The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is adopted by Brazil, lays down the legal grounds on exploration and use of the sea, including the protection and sustainable use of the marine biodiversity in high seas, whose areas are beyond the limits of jurisdiction of the convention´s State Members.
Over the last decade many questions have been raised as to the efficacy of UNCLOS´s provisions, as well as of other international rules as to the effective protection of the marine biodiversity in the high seas. For this reason, in 2004, the United Nations General Assembly has informally set up a work group to study this matter.
In January, 2015, after the 9th annual meeting of the referred work group, this same work group agreed to recommend the United Nations General Assembly to hold an international conference in order to allow that a legally binding international instrument were proposed to best regulate the conservation and sustainable use of the marine biodiversity in the high seas.
The Preparatory Committee will start their works in 2016, and in 2017 will present a report to the UN General Assembly with substantial recommendations about the convening of an intergovernmental conference in order to draft the aforementioned international instrument.
It is expected that that the recommendations of the referred work group will be approved.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
