#ocean #biodiversity #BBNJ #ABNJ #UNCLOS #UNGA
In its resolution 72/249 (19 Jan 2018), the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene an Intergovernmental Conference, under the auspices of UN, to consider the recommendations of the Preparatory Committee for the development of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ; which was established by resolution 69/292 of 19 June 2015), with a view to developing the instrument as soon as possible.
It also decides on the attendance at the conference as observers of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), i.e. open to those NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as to those that were accredited to relevant conferences and summits, on the understanding that participation means attending formal meetings, unless otherwise decided by the conference in specific situations, receiving copies of the official documents, making available their materials to delegates and addressing the meetings, through a limited number of their representatives, as appropriate. This level of inclusiveness and transparency is welcome. Association 3 Herissons looks forward to opportunities to physically present in the meetings to observe, to lean, and to contribute.
Other resolutions adopted by the seventy-second session of UNGA could be found on this official UN webpage.