Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument 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 session Agenda item 5: General Exchange of Views of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction

Madame President, Excellencies, Colleagues, good morning!

1. My delegation aligns this statement with the statements previously delivered today on behalf of Group of 77 and China, AOSIS, Pacific Island Forum countries, and the PSIDS.
2. I join other delegations in congratulating you on your skillful leadership of the IGC, and assure you of my delegation’s full support throughout this process.
3. I make these few points in my national
4. Your timely issuance of a zero-draft document is greatly appreciated, as we move towards producing a BBNJ instrument that brings fairness, transparency and equity.
5. Climate change is an existential issue for
6. We are a big Ocean state; and our people await with anxious anticipation for the final outcome of our negotiation that hopefully reflects our collective ambition to address global challenges including those facing our people.
7. My delegation wishes to re-emphasize the need for linking access and benefit sharing. It makes more sense; and it brings more meaning to the BBNJ instrument. We express strong support for the recognition of traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and urge delegations to be open-minded and inclusive. My delegation is also pleased with the recognition of the special circumstances of Small Island Developing States.
8. We challenge delegations to be innovative when it comes to ABMTs, EIA, capacity building and the transfer of marine technology, in addressing the growing imbalance of opportunities and roles with respect to the conservation and sustainable use of the BBNJ from the perspective of those Small Islands States whose dependence on the unquestionable
9. Respect for sovereignty is imperative, and it is important in our view that the BBNJ instrument does not allow for the conservation measures of the adjacent coastal states within national jurisdictions—including continental shelves—to be undermined by this instrument. This includes the avoidance of disproportionate burden of conservation upon Small Island States. This and other unintended, unjust and inequitable outcomes of this negotiation should be avoided.