Solih Submits Marine Biodiversity Agreement to Parliament Following Cabinet Recommendation

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, upon recommendation from the Cabinet, has decided to submit the text of the ‘Agreement 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’ to the Parliament for their approval.

The decision was made at the Cabinet meeting yesterday, following discussions on a paper submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology.

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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 Treaty) is the most prolific global initiative to date to protect the biological diversity of marine ecosystems in open seas beyond the national jurisdiction.

The BBNJ Treaty’s objective is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, for the present and in the long term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea and further international cooperation and coordination.

During the cabinet discussions yesterday, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology emphasised the importance of the participation of a small island nation, such as the Maldives, in the treaty, given its relevance to protecting and sustaining marine life in the open seas.

The BBNJ treaty has 83 signatory nations to date.