HIGH SEAS ALLIANCE CLOSING STATEMENT FOR CBD COP16

High Seas Alliance closing statement for CBD COP16. Statement from Rebecca Hubbard, Director, High Seas Alliance.

“After the successful adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at CBD CoP15 in 2022 and the High Seas Treaty in 2023—celebrated as a major multilateral achievement—it is astonishing that CBD CoP16 focused so much on preventing regression on past commitments, often without success. This was the first CBD CoP since the High Seas Treaty was adopted, and despite near universal support by countries, consensus decision-making hindered even a simple welcoming of this significant Treaty.

“Outside of the negotiations it was encouraging to see the importance of the High Seas Treaty acknowledged at many events throughout the conference, including at a High Level event  attended by ministers to promote High Seas action on the 28th October that saw the launch of  a joint funding pledge of $51.7 million and a non-governmental organisation-led High Seas MPA Accelerator.

“There were some important positive steps with regards to ocean action, such as the agreement to update the process for identifying ecologically and biologically significant marine areas that will contribute to the scientific underpinning of future High Seas marine protected areas and the data needed for environmental impact assessments to evaluate potential threats.

“A big breakthrough at the meeting, following hours of negotiations extending into the next day, was on a new multilateral mechanism on the rules governing access to digital sequencing information (DSI) on genetic resources. Given the interlinkages with the DSI benefit-sharing obligations of the High Seas Treaty, High Seas Alliance will follow closely how it will be developed and implemented to ensure they are mutually supportive.

“However, it was deeply disappointing that despite the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis looming large, countries ran out of time and the meeting was suspended before agreement on key issues around resource mobilisation and the monitoring framework, both critical for the effective implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Just two years after committing to this global plan of action, parties are straying from achieving their targets, particularly in providing crucial financing, and many had missed deadlines for submitting their national biodiversity action plans already going into the meeting.

“We urge governments, frustrated by the recent lack of progress, to double down on efforts to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Targets, and expedite the ratification of the High Seas Treaty – the only way to achieve the 30×30 Target for the ocean. Securing the required 60 ratifications for the Treaty’s entry into force would demonstrate continued momentum for biodiversity conservation, global political leadership and have a meaningful impact on safeguarding the future health of our ocean and its biodiversity.”