Chile formalizes proposal to host the Secretariat of the United Nations BBNJ treaty

Valparaiso pursues to become the headquarters of the Secretariat of the so-called High Seas Treaty.

Chile, in line with its historical position in favor of ocean governance, seeks to host the Secretariat of the Treaty for the Conservation of Biodiversity Beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), an instrument whose text was adopted last Saturday at the United Nations, with the aim of working on the regulation and protection of marine biodiversity in areas and spaces that are outside national jurisdictions.

The treaty seeks, among other things, to strengthen ocean governance, create new policies for the conservation and sustainability of marine biodiversity, including offshore marine protected areas, as well as to promote the sustainable use of marine genetic resources, evaluate environmental impacts and carry out an equitable distribution of benefits so that developing countries are also favored.

The search to install the headquarters in Chile is consistent with the vocation and history of our country, characterized by its participation in the ocean economy, by projecting itself as a gateway to the Pacific Ocean and, in addition, by having been a relevant actor in negotiations on the Law of the Sea for decades. For this reason, during these years, through a national delegation that included the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries and national entities, the country has actively participated in multilateral negotiations at the United Nations to formulate, along with other States, the BBNJ treaty.

Hosting the Secretariat of this international instrument in Chile can bring benefits at both the local and the national level, being a contribution and an opportunity, among others, for the scientific community and national universities, since the treaty has a fundamental chapter on capacity-building and technology transfer, as well as governance for the actions that countries wish to develop on the high seas. 

Through this proposal, the country ratifies its commitment to sustainable economic and environmental policies, especially in the ocean, where our country has decided to have a state policy within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which our country has been a party since 1997.

It is expected that the decision on where the Secretariat will be located will be made at the First Conference of the Parties of the UN, once the instrument enters into force. We are confident that Chile is the best place to initiate the process of this treaty, and for this we will continue working and collaborating so that the BBNJ is successful and adequate to protect biodiversity in the high seas.