ali Nasimfar, Iran Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Evan Bloom, US Julio Arriola, Paraguay, on behalf of Land-Locked Developing Countries Gou Haibo, China Tilani Silva, Sri Lanka Michael Kanu, Sierra Leone Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore L-R: Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, and IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, gavelled the meeting to a close at 5:17 pm. Participants from the High Seas Alliance Delegates from the European Commission Delegates from Australia Delegates from the US Delegates from the Pacific Islands Forum Delegates from the Philippines Delegates from the African Group IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with delegates from the EU Delegates from the Pacific Small Island Developing States Delegates from Latin American countries Delegates from China Delegates from Seychelles L-R: ENB BBNJ Team with Jennifer Bansard, Asterios Tsioumanis, Tasha Goldberg, Tallash Kantai, Katarina Hovden, and Franz Dejon

Highlights for Wednesday, 28 August 2019 Box spotted puffer fish from the Philippines, photo by Marcelo Halpern The third session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) met in two informal working groups on marine genetic resources (MGRs), including benefit-sharing, and on cross-cutting issues. Delegates also met in “informal-informals” to consider aspects related to both area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs), and environmental impact assessments (EIAs). Delegates dove into choppy waters on Wednesday, opening discussions on some of the key underlying, or overarching, issues that have proved intractable in the past. They shared views on the terms to be included in the new agreement, specifically those related to MGRs, as well as on the most relevant principles on which the future agreement will be anchored. Highlights of the day included, inter alia: Discussions in the informal working group on cross-cutting issues, specifically related to principles and approaches, international cooperation, and implementation and compliance; Discussions in the informal working group on MGRs, touching on the need to align with definitions in relevant frameworks and bodies to maintain legal certainty; Informal-informal discussions on ABMTs, addressing who should be consulted on a proposal for an ABMT, and how these proposals will be assessed; and Informal-informals on EIAs, focusing on strategic environmental assessments, and a list of activities that do or do not require an EIA.  In the corridors, one observer lamented, “it seems like we are stuck in a loop: when we are looking at the substance, decisions are deferred for lack of a definition, and then once we get to the definitions, we are told to wait until we decide on substance.” Others were hopeful that as discussions enter the final stretch, delegates can finally begin to consider the central tenets of the future High Seas instrument, and that those discussions “will help us see the forest for the trees.”For more 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 ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC-3. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group L-R: Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on MGRs; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Barbara Boechat, Brazil, on behalf of the Like-Minded Latin American Countries Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on MGRs Gou Haibo, China Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Salaseini Tagicakibau, Fiji, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Ayodhia Kalake, Indonesia Susan Whelan, Holy See Babajide Alo, Nigeria Neha Lugo, US L-R: Kahlil Hassanali, Trinidad and Tobago, with Fuad Bateh, Palestine L-R: Gou Haibo, China, with Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Yuko Hara, Japan Alain De Comarmond, Seychelles Drusila Esther Bayate, the Philippines Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Kenneth Wong, Singapore Gabrielle Chin, New Zealand Vasco Becker-Weinberg, Portugal Katie Hamilton, Australia Adem Bilgin, Turkey John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo Hendrik Segers, Belgium Kukhyun Ahn, Republic of Korea L-R: Ronan Long, Ireland, in conversation with Muhammad Taufan, Indonesia L-R: Felizardo Pulumbarit, the Philippines, in consultation with Drusila Esther Bayate, the Philippines L-R: Teresa Cruz Sardiñas, Cuba, with Maribel Alvárez, Costa Rica Matthías Pálsson, Iceland, with delegates from the Republic of Korea Bird's eye view of the informal working group on cross-cutting issues Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, and Facilitator of the informal working group on cross-cutting issues Thembile Joyini, South Africa Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of P-SIDS Diedre Mills, Jamaica, on behalf of CARICOM Maria Juliana Tenorio, Colombia, on behalf of the Like-Minded Latin American Countries

Highlights for Monday, 26 August 2019 Horse eye jacks from Cuba, photo by Marcelo Halpern The third session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) met throughout the day on Monday, 26 August 2019, in informal working groups on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT), and on cross-cutting issues. Delegates also met in two closed-door “informal-informals,” to discuss aspects related to environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs).For the better part of the day, they considered types of CB&TT, whether and where to include a potential list of these activities in the new High Seas agreement, as well as matters related to monitoring and review, definitions, and the list over types of CB&TT in the annex. They also considered, as part of CB&TT, the clearing-house mechanism, discussing the types and functions of such a mechanism. Highlights of the day included, among others: Informal-informals on EIAs, which focused on matters regarding monitoring, reporting, and review; Informal-informals on ABMTs, including MPAs, focusing on the objectives of ABMTs as well as aspects related to monitoring and review;  Discussions in the informal working group on CB&TT, on aspects of a clearing-house mechanism, specifically the types and modalities of such a mechanism; and Discussions in the informal working group on cross-cutting issues, addressing other aspects of the clearing-house mechanism. In the corridors, one exasperated developing country delegate was adamant about the need for “hard rules to guide capacity building and the transfer of marine technology” for the effective implementation of the new High Seas treaty, adding that CB&TT needs to be understood as being driven by developing countries. Commenting on the closed-door sessions, another delegate opined that “the format and time constraints prevent us from addressing crucial linkages,” still remaining optimistic that “we will get there.”For more 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 ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC-3. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on CB&TT L-R: Alice Hicuburundi, Jessica Howley, and Lika Diouf, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Kimberly Louis, Saint Lucia, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM ) Ana Elizabeth Villaita Vizcorra, El Salvador, on behalf of the Like-Minded Latin American Countries Sunan Rustam, Indonesia Terje Lobach, Norway Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan Oleg Rykov, Russian Federation Evan Bloom, US Marco D'Alessandro, Switzerland Amanda Richards, New Zealand Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China L-R: Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, in conversation with Mohamed Lamine Sidibé, Guinea Generoso Calonge, the Philippines Sujin Seo, Republic of Korea Harriet Harden-Davies, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) Fakasoa Tealei, Tuvalu, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, International Council of Environmental Law Blaise Kuemlangan, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Yang Liu, China Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Katie Hamilton, Australia Carl Grainger, EU IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, and Facilitator of the informal working group on Cross-Cutting Issues Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on CB&TT L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on CB&TT, Joan Yang, Nauru; and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Delegates from Belize in consultation L-R: Gemma Andreone, Italy, and Eva Vázquez, Spain IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with UNDOALOS Secretariat staff and UNDOALOS Fellows IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with delegates from Nigeria Closed-door informal-informals

Highlights for Wednesday, 21 August 2019 Spotted sea slug from the Bahamas. Photo by Marcelo Halpern The third session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) convened in New York on Wednesday, with delegates meeting in an open informal working group on area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs). They also met in two closed-door “informal-informals,” to discuss certain aspects of environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and marine genetic resources (MGRs). During the informal working group on ABMTs, delegates discussed the identification of areas, including those that may require protection. Highlights of the day include: Informal-informals on EIAs, considering the relationship between the future High Seas agreement and EIA processes under other instruments, and the role of states in decision-making related to EIA activities; Informal-informals on access to MGRs of areas beyond national jurisdiction, including discussions on potentially setting parameters for access to these resources; and Discussions in plenary on the identification of areas requiring protection, including a list of criteria for the establishment or designation of ABMTs, and the basis on which ABMTs are identified, with references to best available science, an ecosystem approach, and traditional knowledge. In the morning, Facilitator Alice Revell (New Zealand) summarized Tuesday’s informal-informal discussion on international cooperation and coordination, and decision making. She highlighted that delegates had discussed ideas related to definitions of ABMTs, including MPAs, reflecting the general understanding that ABMTs are a broader concept that includes MPAs. She highlighted divergent views on the definition of MPAs, including whether to refer to them as tools to achieve long-term biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. In the corridors, strong calls were made to keep an eye on the purpose of the global treaty, with one delegate “highlighting, underlining, and underscoring the need for swift progress,” adding that “millions of species are at risk and that should spur us to better use the time we have here.” For more 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 ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC-3. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on ABMTs, including MPAs IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore L-R: Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel; Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on ABMTs; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Valentina Germani, UNDOALOS; Stephanie Ierino, UNDOALOS; and Marco Boccia, UNDOALOS Huang Hao, China Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Coumba Gaye, Senegal Desirée Eve Maaño, the Philippines Florian Botto, Monaco Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea Janine Coye-Felson, Belize Memet Yakut, Turkey Evan Bloom, US L-R: Andréanne Goyette and Alain Tellier, Canada, in consultation Teburoro Tito, Kiribati Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Jessica Battle, WWF Alex Macdonald, New Zealand Joseph Appiott, Convention on Biological Diversity Ramon van Barneveld, EU Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia Lionel Yee, Singapore IGC-3 participants from UN agencies, intergovernmental, and non governmental organizations Photo exhibit promoting Turkish Seas Side Event: The Case of Anthropogenic Underwater Noise presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN / General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (FAO/GFCM) and OceanCare Side event participants L-R: Nicola Ferri, FAO/GFCM; Kristina Gjerde, IUCN; Fabienne McLellan, OceanCare; and Nicolas Entrup, OceanCare

Highlights for Friday, 19 July 2019 Informal consultations during the morning session On Friday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) finalized its deliberations, addressing all pending agenda items, including: the report on matters relating to the Enterprise; issues relating to the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), and the LTC Chair report; and the pattern of meetings for the Council and LTC for 2020.Highlights of the day included: a lengthy discussion on a draft decision submitted by the African Group and GRULAC aiming to address equitable geographical representation as well as necessary expertise in the election of LTC members; exchange of opinions on the pros and cons of using remote simultaneous interpretation services for the Assembly and the Council in 2020; agreement on a decision relating to the reports of the LTC Chair, including the intention to ensure the thorough and timely development of necessary standards and regulations; and the general cordial atmosphere among the Council members, despite disagreements, which allows cautious optimism regarding the next steps. Two side events took place at lunchtime: one organized by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which addressed an environmental impact assessment study performed by JAMSTEC in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone as well as the development of technology to evaluate plume dispersion; and the other hosted by Global Sea Mineral Resources offering an update of its project.For more details on the day’s events and to hear what delegates said in the breezeways, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from the 2nd Part of ISA-25. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page A view of the Council from the dais perspective Wini Broadbelt, the Netherlands Pavel Kavina, Czech Republic Ernesto Malda and Anais Vivanco, Mexico Patrik Schotte, Belgium Carlos Alberto Michaelsen den Hartog, Brazil Ingo Narberhaus, Germany, in discussions with Wini Broadbelt, the Netherlands Pauline Mcharo, Kenya Luke Tang, Singapore Lee Hyun Seung, Republic of Korea, consulting with Clement Yow Mulalaps, Federated States of Micronesia Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, conferring with Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh Liu Feng and Li Lin Lin, China Luke Roughton, New Zealand, and Gina Guillén Grillo, Costa Rica Mariusz Orion Jędrysek and Andrzej Przybycin, Poland Delegates from Germany and the UK discussing during a break. L-R: Patrik Schotte, Belgium; Nicole Lyas, Australia; and Kenneth Wong, Canada L-R: Petero Okotai, Cook Islands; Alison Swaddling, the Commonwealth Secretariat; and Josh Mitchell, Cook Islands L-R: Alexandre Rodríguez, Spain; Megan Jungwiwattanaporn, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Pippa Howard and Lisa Levin, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) L-R: Ernesto Malda and Anais Vivanco, Mexico, and Wang Rong, Singapore L-R: Sarah Jones, UK; Amber Cobley, ISA Secretariat; Adrian Glover, UK; Malcolm Clark, New Zealand; Samantha Smith, Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR); and Becky Hitchin, UK The Chinese delegation discusses the latest ENB report with Wang Yan (right), ENB Eleanor Petch and Margaret Purdasy, UK Hannah Lily, the Commonwealth, and Josh Mitchell, Cook Islands L-R: John Parianos, Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML); Jennifer Warren, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Harald Brekke, Norway L-R: Cristóbal Hernández, Gloria Ramos, Francisco Javier Bernales, Manuel José Fernández, and Roberto Álvarez, Chile The delegation from the Netherlands Participants between sessions