Group of 77 and China

Highlights for Wednesday, 3 April 2019 Delegates from the Federated States of Micronesia and Nauru in conversation with the US Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) finalized discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT) and began discussions on cross-cutting issues. Under the latter, they considered institutional arrangements, outlining positions on: •    the decision-making body/forum; •    scientific and/or technical bodies; •    other subsidiary bodies; and •    a secretariat.During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on: strengthening stewardship of the Sargasso Sea, presented by Canada and the Sargasso Sea Commission; BBNJ negotiations, intellectual property issues, and ongoing work at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), presented by WIPO; and the application of area-based management tools under the Regional Seas Programmes, presented by the UN Environment Programme.What comes first, form or function? This is the persistent question that plagues the BBNJ process, and it reared its head again on Wednesday during discussions on funding for CB&TT and institutional arrangements. One delegate strenuously asserted that function (deciding on institutional arrangements, including whether they operate on a global or regional level) follows form (deciding on what the institutions will do). For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Amavaz Ghobadi Largroudi, Iran Chen Xin Yao, China Lorraine Faure, Seychelles Ramona Sladic, Canada Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States Estrella Tulay, the Philippines Sunan Rustam, Indonesia Natthakit Singto, Thailand Photos depicting ocean and coastal habitats Sylvain Kalsakau, Vanuatu Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh René Figueredo Corrales, Paraguay Parinda Ranasinghe, Sri Lanka Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Carl Grainger, EU Informal Working Group on Cross-Cutting Issues Plenary session on the informal working group on cross-cutting issues Diedre Mills, Jamaica Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority L-R: Diedre Mills and Stephanie Forte, Jamaica L-R: Norhasalinda Mohd Salleh, Brunei; Jiraporn Wattanasophorn, Thailand; and Dhisadee Chamlongrasdr, Thailand Delegates from New Zealand

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019 Participants from Fiji and the International Seabed Authority Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) finalized discussions on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in an informal working group, and opened discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT), facilitated by Olai Uludong, Palau. Under CB&TT, they considered the types and modalities, including a clearinghouse mechanism; and issues related to funding, including the funding mechanism and whether funding would be mandatory of voluntary.During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on: • implementation of indigenous and traditional knowledge in the high seas treaty, presented by South Africa; • twenty-five years of ISA’s contribution to deep-sea marine scientific research and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), presented by the International Seabed Authority and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; and • cooperation between regional seas programmes and regional fisheries bodies, presented by the UN Environment Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).In the corridors, it was difficult to ignore the fact that positions were still poles apart, with the usual lines drawn between a cohort preferring only voluntary funding options, and those on the receiving end, holding out for a mix of voluntary and mandatory financing. When some called for aspects of the funding discussion to be brought up under cross-cutting issues, others resolved that, clearly, “the real negotiations are going to come down to the wire,” with three days left and counting.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments Cymie Payne, International Union for Conservation of Nature Lisa Speer, High Seas Alliance Jessica Battle, World Wide Fund for Nature Dorota Lost-Sieminska, International Maritime Organization Kent Bressie, International Cable Protection Committee Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan L-R: Susan Whelan and Tomasz Grysa, Holy See Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Amavaz Ghobadi Largroudi, Iran Nivaashni Devi Dharmalingam, Malaysia Darius Campbell, North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission Kahlil Hassanali, Trinidad and Tobago, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM ) Janice Mose, Solomon Islands, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Kukhyun Ahn, Republic of Korea L-R: Indira Guardia and Teresa Cruz Sardiñas, Cuba Informal Working Group on Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Marc Richir, EU Fakasoa Tealei, Tuvalu, on behalf of P-SIDS L-R: Alice Hicuburundi, Jessica Howley, Lika Doehl Diouf, Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS Arianne Etuk, Bahamas Yolannie Cerrato, Honduras Ariel Cayanan, the Philippines John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Landisang Kotaro, Palau; and Joan Yang, Nauru Delegates from CARICOM Delegates from Nigeria Crocheted mascots, distributed by the High Seas Alliance

Highlights for Wednesday, 27 March 2019 L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with Kristina Gjerde, International Council on Environmental Law (ICEL); and Pete Girguis, ICEL/Harvard University, US Delegates attending the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) met on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in an informal working group to finalize their initial consideration of marine genetic resources (MGRs) and initiate discussions on area-based management tools (ABMTs).Under ABMTs, they discussed elements related to the process of identifying areas requiring management.During the lunch break, three side-events were held on: •    “Exploring options for fostering conservation and sustainable use of the ocean through access and benefit sharing of marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction: engagement of multi-stakeholders, including the private sector, for informed decision making,” presented by France; •    “Facilitating Capacity Development, Transfer of Marine Technology and Ocean Science in BBNJ,” presented by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and •    “So far, yet so close: Ecological connectivity between ABNJ and territorial waters,” presented by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).In the corridors, some developing countries felt slighted by calls to ignore the intent of marine scientific research. “A small bucket of seawater can yield millions of benefits, monetary and otherwise,” claimed one, noting that technological developments need broad coverage if the ILBI is to succeed in promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from MGRs in ABNJ.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Marine Genetic Resources L-R: Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources, and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) Marie-May Muzungaile, Seychelles Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Cristóbal Hernández Castillo, Chile L-R: IGC-2 dais on the informal working group on marine genetic resources with Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; Bingzhuo Li, UNDOALOS; and Bart Smit Duijzentkunst, UNDOALOS Saravanane Narayanan, India Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan Phi Mai Lien Vu, Viet Nam Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, ICEL Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Muriel Rabone, Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative L-R: Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; Bingzhuo Li, UNDOALOS; and Bart Smit Duijzentkunst, UNDOALOS Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia Salaseini Tagicakibau, Fiji Lionel Yee, Singapore Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga Peyami Kalyoncu, Turkey Evan Bloom, US Tumelo Selolwane, Botswana Giridhar Kowtal, Australia Plenary view of the informal working group on marine genetic resources Informal Working Group on Area-Based Management Tools Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Florian Botto, Monaco Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Sophie Mirgaux, EU Desirée Eve Maaño, the Philippines Martín Mainero, Argentina Alain Tellier, Canada Evan Bloom, US, with Gou Haibo, China Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS, in conversation with Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh Delegates from Germany