Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa3 Lazaro submitted the Philippines’ instrument of ratification for the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), also known as the High Seas Treaty, in New York City on Tuesday, September 23.
In her remarks, Lazaro said the agreement seeks to address the loss of biological diversity and the degradation of ocean ecosystems.
“The Agreement is a milestone in addressing biodiversity loss and ocean degradation. It is a crucial multilateral framework for an archipelagic state like the Philippines, located in the world’s center of marine biodiversity and bounded by the high seas in the Pacific and the South China Sea. It further implements and reinforces UNCLOS,” she said.
Lazaro also emphasized the Philippines’ advocacy for fair and equitable benefit sharing, capacity building, and marine technology transfer, particularly for developing states. She noted that the Philippines actively participated in the two-decade process that led to the BBNJ Agreement.
The BBNJ Agreement, the third implementing agreement of the 1982 UNCLOS, affirms the country’s responsibility to protect and preserve the marine environment, including the high seas. It is particularly significant for the Philippines, given its proximity to vast swathes of high seas in the Pacific and in the South China Sea, as affirmed by the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ratified the BBNJ Agreement on June 18, 2024. The Senate subsequently concurred with the ratification in September, with a unanimous vote of 17-0.
