General Assembly resolution 79/271: Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction

Authoritative text

United Nations A/RES/79/271 General Assembly Distr.: General 4 March 2025 Seventy-ninth session Agenda item 75 (c) Oceans and the law of the sea: Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 March 2025 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/79/L.55)]

79/271. Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 72/249 of 24 December 2017, in which it decided to convene an intergovernmental conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, to consider the recommendations of the Preparatory Committee established by resolution 69/292 of 19 June 2015 on the elements and to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea1 on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, with a view to developing the instrument as soon as possible, and other relevant resolutions and decisions relating to the convening of sessions of the conference,2 Recalling also the adoption by the conference, on 19 June 2023, of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction,3 by consensus, Recalling further its resolution 77/321 of 1 August 2023, resolution 78/272 of 24 April 2024 and decision 78/560 of 13 August 2024 on the Agreement, _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1833, No. 31363. 2 Resolutions 75/239 and 77/248 and decisions 74/543, 75/570, 76/564 and 77/556. 3 A/CONF.232/2023/4. A/RES/79/271 Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction Underscoring the importance of the work of the preparatory commission established by resolution 78/272 to prepare for the entry into force of the Agreement and to prepare for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement,

1. Welcomes the holding of the organizational meeting of the Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and the Convening of the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement from 24 to 26 June 2024 to discuss organizational matters, and recalls its decision 78/560, in which it requested the Secretary-General to, inter alia, convene the first and second sessions of the Preparatory Commission from 14 to 25 April and from 18 to 29 August 2025, respectively, and to convene at least one session of 10 working days in 2026, on dates to be determined in consultation with the Co-Chairs;

2. Takes note of the statement by the Co-Chair of the Preparatory Commission at the closing of the organizational meeting of the Commission;4

3. Emphasizes the importance of the early entry into force and effective implementation of the Agreement;

4. Takes note of the signatures and ratifications of the Agreement to date;

5. Calls upon all States and regional economic integration organizations that have not done so to consider signing and ratifying, approving or accepting the Agreement at the earliest possible date, ideally before the 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, to be co-hosted by Costa Rica and France and held in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, to allow for the early entry into force of the Agreement;

6. Invites Member States, international financial institutions, donor agencies, intergovernmental organizations, non‑governmental organizations and natural and juridical persons to make financial contributions to the voluntary trust fund to assist developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, in attending the meetings of the Preparatory Commission, and expresses its appreciation to those that have contributed;5

7. Notes with appreciation the capacity-building and technical assistance activities of States, regional economic integration organizations, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat, and other relevant United Nations entities and intergovernmental organizations within their respective mandates, in relation to the Agreement, taking note also of the contributions of other relevant stakeholders in this regard, and encourages the further undertaking of such activities;

8. Recalls its invitation to States to provide information to the Secretary- General on their capacity-building and technical assistance needs with a view to becoming parties to the Agreement to inform the further development and provision of capacity-building and technical assistance activities of the Division in support of requesting States becoming parties to the Agreement and the effective implementation of the Agreement; _______________ 4 A/AC.296/2024/4. 5 See resolutions 69/292 and 78/272. Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction A/RES/79/271

9. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its eightieth session, under the item entitled “Oceans and the law of the sea”, the sub-item entitled “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction”. 58th plenary meeting 4 March 2025