India today urged the member nations to stay dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the oceans and its biodiversity, as well as to supporting sustainable economic development and the well-being of coastal people under the United Nation’s Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS).

In a draft statement supporting the high ambition coalition for the early conclusion of the International Legally Binding Instrument – Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) under UNCLOS, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India's approach to biodiversity management is congruent with three globally accepted principles: conservation, sustainable usage, and equitable benefit sharing.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that India’s legislative framework, the "Biodiversity Act of 2002," bears witness to these values and we are determined to support all endeavors of global organizations that work towards the shared objective of achieving a robust and effective agreement on the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Dr Jitendra Singh in the draft statement desired to have a global agreement to ensure a protected and resilient ocean and extended support for the early conclusion of the ongoing BBNJ negotiations and the entry into force of a strong framework that addresses conservation, sustainable utilization, and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of the same.

Aside from major elements such as Marine Protected Areas, Marine Genetic Resources and equitable benefit sharing, capacity building and transfer of marine technology, and Environmental Impact Assessment, India believes that the establishment of new institutions or the strengthening of existing ones with a robust democratic way of functioning are far more important, the Minister added.

Dr Jitendra Singh underlined that India is satisfied with the present talks at the Intergovernmental Conference, as several rounds of intergovernmental talks have been ongoing since 2014, with the most recent one taking place in 2023. He added that during these negotiations, member states worked to reach an agreement on a variety of issues, including the scope and governance of the agreement, the conservation and management of marine genetic resources, the sharing of benefits from their use, and the protection and preservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that despite significant progress on several major issues, negotiations are still ongoing, and consensus not arrived at important issues like funding, intellectual property rights and institutional mechanisms.

The Minister said, India is looking forward to this last session, which we believe will result in constructive ideas that will be a big step forward in addressing these challenges. We believe that the adoption of BBNJ agreement would signal the international community's strong commitment to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the areas beyond national jurisdiction, and would provide a clear mandate for the implementation of the agreement, the Minister added.

Biodiversity occurring in areas beyond national jurisdiction remains a vital resource from the global seas, with more than 60% of it still to be managed and regulated with a legal frame work aimed at conservation. Biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction is also critical for the health of the ocean, the well-being of coastal people, and the overall sustainability of the planet.

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