Fiji’s Ambassador-at-Large Amena Yauvoli led his country’s delegation at the first meeting on the development of an internationally legally binding instrument in New York which houses the UN Headquarters.
The meeting came under the purview of the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Fiji is committed to development an Agreement that deals with conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Mr Yauvoli stressed the need for implementing the Agreement to ensure complementarity with UNCLOS.
“It must also recognise that the scope and the general applicability of the proposed Agreement should include all living resources in the areas beyond national jurisdiction- from water columns to those on the seabed. The current and emerging issues such as climate change and ocean acidification should be considered and reflected in the Agreement,” he said.
Mr Yauvoli said that Fiji, like other small island developing countries recognises the need for capacity building.
Photo:
Amena Yauvoli with his delegation at the UN meeting in New York
