The Fiji Government hosts National Workshop on the implementation of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Dr Filimon Manoni in his opening remarks, congratulated the Fiji Government on the remarkable initiative of hosting the first national workshop on BBNJ in the Region.
Speaking on behalf of the Fiji Government at the opening of the Workshop, Director Multilateral Affairs, for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and chair of the Maritime Affairs Coordinating Committee (MACC), Ms. Keleni Seruvatu, emphasized the importance of ensuring effective implementation before ratification of a Treaty.
Ms. Seruvatu also reiterated Fiji’s continued commitment to National, Regional, and International Oceans priorities.
The three-day workshop is hosted by the Fiji Government, in partnership with the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with support from the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and Arcadia, High Seas Alliance, and other partners.
The workshop aims to promote a better understanding of the BBNJ Agreement amongst the relevant stakeholders, including members of Fiji’s Maritime Affairs Coordinating Committee, and to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are aware of their respective roles and responsibilities under the BBNJ Agreement.
It will also provide an opportunity for discussions on the current legal framework, and the identification of the specific needs and priorities of Fiji, in preparation for the ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.
