President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has initiated the process for the Maldives to accede to 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’ (BBNJ Treaty). This decision was made following a cabinet meeting where a proposal from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology was deliberated upon, the President’s Office said.
The next step in this process involves submitting the text of the agreement to Parliament for approval. The BBNJ Treaty represents a landmark global initiative aimed at safeguarding the biological diversity of marine ecosystems in the high seas, areas beyond any national jurisdiction.
The treaty’s objective is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, both now and in the future. This is to be achieved by effectively implementing the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and by further international cooperation and coordination.
In its report, the environment ministry underscored the profound significance of the treaty for a small island nation like the Maldives. It highlighted the treaty’s pivotal role in safeguarding and promoting sustainable practices for marine life in the open seas, according to the President’s Office.
The BBNJ Treaty is a legally binding instrument adopted by consensus at the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The conference, held under the auspices of the United Nations, aimed to develop an internationally legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Adopted on 19 June 2023, the treaty seeks to establish a coordinated approach to creating marine protected areas on the high seas. This is critical to conserving ocean biodiversity and achieving the global community’s “30×30” target to preserve or protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. To date, the BBNJ Treaty has been signed by 83 nations, demonstrating a strong global commitment to marine conservation.