Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction

STATEMENT, ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA AT THE MEETING OF THE AD HOC OPEN-ENDED INFORMAL WORKING GROUP TO STUDY ISSUES RELATING TO THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY BEYOND AREAS OF NATIONAL JURISDICTION (New York, 17 February 2006)

Mr. Co Chairs I have the honour to speak on behalf of G77 and China a group representing 132 Countries.

Mr. Co-Chairs you have asked for comments on your trends document.

Mr. Co-Chairs you sent a letter to all Missions dated 20 January 2006. In that letter you mapped out your intentions for the meeting we are now holding. You indicated that the outcomes of the meeting will consist of “A summary of trends that emerged in the course of the meeting under each agenda items”. Mr. Co-Chairs, you have fulfilled your promise to us in this respect. We have received the trends document and the G77 and China congratulates you.

G77 and China has had opportunity to study the trends document and found a number of issues which they wish would have been reflected quite differently than the trend document has reflected them.

G77 and China however finds solace from paragraph 1 of the trends document wherein it is stated that “the trends which are summarized herein are the Co-Chairpersons’ general understanding of issues,…” It is further stated that “these trends are not exhaustive, are not intended to prejudice national positions and future discussion of these issues”.

In the light of this saving clause in paragraph 1, G77 and China stands ready to acknowledge the document and accept it as a package, a positive step in the right direction and shall therefore restrain itself from negotiating paragraph by paragraph.

Mr. Co-Chairs we are aware that there is still one promise that you must still fulfill and that is the preparation of the report and to that end the membership of G77 and China shall as they see fit offer specific ideas of their preferred positions and our hope is that these ideas would be useful to you and that you will receive them and reflect them appropriately.

Mr. Co-Chairs, as the G77 and China, we shall participate in the future meetings convened, in the negotiations on the GA resolutions, in the review conference on Fisheries and in UNICPOLOS to keep on the agenda the issues of importance to us.

We thank you for you good attempt at summarizing the trends of the meeting.