Management of the oceans and biodiversity.
This year, negotiations on a new international agreement to govern biodiversity conservation on the high seas, entitled 'Biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction' (BBNJ), will commence. This follows a UN General Assembly resolution in December 2017. The first round of talks will begin at the UN's New York headquarters from September 4-17, but an initial organising meeting will convene in March to appoint a conference chair and agree on an initial ‘zero draft’ preliminary text.
Pressures to establish new institutions to govern oceanic issues, and controversies over their remit, will grow.
Formal talks will provide campaigning opportunities for marine-conservation-oriented civil society groups.
Concerns about high seas climate geoengineering (counteracting climate change, such as via iron fertilisation) will grow.
