The commission tasked with preparing for the entry into force of a new treaty on marine biodiversity concluded its first session today, completing its deliberations on issues including governance, the instrument’s Clearing-House Mechanism, financial and procedural rules, subsidiary bodies established by the accord and arrangements to enhance cooperation with other bodies.
The gathering, formally known as the “Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and the Convening of the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement”, is held from 14 to 25 April in New York. The Commission is scheduled to hold its second session from 18 to 29 August 2025 and its third session from 23 March to 2 April 2026.
The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, as it is formally known, was adopted on 19 June 2023. (Coverage of the Commission’s first session is available here.)
Before the first session began, the Agreement had 112 signatories, 21 of whom had also ratified the accord. Thailand announced on 17 April that it had become the 113th signatory to the Agreement. Today, the representative of Cameroon announced that his delegation would be signing the Agreement in the coming days.
The Agreement will enter into force 120 days after the date of deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance or accession thereto. Pursuant to the Agreement, the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties shall be convened by the United Nations Secretary-General no later than one year after the Agreement’s entry into force.
Commission Co-Chairs Present Oral Summaries of Session’s Deliberations
At the meeting’s outset, the Commission’s Co-Chairs, Janine Coye‑Felson (Belize) and Adam McCarthy (Australia), presented oral reports summarizing discussions to date, highlighting points of convergence and divergence among delegates and presenting the way forward — including further documentation to be produced — ahead of the Commission’s second session in August.
Speakers Urge Recognition of Developing States’ Needs
Later, several delegations — echoing sentiments heard throughout the session — underscored the need to address the special needs of developing States. Sierra Leone’s representative, speaking for the African Group, said that activities related to the signing, ratification and implementation of the Agreement must be carried out in a way that “maintains the universal confidence, integrity and progress collectively achieved”. She called for recognition of the unique needs of developing State Parties, including small island developing States, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and coastal African States.
“The UN system should make sure that the Agreement is enforced with transparency, equity and fairness,” underscored Haiti’s representative. He appealed for assistance to developing countries to ensure their full participation in the work of the Conference of the Parties and subsidiary bodies established under the Agreement. Similarly, the representative of Bangladesh urged that the final outcome [of the Commission’s work] reflect developing countries’ interests and priorities.
Tuvalu’s delegate, speaking for the Pacific small island developing States, likewise noted that those countries are “custodians of large ocean spaces”, and their special circumstances must remain central throughout the entire Agreement. He called for enhanced cooperation to ensuring an accessible and fit-for-purpose financial mechanism, and in designing reporting that is achievable for all. Further, he said that his group looks forward to a second Commission session that delivers an Agreement that is “fair, inclusive and responsive to the needs of all”.
For his part, the observer for the International Indian Treaty Council — an organization representing over 300 Indigenous Peoples — voiced appreciation that Indigenous Peoples and civil society had the opportunity to contribute meaningfully during the Commission’s first session.
Speakers Also Point to Early Implementation Efforts, Upcoming Events
Delegations also spotlighted their efforts to advance the Agreement. Chile’s representative said that his country’s “BBNJ First Movers” initiative, which was launched in 2024, aims to develop a portfolio of marine-protected areas in the high seas and to provide for the sharing of information and experiences to accelerate international cooperation. He invited all delegations — especially those that may be considering specific marine-protected areas in the high seas and therefore have relevant experience — to join in the initiative’s efforts towards early implementation of the Agreement.
In that vein, the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, spotlighted the bloc’s partnership with Seychelles and Palau. Further, the “High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction”, launched in Brest, France, in 2022, aims to boost support for the Agreement’s ratification and implementation, she said. Voicing hope that 60 States will ratify the treaty — the threshold for its entry into force — in time for the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in June in Nice, she invited others to join the coalition to ensure that the treaty is implemented rapidly and ambitiously.
Relatedly, the representative of the Republic of Korea announced that the tenth “Our Ocean Conference” will be held in Busan immediately after the Commission’s first session, from 28 to 30 April, on the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action”. During the conference — an annual event where ocean leaders from around the world gather to discuss how to protect those resources — delegates will discuss ways to “implement actions for the healthy use and conservation of the oceans”, she stated.
The observer for the High Seas Alliance, observing that “a lot of work is still to be done” ahead of the Commission’s second session, also looked forward to further signatures and ratifications before June “to bring this Agreement into force as early as possible”. Doing so will help address the very real threats to the ocean by achieving the 30-by-30 goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean area by 2030. The Agreement should serve as “the lighthouse of multilateralism”, she stated.
Several delegations — including those of Iraq, speaking for the Group of 77 developing countries and China, and Saint Lucia, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) — also took the floor to express their thanks and commend the Commission’s bureau for its leadership and guidance during this first session.
Co-Chairs Deliver Closing Statement, Conclude First Session
Following that, the Commission’s Co-Chairs jointly delivered a closing statement that will be issued as an official document after it is finalized following today’s meeting.
They reported that the relevant trust fund facilitated the participation of 29 delegates from developing countries in the Commission’s work, 19 of whom were from least developed countries, landlocked developing countries or small island developing States. On behalf of the Commission, they expressed their gratitude to those who donated to the fund — namely, Chile, Cyprus, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland and Portugal.
Notwithstanding the human and financial constraints posed by the “present and real” liquidity crisis facing the United Nations, they appealed to delegations to “exercise flexibility, demonstrate open-mindedness and contribute creative ideas” on how the Commission can effectively advance its work. They also thanked participants for their engagement, trust, support, flexibility and cooperation during the Commission’s first session.
And while welcoming points of agreement in various deliberations, “we urge delegations to seek to find ways to bridge divergences” so that the entry into force of the Agreement and the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties thereto may be realized, they said.
The first session of the Preparatory Commission was then declared closed. It will hold its second session in New York in August.
https://press.un.org/en/2025/sea2216.doc.htm
