APS : Saturday, 01 April 2017
NEW YORK- Algeria has begun negotiations, in New York, on behalf of African countries, on the elements of a new international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Speaking on behalf of the African group at a meeting of a Preparatory Committee in New York, Algeria underlined the need to take into consideration the interests of African coastal countries when drafting the new instrument.
In this regard, Algeria called for the setting-up of a mechanism for fair sharing of the benefits from the exploitation of marine genetic resources.
Algeria will defend the African continent’s interests in the exploitation of marine genetic resources, environmental impact assessments, national capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
The main objective is to help African countries in the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.
Algeria’s efforts are part of the African Union strategy aiming at giving the priority to seas and oceans in the African economy, by declaring 2015-2025 decade as Decade of African Seas and Oceans, in order to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063, adopted by African Heads of state in 2015.
The negotiations on a new legally binding instrument were decided by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
The instrument aims at improving the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction.
