SIDS Bulletin 55

Issue 55 | March 2022

This week the 4th round of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction is taking place from 7 to 18 March at the UN headquarters in New York. This conference follows the 2017 decision of the UN general assembly to develop an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, which would be a step forward for accelerating Blue Economy in SIDS. As many SIDS rely on the ocean to achieve SDGs in a disproportionate manner when compared to other countries, the blue economy plays a pivotal role in the fight against climate change and other environmental challenges SIDS are facing today.

The discussions are tackling the four main areas addressed in the revised draft text of the agreement, namely the  sharing of benefits of marine genetic resources, measures such as area-based management tools including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity-building and transfer of marine technology. This agreement is of particular importance to SIDS as the current draft invites States Parties that would benefit from marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction to share the benefits with SIDS as well as build SIDS’ capacity to sustainably use these resources. This would ensure a fair access to the sustainable blue economy opportunities in the high seas, but also provide SIDS with the capacity and technology to sustainably use the resources within their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). SIDS hold 19.1 percent of the world’s EEZs, and their combined ocean area is 20.7 times that of their land territory.

In this issue, we also celebrate International Women’s Day by reaffirming SIDS’ commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment, both of which have a multiplier effect on sustainable development and thus are essential for a full realization of human rights. Two stories of leadership in Mauritius and the Solomon Islands highlight the central role of women in development, as well as the capacity for SIDS to act as incubators for innovation.

Image: UNDP / Yuichi Ishida

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