Press Conference: Ocean Action: Latest Developments, Negotiations and Priorities for Action, UN Convention on Biodiversity - COP 17

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this press briefing on ocean action at COP17. Thank you for joining us, both here in Yerevan and online. As we enter the second week of negotiations, and big hurrah for Brazil this morning, we're bringing together a fantastic group of speakers to take stock of where things stand. What's emerging from the negotiations and what needs to happen to accelerate ocean protection? The aim is to give you a sense of both the bigger picture and key issues to watch as we enter our second week. We'll hear briefly from each of our speakers and then have time for a few questions. And if any journalists would like to follow up with interviews, let us know. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce our first speaker, Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean. Peter, over to you.

I think it's technically the afternoon, so good afternoon, everybody. I'm so jet-lagged, I wouldn't know whether it's morning or night time. But thanks for the big turnout for this briefing. I think it's very significant that here in a landlocked country like Armenia, that ocean has achieved the levels that it has. I mean, I say that because tonight, the dinner, which is sort of launching the high-level segment of this COP, is actually an ocean dinner. I think 30 minutes is present. It's great that the ocean is being brought to the center of these international meetings, finally. It's taken a long time to get there, I have to say. We're here at a biodiversity COP. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is life. Where is the majority of life, i.e. biodiversity, on the planet? It's in the ocean. We're terrestrial mammals, big terrestrial mammals, so we think about things like elephants and giraffes and lions a lot. But we really need to refocus on what is really important on planet Earth when it comes to life, which is the ocean and the micro life within it. You hold up one liter of healthy ocean water, one liter, just one liter, and you're looking at a million life forms within that glass tank, that liter in front of you. I mean, this is the basis of life on this planet. had our nuclear wars or whatever it is that humanity is heading towards, there will still be that life in the ocean. And as far as we know, it's the only life in the universe. So this is critically important. It's what we should be teaching our kids about, the microscopic life that's out there in the ocean, because that is the foundation of biodiversity. That's where biodiversity is on the planet. So, as I say, I'm really glad that the ocean is finally getting to the center of these meetings, and that includes All these other big meetings that are coming up, like the Antalya UNFCCC COP in Turkey in a couple of weeks time, people are calling that the Blue COP. I've been calling it the Blue COP for a long time, and I'm happy to say that Australia and Türkiye really are bringing the ocean to the center of the COP 31, the Blue COP. There will be an Antalya Ocean Declaration, for example, and that's an initiative that comes out of the co-host Türkiye. Of course, they were very present in the Pacific pre-COP, which we held about two weeks ago in my home country of Fiji and in Tuvalu, and they are very much taking the lead from the Pacific Island countries in bringing the ocean to the center of COP31 in Antalya, as they should be. I mean, the ocean has absorbed 90% of the heat that's been caused by the global warming of the greenhouse gases that we've put up there in the atmosphere thanks to burning of fossil fuels. What is more important than the ocean when it comes to climate change conferences? But finally, we are there at the top table. It's taken a long time to get there. So I just want to push one thing for Antalya, which is the Blue NDC Challenge. The Blue NDC Challenge is calling on countries to include all these vital ocean issues in their NDCs. And there will be a launch of a task force in Antalya for the Blue NDC Challenge to help countries that need help in getting their NDCs in shape as far as the ocean is concerned. I've only got a short amount of time, so I want to push on to the question of marine protected areas. You know, this is essential. This is what came out of the Montreal The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was this target of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030. Well, you know, majority of the planet is ocean, so obviously the ocean has to be protected. And we're far short of that at the moment. I think about 10% of the ocean is now protected. We need to get to that 30%. There is only one way to do it, only one way to do it. And I was in China all last week and I said this every day to our friends in China, which is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework can only succeed if the Southern Ocean MPAs which have been on the table at CAMLR, and CAMLR is meeting now. It's meeting this week, and there's been a deadlock there for a long time on the declaration of these giant marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. We will not get the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed. I mean, the targets will not be met unless CAMLR gets these MPAs approved this week. At least the Antarctica Peninsula MPA needs to be done by the end of this week. And, of course, there's a cruel fisheries management plan which comes into that as well. I'm getting the signal down here that I got to shut up. So, I will just conclude with two points, which is that There's some really important meetings coming up that you should be aware of. Please be aware of it. It's very important for biodiversity. One is the UN Decade Conference in Rio in April next year. Very important for biodiversity that, you know, we follow the science. So this is ocean science coming together in Rio in April. The other one that you should be very aware of, of course, is the fourth UN Ocean Conference, which is where we hold our feet to the fire as to are we staying true to the targets of SDG 14. And that is in Busan, Korea, in June 2028. Thank you very much.

Hello, everyone. My name is Anna La Forge, and I am here with the Ocean and Climate Platform. Thank you very much for the invitation. It's a pleasure to be with you all today. I will give a brief update about the negotiations and the place of the ocean in those. So two years after Cali, which was said to be the bluest COP in CBD history, where do we stand? Is the ocean getting enough attention? So this is the question I've been asked to respond to. And four years after the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework, it's time to step back and take stock of our collective progress towards achieving its four goals and 23 targets. Of course, this global review is meant to do more than measure progress. It must expose the gaps, sharpen political priorities, and guide countries as they revise their national biodiversity strategies and action plans in 2028. For the ocean, this moment matters. With the CBD's mandate covering all life on Earth, there is a risk that marine and coastal biodiversity receives less attention in the implementation of the framework. But it is essential to remember that nature is also blue. Early findings have confirmed this concern. National efforts on marine biodiversity are clearly lagging behind. The challenge now is to carry that recognition into the global review itself, ensuring that the ocean is explicitly reflected in the priorities that will guide actions through 2030. When we can see the negotiations, there's reason for careful optimism. First, as I've said, the text already recognizes this implementation gap that is facing marine and coastal ecosystems. Second, despite countries being initially reluctant to single out specific biomes or sectors, the need to accelerate actions in these ecosystems is integrated in the latest drafts. Even if the language can be considered weak, with language reaffirming countries' ability to self-determine their priorities, this is already a positive first step that we hope to consolidate. Another priority to highlight is ocean-focused initiatives and their contributions to implementing the framework. The Ocean Breakthroughs campaign is one example. It sets clear targets for 2030 to help countries advance their national climate, biodiversity, and socioeconomic priorities across five key sectors: marine conservation, ocean renewable energy, shipping, aquatic food, and coastal tourism. To turn these targets into action, the campaign brings forward a financial roadmap, initiatives to support delivery, and a dashboard to track progress. And if you'd like to discuss this a bit further, I'll be available also after the conference. And lastly, as a priority. Or the signal that we notice is the separate decision on marine and coastal biodiversity, which includes language recognizing that these ecosystems consistently receive less attention than terrestrial ones and urges parties to step up implementation of the framework in these areas. Despite these positive signals, nothing is set in stone and we expect the text to continue to change in this upcoming week, possibly significantly, and real progress may only, may have to wait until this week when the ministers arrive. Of course, the global review is only one part of the COP17 puzzle, and the packed agenda of negotiations shows the breadth of issues discussed over the two weeks. While all these items apply and are relevant to marine and coastal biodiversity, I wanted to address three ongoing discussions specifically. Let's start with the most obvious one, the marine and coastal biodiversity item, where two milestones decisions were adopted in Cali, respectively on the designations of ecologically and biologically significant areas and the CBD's program of work on this issue. Countries were tasked to discuss the next steps and their implementation, including two annexes. One on peer review processes for the description of areas meeting the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, and a second on the terms of reference for the informal advisory group on work conducted under the Convention on Biological Diversity in relation to marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Chile and Iceland, as the co-chairs for this item, had a clear mandate. not suggest any new text or proposals, but to only remove the current brackets. The discussion is overall consensual after this first week, with a wide majority of countries trying to lift the brackets and trying to find compromise, and one country continuing to block advancements. After two sessions in contact groups, the discussions have now concluded. Of course, considering that the ocean is at the heart of both biodiversity and climate action, I also wanted to talk about the climate action item. Here again, Cali had made a significant difference. At COP 16, countries asked the CBD Secretariat to explore options to enhance policy coherence across the Rio Conventions. And after two years of technical work, it has developed a roadmap identifying concrete actions to operationalize synergies, including some ocean-related opportunities. The priority that we see is to keep the same level ambition in the text language and effectively adopt this roadmap to implement the synergies. We would also like to see more references to ocean climate nexus, as there are less references than COP16's text, and some have already been removed. Ideally, we would hope for a reference on the UNFCCC's Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue summary reports. Last but not least, I also wanted to close on international cooperation. And while historically these discussions have mostly focused on biodiversity-related conventions, we are seeing greater attention to cooperation related to the Rio Conventions. Importantly, the draft text currently includes references to the BBNG agreement, acknowledging its entry into force and calling for cooperation between the secretariats. This is particularly encouraging. Especially considering the renewed momentum the agreement has brought for ocean protection and the need for alignment to support the 30 by 30 goal. Discussion time was very limited last week on this issue, so we hope to see this advance in the second week of negotiations and remove the brackets around the BBNG language. Therefore, to the question, is the ocean getting enough attention or the attention it deserves at COP17? I would respond, not yet. It should further, it should be further elevated in the global review, but also discussed beyond the marine item, including, for instance, the climate item. However, we see strong mobilization both within the negotiation rooms and outside, noting, for example, the first ever CBD ocean pavilion, which has made a significant difference, providing a space to showcase solutions to effectively protect, restore marine and coastal biodiversity. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you so much. My name is Polly Merriman, and I'm the Interim Senior Director for the Oceans at WWF International. And it's, as we just heard, we're meeting at an incredible time for our ocean and for the promise the world made through the Global Biodiversity Framework. We just heard the Global Review has sent a clear warning: implementation is not moving at the pace or scale needed to deliver the framework by 2030. And in the ocean, we are falling particularly far behind. We urgently need to move from commitments to implementation. The Ocean Protection Gap Report that issued this year shows just how urgent that is. Around 10% of the ocean is currently designated for protection and conservation, but even if existing national commitments are fully delivered, that would rise to only around 12% by 2030. On land and inland waters, we are around 20% today with commitments that would take us to roughly 27%. So when it comes to 30 by 30, the ocean is furthest behind. But this is not simply a numbers game. Protection on paper does not necessarily mean protection in the water. Today, just 3.5% of the global ocean is assessed as effectively protected. So we must close both the gap in coverage and the gap between designation and meaningful conservation that delivers for nature and people. And that brings me to the new Beyond the Percentage report from WWF and partners. Its message is simple. Success cannot be measured simply by drawing lines on a map. It must be measured by what happens within those lines. Are ecosystems recovering? Is protection effectively managed and financed? And are the rights, knowledge, and leadership of indigenous peoples and local communities fully recognized and respected? Because 30 by 30 is not only a conservation commitment. A healthy ocean underpins food security, livelihoods, cultures, economies, and resilience to climate change. Previous analysis identified at least 85 billion in potential annual economic benefits by 2050 through healthier fisheries, coastal protection, and conserved blue carbon ecosystems. So effective, equitable, and enduring ocean protection should be seen by governments as an investment not only in nature, but in people, in prosperity, and resilience. It is against this backdrop that more than 140 organizations and leading voices from across civil society have come together to issue a global call to governments to accelerate delivery of 30 by 30 in the ocean. The call presented yesterday during Target 3 Action Day responds directly to the significant gap between global ambition and action highlighted by the Ocean Protection Gap Report, and its message is clear: COP17's Global Review must be more than an assessment of progress. It must drive a step change in the pace and scale of ocean protection. As ministers arrive in COP17 this week, we hope they will hear this collective call to action and respond with renewed political commitment and concrete action to accelerate effective delivery of 30 by 30 in the ocean. We have no time to lose. The ocean is already feeling the impacts of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, and coastal communities around the world are experiencing the consequences firsthand. So, the good news is we know what good looks like. From Papua New Guinea to Inuit COVID governance in Canada's Arctic, we already have powerful examples of high-quality 30 by 30 implementation. The task now is to take these lessons to scale and fast. And that requires finance. An estimated 16 billion a year is needed for Marine 30 by 30 compared with current spending of around 1.8 billion. We cannot expect to close the ocean protection gap without also closing the finance gap. And action cannot stop at national borders. The High Seas Treaty gives us an extraordinary new opportunity to protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, which our next speaker will say more about. And importantly, the public is with us. In a recent survey of 20,000 people across 20 countries, eight in ten said that they want governments to protect the ocean faster. And 95% said that areas designated for ocean conservation should be effectively managed, genuinely protect marine wildlife and ecosystem rather than being protected in name only. So that is a clear public mandate for action. So we are calling for governments here at COP17 to recognize the outcomes of the global review, commit to accelerating action on effective ocean protection, mobilizing long-term finance, and advancing the enhanced cooperation necessary to secure protection on the high seas through the BBNJ agreement. Governments agreed to 30 by 30 together. Now we must work together to deliver it at the speed and scale that our ocean and all those who depend on it urgently need. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Paulie. Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Rebecca Hubbard, the director of the High Seas Alliance. Thank you so much for having us, and thank you for coming. Safeguarding the high seas is absolutely essential to life on the planet and to saving life on the planet. We cannot restore nature because secure a healthy climate or a safe climate and a healthy future for all generations if we do not protect the high seas. They cover two-thirds of the global ocean and approximately half of the planet, and are among the most biodiverse places on Earth, and yet some of the most underprotected. The High Seas Treaty is the biggest opportunity to close this gap, one because we're actually the furthest from achieving our goals of 30% protection. Just 1.5% of the high seas are currently protected, so we're a very long way from 30 by 30. But the treaty, the High Seas Treaty, which entered into force in January this year, for the first time gives us the legal framework to be able to comprehensively close that gap. It really gives us an opportunity to revolutionize protection in the global ocean. And critically, to help us achieve the goal of 30% protection by 2030, which the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework committed us to and all of the countries committed to achieving. The first COP, or the first Conference of Parties for the High Seas Treaty, will occur from the 11th to the 22nd of January, so just three months away, and is a critical milestone in enabling us to start to implement the treaty and to start to move, to turn this promise and piece of paper, essentially, into action on the water. Parties must agree to set up the institutional framework and agree to decision-making processes which will enable us to actually do the work. We need to build it right, build it to deliver, and build it to last, because we all know this is not an overnight job. In order to deliver on the treaty's promise to establish fully and highly protected marine protected areas, and to set rigorous, transparent standards for environmental impact assessments, whilst also leveling the playing field and ensuring that there really is equitable access to the benefits of our marine resources globally. we have 104 parties to the High Seas Treaty, including, might I say, a number of landlocked countries, including Armenia, our host for this conference. We cannot stop at this. We really need universal ratification. The CBD has somewhere around 190 parties, I think, and certainly for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, we're aiming for the same thing, to ensure legitimacy, equity, and effective governance We need to have parties from all regions, and a large number of parties from all regions. We're doing very well at the moment. We do have all regions covered. We have small island developing states, landlocked countries, developed states, but we need more and all of these states to join the party, particularly if countries want to have a seat at the table to make these key decisions in January at the first COP. because these decisions will really design how effective and how impactful the treaty can really be. Cooperation with the CBD and other forum and international bodies is also going to be invaluable and necessary. the High Seas Treaty can draw on CBD's scientific knowledge, guidance, and data. There's been a number of events, I'm sure many of you have been to them, on the synergies between the BBNJ agreement and the CBD, but also with other forums. So BBNJ can also draw on those synergies on those existing institutions and expertise that also exist in other forums, like the Convention on Migratory Species, the UNFCCC, and others. And this coordination is going to be key to minimizing duplication, increasing the likelihood of achieving the outcomes that we're all working towards on biodiversity and climate, and also ensuring that our smaller countries, the less Resource countries, developing states, really have the ability to contribute, lead, and deliver on these objectives. Finally, the High Seas Treaty offers CBD and other bodies an opportunity to also change the game, to act with urgency, ambition, and at a speed concomitant with the crises that we face and the commitments that governments have made. to ensure that we can really co-create a network of protected areas, secure these healthy environments with all of our citizens, with Indigenous peoples, with scientists and other stakeholders, and achieve that network of protected areas globally that we so desperately need to safeguard the future. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Perkenalkan nama saya Muhammad Isa Al-Basir, ketua nelayan tradisional Indonesia, Sumatera Utara, asal Kota Medan. Saya.

Thank you very much. My name is Muhammad Isa Al-Basir. And I am representing a traditional fishing entity in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. I have been a fisher for 25 years, and I have seen life become more difficult for traditional fishers over the past 20 years. We continue to face IUU.

My organization is Indonesian Traditional Fishers Union, KMTI. I have been a fisher for 25 years, and I have seen life become more difficult for traditional fishers over the past 20 years. We continue to face IUU fishing, including trawling, fish bombing. These practices damage marine biodiversity, put our fishing ground at risk, and reduce our catches.

Selain itu, ada juga pembangunan reklamasi yang menutup akses masyarakat nelayan tradisional ke wilayah pesisir dan tempat mencari ikan, serta alih fungsi hutan mangrove untuk pembangunan mengancam sumber penghidupan. Kerusakan ini berdampak pada keanekaragaman hayati dan ekosistem pesisir. Kami terus menolak kerusakan ini dan memperjuangkan konservasi berbasis masyarakat nelayan tradisional Indonesia ikut terlibat dalam menjaga laut dan pesisir sekaligus tetap memiliki akses dan hak wilayah tangkap kami.

In addition, reclamation projects that block traditional fisher access to coastal area and fishing ground, along with the destruction of mangrove forests for development, threatening our livelihood. And these destructions also harm biodiversity and coastal ecosystem. We continue to oppose this destruction and advocate for community-based conservation that recognize and protect the right of traditional fishing community.

Selama satu minggu ini, saya berada di sini bersama kawan-kawan dari Amerika Latin, Afrika, Asia. berupaya menyuarakan aspirasi kami melalui berbagai forum strategis. Kami mendorong agar pengalaman dan kebutuhan nelayan tradisional menjadi daripada bagian pembahasan dan pengambilan keputusan terkait keanekaragaman hayati. Kami ingin memastikan bahwa suara nelayan didengar, terutama terkait perlindungan wilayah tangkap, penghentian praktik penangkapan ikan dan merusak, dan pengakuan terhadap peran masyarakat pesisir lokal adat Indonesia.

Over the past week at CBD COP 17, I have joined small-scale fishers and representatives of fishing communities from Latin America, Africa, and Asia to engage in strategic forum and bring our voices and concerns to decision-makers. Together, we have advocated for the recognition of traditional fishers' rights and the protection of our fishing grounds and the importance of community-led conservation. We want to ensure that the experiences and perspectives from fishing communities are heard and included in global biodiversity discussions.

Kami melihat bahwa isu laut dan pesisir termasuk peran nelayan tradisional dalam menjaga keanekaragaman hayati masih perlu mendapat perhatian lebih dalam pembahasan CBD. terkait konservasi, khususnya target 2 tentang pemulihan ekosistem dan target tentang konservasi kawasan harus melibatkan nelayan tradisional, masyarakat adat, dan komunitas lokal. Upaya konservasi juga harus menghormati hak-hak masyarakat atas wilayah kelola dan wilayah tangkap mereka, serta mengakui pengetahuan dan praktik tradisional yang selama ini berperan dalam menjaga laut. Jangan sampai kebijakan konservasi justru membatasi akses nelayan terhadap wilayah yang menjadi sumber penghidupan kami.

We are concerned that marine and coastal issues, as well as the role of small-scale fishers in biodiversity conservation, still need stronger recognition in CBD discussions. The implementation of Global Biodiversity Framework targets 2 and 3, particularly those related to ecosystem restoration and area-based conservation, must respect customary tenure rights and traditional fishing practices. Conservation efforts should recognize traditional knowledge and ensure the meaningful participation of indigenous people and local communities in the shared governance of marine protected areas. Fishers must be recognized as partners in conservation, not excluded from the territories and waters that sustain our livelihood.

COP 17 menghasilkan tindakan nyata untuk melindungi keanekaragaman hayati laut dan pesisir, masyarakat nelayan tradisional, penghentian praktik penangkap ikan merusak dan menjamin akses nelayan tradisional ke wilayah tangkap mereka. Kami juga berharap pertemuan internasional ini menghasilkan kebijakan-kebijakan yang pro terhadap kami, mengakui dan melindungi hak-hak nelayan tradisional kami dan nelayan tradisional kecil demi berkelanjutan hidup masyarakat pesisir dan kelestarian Bumi, thank you. We hope this CBD.

COP will lead to concrete action to protect marine and coastal biodiversity, stop destructive fishing activity, and secure traditional fisher access to their fishing grounds. COP17 must lead to policies that recognize the right of traditional small-scale fishers for the benefit of people and planet. Thank you.

Thanks everyone for their time. If you have questions, we can coordinate questions with any requested interviews outside, as I'm conscious that we've run to time. So thank you for your attendance, and please keep the momentum up for the ocean.