Nigeria signs Treaty on Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Biological Diversity
Oru Leonard
Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu I. Lamuwa on Friday, 3rd May, 2024, signed the Treaty On Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The ceremony took place at the Treaty Signature Room of the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the supervision of Mr. David Nanopoulos, Chief of the Treaty Section. The BBNJ Agreement was adopted on 19th June, 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations and has been open for signature since 20th September, 2023.
The BBNJ Agreement becomes the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea.
The BBNJ Agreement aims to address four main issues:
i. Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits;
ii. Measures such as area-based management tools, including Marine protected areas;
iii. Environmental impact assessments; and
iv. Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
Nigeria played an active role in the negotiations and the eventual adoption of the Treaty. It is the 90th country to sign the Treaty and efforts would be made to ratify it as soon as possible.
The BBNJ Agreement is open for signature by all States and regional economic integration organizations from 20th September, 2023 to 20 September 2025, and will enter into force 120 days after the date of deposition of the sixtieth instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance or accession. As of today 90 Countries have signed and Nigeria is the Ninetieth country on the list. Four countries have ratified including Belize, Palau, Seychelles and Chile.
(MFA Press)
