Group of 77 and China

On Thursday, 8 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, throughout the day. The informal working group considered: principles, including common heritage of mankind, high seas freedoms, and common but differentiated responsibilities; the ILBI scope; definitions; relationships of the ILBI with UNCLOS and other existing agreements; institutional arrangements; and state responsibility and liability. 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. Alice Revell and John Adank, New Zealand Natalie Morris-Sharma, Singapore, and Evan Bloom, US Lucía Raffin, Argentina Alistair Graham, Australia Maruthadu Sudhakar, India Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, IUCN Cary Scott-Kemmis, Australia Florian Botto, Monaco Christoph Reusser, Switzerland Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Veronica Frank, Greenpeace Konrad Marciniak, Poland Agustín Fornell, Ecuador Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Matthías Pálsson, Iceland, with Tallash Kantai, IISD Reporting Services Maria Pilikou, Cyprus Wini Broadbelt and Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands Anna Knyazeva, Russian Federation John Brincat, EU Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico Rena Lee, Singapore Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China Ignacio Cazaña, Paraguay Momtaz Djamchid, Iran Reception hosted by the Netherlands Messages from Greening the Blue

On Wednesday, 7 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 in the morning and afternoon. Following the oral report from Rena Lee (Singapore), the facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and technology transfer, plenary continued discussions of possible areas of convergence and areas for further discussion on capacity building and technology transfer, focusing, among other things, on: special needs, scope, approach, modalities and relationship with existing mechanisms. In addition, plenary heard a proposal on environmental impact assessments. The informal working group on cross-cutting issues, facilitated by Chair Charles, convened in the afternoon. 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. Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados From L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Tamara Thomas, Adviser to the Chair; Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago; and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; Yolannie Cerrato Corrales, Honduras Thembile Joyini, South Africa, and Evan Bloom, US Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Florian Botto, Monaco Chandra Prakash Goyal, India Rena Lee (Singapore), Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology Marc Richir, EU Momtaz Djamchid, Iran Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea, and Thembile Joyini, South Africa Agustín Fornell, Ecuador Angel Horna, Peru Ismail Raushan, Maldives Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China Alassane Conte, Guinea, reading the ENB Tilani Silva, Sri Lanka Sandra Victoria Arcamo, the Philippines John Fox, Fiji John Adank, New Zealand Babajide Alo, Nigeria Kristina Gjerde, IUCN, with Michael Bliss, Australia Lucía Raffin, Argentina, and Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Matthías Pálsson, Iceland, with Cary Scott-Kemmis, Australia Hector Celarié, El Salvador, and Yolannie Cerrato Corrales, Honduras Around the Venue Artifact from Zambia Balbaly Stone Images, by Amungal Ikhanova and Zhangir Umbetow Dove of Peace Oasis

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

On Thursday, 1 September, the informal working group on capacity building and technology transfer met in the morning to continue discussions on technology transfer, institutional arrangements and funding. The plenary reconvened for the rest of the day to discuss possible areas of convergence and areas for further discussion based on the report from the informal working group on marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing. 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. Vita Onwuasoanya, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Zakieh Taghizadeh and Momtaz Djamchid, Iran Lucía Raffin, Argentina Evan Bloom, US Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China Hiroko Muraki Gottlieb, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Angel Horna, Peru Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Carlos Sobral Duarte (Brazil), Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources From L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS; Rena Lee (Singapore), Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS Josh Mitchell, Cook Islands Diedre Mills, Jamaica Stefán Ásmundsson, North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, and Driss Meski, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas Participants consulting Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago Matthías Pálsson, Iceland Anca Leroy, EU Sidney Kemble, the Netherlands, with Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Sonoko Ichimura, and Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Participants networking during the lunch break John Brincat, EU, and Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Margo Deiye, Nauru Carmen Mifsud, Malta Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh From L-R: Joelle Casanova, Tidiani Couma and Florian Botto, Monaco Exhibitions inside the UN Headquarters: Refugees

On Wednesday, 31 August, 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) met briefly in plenary in the morning. The informal working group on environmental impact assessment (EIA) also met in the morning, to continue a discussion of EIA governance and exchange views on strategic environmental assessment. The informal working group on capacity building and technology transfer met for the rest of the day, to consider principles and approaches, as well as specific proposals. 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. Evan Bloom, US, and Zentaro Naganuma, Japan Driss Meski, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and Mohamed Atlassi, Morocco Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Alice Revell, New Zealand Martin Zvachula, Federated States of Micronesia Kjell Kristian Egge, Norway Charlotte Salpin, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS), and Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago Zakieh Taghizadeh and Momtaz Djamchid, Iran Rena Lee (Singapore), Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology Tidiani Couma, Monaco, and Kimo Goree, Vice-President, IISD Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica Lizanne Aching, Trinidad and Tobago Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Thembile Joyini, South Africa Catherine Boucher, Canada Wini Broadbelt, EU Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria Marcia Rochina, Ecuador Prim Masrinuan, Thailand for the Group of 77 and China James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Chair Eden Charles, Trinidad and Tobago, with Janine Coye-Felson, Belize Jung So-hyun, Republic of Korea Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados Christopher Katota, Zambia Xinmin Ma, China Ismail Raushan, Maldives Fred Sarufa, Papua New Guinea Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea Despina Boubalos, Greece, and Sofia Tsenikli, Greenpeace Wini Broadbelt and René Lefeber, the Netherlands Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, with the delegation of Monaco Exhibitions inside the UN Headquarters: SDGs