Philippines Urges All Nations to Sign and Ratify BBNJ Agreement
ATHENS 26 April 2024 – The Philippines urged all nations to sign and ratify the Agreement 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) during the panel discussion entitled: “High Ambition and Partnerships for the High Seas” held on 16 April 2024 on the sidelines of the 9th Our Ocean Conference, 15-17 April 2024 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), Athens, Greece. Philippine Ambassador to Greece Giovanni E. Palec, Co-head of the Philippine delegation, delivered the country’s intervention at the panel discussion.
Ambassador Palec said that the Philippines, as an archipelagic state, recognizes the interconnectedness of oceans and seas and the vital role of marine biodiversity, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction and that this understanding fueled the country’s active participation in the negotiation of the BBNJ agreement under UNCLOS. He noted that the Philippines was among the first states to sign the agreement and that the country has been actively prioritizing and expediting compliance with domestic procedures to achieve the agreement’s early ratification and effective implementation.
Ambassador Palec also conveyed the Philippines’ deepest appreciation to the High Seas Alliance (HSA) and other government and civil society partners for the assistance in the successful conduct of the Regional Capacity Building Workshop on the BBNJ Agreement in November 2023 in Manila. He also thanked Belgium and the HSA, the organizers of the side event, for the opportunity to speak and further international collaborations and partnerships for the oceans.
The BBNJ Agreement was adopted on 19 June 2023 and is the first comprehensive treaty on the high seas and seabed beyond the national jurisdiction of States.
Other officials who delivered statements were Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo Andre Tinoco, Nigerian Minister of State for Environment Iziaq Salako, Korean Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Song Myeongdal and French State Secretary for the Sea Herve Berville, Chilean Ambassador and Director of the Division of Environment, Climate and Oceans Julio Cordano, Belgian Ambassador to Greece Marc Calcoen, German Federal Government Commissioner for the Ocean Sebastian Unger and European Commissioner for Environment Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius. END
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