The Philippines has welcomed the United Nations' move to adopt the first ever treaty to protect biodiversity—the High Seas Treaty—after the country's two-decade participation in its process "with high hopes and inspiration."
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta led the Philippine delegation that welcomed the development. He said the Philippines, "as an archipelagic state, and home to richness in species, the waters around the world form one single interconnected system."
With the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the "guidepost," Sorreta said, the member states approached the process with the following principles:
• common heritage of mankind
• fair and equitable sharing of benefits
• rights and jurisdiction of adjacent coastal states
• special recognition for archipelagic states
• the precautionary principle, and
•transparency of action and support
On June 19, the UN made an historic move after it adopted an agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
According to DFA, the agreement was adopted by consensus and is consistent with the provisions of UNCLOS on protecting and preserving the marine environment.
It recognizes the need to address biological diversity loss and degradation of ocean ecosystems in a coherent and cooperative manner, DFA said.
The agreement also underscores the need for a comprehensive global regime, under UNCLOS, to better address conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond jurisdiction, it added.