African Group

On Friday, 9 September, delegates to the second session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom 2) on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) met in the informal working group on cross-cutting issues, facilitated by Chair Charles, in the morning. They discussed state responsibility and liability, dispute resolution, and transitional application. Plenary met for the rest of the day to consider written, revised lists of points of possible areas of convergence and areas for further discussion on: marine genetic resources, including questions on benefit-sharing; area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments; and capacity building and technology transfer. Following a discussion of next steps, including a Chair’s reflection on areas for further discussion on cross-cutting issues and a non-paper to facilitate preparations for PrepCom 3, delegates watched a video message from Academy Award winner actress Emma Thompson about the need to develop strong international rules to protect the oceans. Chair Charles gavelled the meeting to a close at 6:26pm. ENB SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS: The Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of PrepCom 2 is available in HTML and PDF. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report in English and French from the 2nd Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of 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.” Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago, and Alice Hicuburundi, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS, with Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago From L-R: Tilani Silva, Sri Lanka; Thembile Joyini, South Africa; and Carlos García Soto, Spain Veronica Frank and Duncan Currie, Greenpeace International Andreas Lunn, Denmark Florian Botto, Monaco Xinmin Ma, China Elizabeth Rodríguez Santiago, American Society of International Law Barbara Boechat, Brazil, with Lucía Raffin, Argentina Tim Packeiser, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Daniela Diz, IISD Reporting Services (IISD-RS) Delegates from the EU conferring John Brincat, EU, and Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Momtaz Djamchid and Zakieh Taghizadeh, Iran Michael Bliss, Australia Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh, and Michael Bliss, Australia Yolannie Cerrato Corrales, Honduras, and Susan Whelan, Holy See John Brincat, EU Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Margo Deiye, Nauru Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia Cymie Payne, IUCN Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China José Luis Fernández Valoni, Argentina Students and Alumni of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS). From L-R: Lora Nordtvedt Reeve; Harriet Harden-Davies; Filimon Manoni; and Carole Durussel James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Participants watching a video by Greenpeace From L-R: Tallash Kantai, IISD-RS; Elisa Morgera, IISD-RS; Daniela Diz, IISD-RS; Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica; and Asterios Tsioumanis, IISD-RS Veronica Frank, Greenpeace Group photo of the Leatherback Group The African Group conferring A farewell gift by the Leatherback Group to Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Photo exhibition: Syrian refugees in Brazil

On Friday, 2 September, the second session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom 2) on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) convened in plenary throughout the day. In the morning, plenary continued deliberations of possible areas of convergence and areas for further discussion on marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing. Following an oral report by John Adank (New Zealand), facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, plenary discussed possible areas of convergence and areas for further discussion, including on definitions, principles and approaches, and governance. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report in English and French from the 2nd Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of 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.” Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Gina Guillén-Grillo and Rolando Castro, Costa Rica Martijn Peijs and Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya, with Thembile Joyini, South Africa Christian Prip, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, and Kimo Goree, Vice-President, IISD Wini Broadbelt and René Lefeber, the Netherlands John Brincat, EU, with Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Margo Deiye, Nauru, for Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) Sesselja Sigurðardóttir, Iceland Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea John Adank, New Zealand, facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools Alistair Graham, Australia, and Jessica Battle, WWF Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia, reading the ENB Anca Leroy, EU, with Andreas Lunn, Denmark The African Group conferring From L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Ignacio Cazaña, Paraguay Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago Maria Pilikou, Cyprus Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China Xinmin Ma, China Janine Coye-Felson, Belize Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh John Brincat, EU Maruthadu Sudhakar, India Michael Bliss, Australia Participants consulting Around the Venue Non-Violence, by Fredrik Reuterswärd Sphere Within a Sphere, by Arnaldo Pomodoro A view of the UN headquarters from the rose garden

Following the opening of the Ministerial Segment on Monday, participants at the 2016 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) discussed “Main messages from first HLPF week: our starting point.” This was followed by keynote speeches and panel discussions related to the meeting’s theme of “Ensuring that no one is left behind,” on: “Reaching the most vulnerable;” “Challenges of countries in special situations;” and “Unlocking means of implementation (MOI) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creating an enabling environment.” A general debate took place at the end of the day. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily reports, daily web coverage and a summary and analysis from HLPF 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening of the Ministerial Segment Delegates gather for the opening of the Ministerial Segment Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN and President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice President of Viet Nam Ensuring that no one is left behind: reaching the most vulnerable Panel speakers during the session Hugo Roger Martínez Bonilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs, El Salvador Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO) Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Md. Shahidul Haque, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Christian Friis Bach, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Delegates watch proceedings from the gallery Ensuring that no one is left behind: challenges of countries in special situations View of the dais during the session Álvaro García, Office of Planning and Budget of the Presidency, Uruguay Gyan Chandra Acharya, Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Helen Clark, Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Karina Gould, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development, Canada Ricardo Cardona, Minister of Social Development, Honduras Shamshad Akhtar, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Daniel Mensinga, Major Group for Children and Youth Ensuring that no one is left behind: unlocking the means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals and creating an enabling environment View of the dais during the session  Michelle Muschett, Vice Minister of Social Development, Panama Ardalan Shekarabi, Minister for Public Administration, Sweden Axel Bertuch-Samuels, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Vaughan Turekian, Advisor to the US Secretary of State Neven Mimica, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Douglas Frantz, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Group Representatives from the Women's Major Group hold up pictures of environmental and human rights activists who have been killed, demonstrating the need to create an enabling environment for stakeholder participation General Debate Delegates participate in a general debate Virachai Plasai, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Juan Temístocles Montás, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Dominician Republic, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Bernard Kamphasa, Zambia, speaking on behalf of the LLDCs Eden Charles, Deputy Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Jiko Fatafehi Luveni, Fiji, speaking on behalf of the Group of Pacific SIDS Mohammed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN, speaking on behalf of the African Group Mohammed Maziad Al Tuwaijri, Vice-Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia Celebrating Nelson Mandela Day A special event is held in the ECOSOC Chamber to commemorate "Mandela Day" Delegates stand to observe a moment of silence to honor Nelson Mandela and his contribution to freedom and justice in the world Stevie Wonder, UN Messenger of Peace Around the Venue Delegates gather for the start of the Ministerial Segment Delegates greet each other before the start of plenary Delegates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Delegates from South Africa Delegates speak informally Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice-President of Viet Nam, participate in an event "Scream from Nature" that emphasized the importance of environmental protection Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, Vice-President of Viet Nam, stand with children during the event Musical performance by fifth graders from the Special Music School, New York Around the UN Headquarters

The seventeenth meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) opened on 13 June 2016 at the UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme: “Marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” In the morning, delegates heard opening remarks from: Co-Chair Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra; Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel; Lenni Montiel, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), on behalf of Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, UN Office of Legal Affairs (UNDOALOS). Statements by countries and regional groups followed. In the afternoon, Co-Chair Amb. Nicholas Emiliou invited delegates to participate in a discussion panel on “the environmental, social and economic dimensions of marine debris, plastics and microplastics and progress made in preventing, reducing and controlling pollution from marine debris, plastics and microplastics.” Presentations were given on: insights from the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) report on microplastics; insights from the World Ocean Assessment; an overview of land-based sources of marine debris; marine pollution originating from purse seine and longline fishing vessel operations in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; collection of ship waste in Belgian seaports; and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) work to address marine debris, plastics and microplastics. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from the 17th Meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-17) - Marine Debris, Plastics and Microplastics. Our summary is available in HTML and PDF format. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Plenary L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); and Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Co-Chair Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, DESA L-R: Co-Chair Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru; Alice Hicuburundi, Secretary, ICP-17; Charlotte Salpin, Deputy Secretary, ICP-17; and Dmitry Gonchar, UNDOALOS Mahlatse Mminele, South Africa, on behalf of the African Group Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Thailand, on behalf of G-77/China Sidney Kemble, EU Ahmed Sareer, Maldives, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of Pacific SIDS Florian Botto, Monaco L-R: Prim Masrinuan, Thailand, in a conversation with Joseph Appiott, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Sae Horikawa, Japan Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Lizanne Aching, Trinidad and Tobago John Arbogast, US Natalie Morris-Sharma, Singapore Jo Høvik, Norway Delegates from Indonesia Presentations L-R: Co-Chairs Amb. Nicholas Emiliou, Cyprus, and Amb. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Peru Slide presentation of Lorna Inniss, Coordinator, UNEP, Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit, showing the various marine litter vortices in our oceans Slide presentation of Jenna Jambeck, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, showing plastic wastes from land into the ocean Jenna Jambeck, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Georgia Lorna Inniss, Coordinator, UNEP, Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit Kelly Richardson, Former Marine Debris Consultant, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Slide presentation of Kelly Richardson, Former Marine Debris Consultant, SPREP, showing the effects of land-based litter to the ocean environment Stefan Micallef, Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO Peter Van den Dries, Policy Advisor, Flemish Waste Agency Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Peni Suveinakama, Fiji Christine Prekezes, HELMEPA