Group of 77 and China

Highlights for Wednesday, 27 March 2019 L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with Kristina Gjerde, International Council on Environmental Law (ICEL); and Pete Girguis, ICEL/Harvard University, US Delegates attending the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) met on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in an informal working group to finalize their initial consideration of marine genetic resources (MGRs) and initiate discussions on area-based management tools (ABMTs).Under ABMTs, they discussed elements related to the process of identifying areas requiring management.During the lunch break, three side-events were held on: •    “Exploring options for fostering conservation and sustainable use of the ocean through access and benefit sharing of marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction: engagement of multi-stakeholders, including the private sector, for informed decision making,” presented by France; •    “Facilitating Capacity Development, Transfer of Marine Technology and Ocean Science in BBNJ,” presented by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and •    “So far, yet so close: Ecological connectivity between ABNJ and territorial waters,” presented by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).In the corridors, some developing countries felt slighted by calls to ignore the intent of marine scientific research. “A small bucket of seawater can yield millions of benefits, monetary and otherwise,” claimed one, noting that technological developments need broad coverage if the ILBI is to succeed in promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from MGRs in ABNJ.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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Marine Genetic Resources L-R: Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources, and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Marie-May Muzungaile, Seychelles Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Cristóbal Hernández Castillo, Chile L-R: IGC-2 dais on the informal working group on marine genetic resources with Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; Bingzhuo Li, UNDOALOS; and Bart Smit Duijzentkunst, UNDOALOS Saravanane Narayanan, India Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan Phi Mai Lien Vu, Viet Nam Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, ICEL Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Muriel Rabone, Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative L-R: Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; Bingzhuo Li, UNDOALOS; and Bart Smit Duijzentkunst, UNDOALOS Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia Salaseini Tagicakibau, Fiji Lionel Yee, Singapore Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga Peyami Kalyoncu, Turkey Evan Bloom, US Tumelo Selolwane, Botswana Giridhar Kowtal, Australia Plenary view of the informal working group on marine genetic resources Informal Working Group on Area-Based Management Tools Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Florian Botto, Monaco Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Sophie Mirgaux, EU Desirée Eve Maaño, the Philippines Martín Mainero, Argentina Alain Tellier, Canada Evan Bloom, US, with Gou Haibo, China Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS, in conversation with Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh Delegates from Germany

Highlights for Monday, 25 March 2019 IGC-2 participants observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the recent tragedies in Ethiopia and Indonesia and the passing of Amb. Virachai Plasai, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN The second 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) opened on Monday, March 25, 2019. Delegates first engaged in a general exchange of views, broadly related to the key features of an ILBI, including their priorities based on issues to be discussed as contained in the President’s Aid to Negotiations. They then began their deliberations on the President’s Aid, focusing their attention on benefit-sharing in relation to marine genetic resources. During the lunch break, two side-events were held: “Towards an Effective High Seas Treaty: Building on and Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance” presented by Germany and the STRONG High Seas Project; and "No fish left behind: fisheries under BBNJ” presented by the Nippon Foundation. In the corridors, many participants agreed that the President’s Aid to Negotiations is inclusive and helpful in driving the negotiations forward. Some expressed concern about gaps in the options laid out in the document, stressing that these will need to be covered during the following two weeks, if future treaty text is to be comprehensive.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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the opening plenary IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Delegates from the EU consulting Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Sira Swangsilpa, Thailand Andreas Papaconstantinou, EU Arnavaz Ghobadi Langroudi, Iran, on screen Mohamed Atlassi, Morocco María Juliana Tenorio, Colombia Franck Kokou Kpayedo, Togo Gou Haibo, China Shanti Utami Retnaningsih, Indonesia Generoso Calonge, the Philippines Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Alfonso Ascencio-Herrera, International Seabed Authority Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, International Council of Environmental Law Ariel Hernán Troisi, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) Lydia Slobodian, International Union for Conservation of Nature Takehiro Nakamura, UN Environment Programme Informal Working Group on Marine Genetic Resources L-R: Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Barbara Boechat, Brazil Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Evan Bloom, US Salaseini Tagicakibau, Fiji

  Highlights for Monday, 14 January 2019 View of the room during the morning session The first substantive session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group (AHWG) towards a Global Pact for the Environment (A/RES/72/277), convening at the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi, was opened Monday by Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Lebanon. Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya, acknowledged France’s role in bringing forward the initiative and described how the proposed pact could help address a fragmented international environmental law framework. The Acting Director of UN Environment (UNEP) and Assistant UN Secretary-General, Joyce Msuya, invited frank discussion and encouraged an inclusive process that engages with civil society and academia. After adopting the AHWG’s provisional agenda (A/AC.289/3) and considering financial issues for the process, the AHWG Co-Chairs, Mudallali and Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Portugal, invited delegates to offer general statements. Many delegations welcomed the report of the UN Secretary-General, entitled “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), while some sought to ensure a wider member state-led discussion on gaps. The G-77/China highlighted links between implementation gaps in international environmental law and the lack of resources, technology transfer, and capacity. The European Union called for a wider discussion than the content of the Secretary-General’s report, and cautioned against any weakening of existing international environmental standards. The African Group called for greater focus on the 1992 and 2012 Rio Declarations. The United States observed that the Secretary-General’s report does not comply with its mandate and is not fully objective nor an accurate reference text. She cautioned that many of the “gaps” identified in the report reflect intentional decisions by member states in specific MEAs, and that the report shows bias towards the option of a global pact. The Russian Federation warned against the AHWG setting up a new framework for environmental protection, given the functional role of fragmentation in helping achieve consensus on international environmental matters. Many other delegations gave general statements. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, povided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya Sebastian König, Switzerland Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UN Environment (UNEP) Delegates conferring during the morning session Shannon-Marie Soni, Canada Uriel Norman Garibay, the Philippines Fernando Coimbra, Brazil Marta Juarez Ruiz, Costa Rica Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Suzan Moh'd Al Ajjawi, Bahrain Martin Gomez Bustillo, Argentina Abdu al-Sharif, Saudi Arabia Burhan Namik Al-Jaf, Iraq Tidiani Couma, Monaco Elizabeth Taylor, Colombia Haibo Gou, China Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI, Director, IISD Reporting Services, with Dan Bondi Ogolla, former Principal Legal Adviser, UN Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Secretariat Slaiman Arabiat, Jordan, and Ernesto Gomez Diaz, Cuba Raoul Renard, International Chamber of Commerce Angela Wright, Compassion in World Farming Sebastian Gil, European Union (EU), with Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP Antonio Benjamin, International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) Sunday Evening Opening Reception From L-R: Luisa Fragoso, Permanent Representative with the UN Office in Nairobi, Portugal; Macharia Kamau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya; Co-Chair Francisco António Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Portugal; and Co-Chair Amal Mudallali, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lebanon