Decision COP 16/17

The Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing the importance of marine and coastal biodiversity and of island biodiversity as one of the key cross-cutting elements of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and as critical to achieving the 2050 vision for biodiversity,

Recalling paragraph 8 of its decision 15/4 of 19 December 2022, in which it decided that the Framework should be used as a strategic plan for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, its bodies and its Secretariat over the period 2022–2030,

Recalling also its decisions IX/20 of 30 May 2008, X/29 and X/33 of 29 October 2010, XI/16, XI/18 and XI/20 of 19 October 2012, XII/23 of 14 October 2014, XIII/9 of 17 December 2016, XIII/10 and XIII/11 of 13 December 2016, XIII/12 of 17 December 2016, 14/8 of 29 November 2018, 14/10 and 14/30 of 29 December 2018 and 15/24 of 19 December 2022 in relation to cooperation and collaboration with relevant global and regional organizations and initiatives,

Recalling further General Assembly resolution 78/69 of 5 December 2023 on oceans and the law of the sea and its preambular paragraphs on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,

Recalling United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 6/15 of 1 March 2024, entitled “Strengthening ocean efforts to tackle climate change, marine biodiversity loss and pollution”,

Recognizing the need to strengthen cooperation and collaboration with competent intergovernmental organizations, including on processes under regional seas conventions and action plans and regional fishery bodies, including through the Sustainable Ocean Initiative, as well as other organizations with competence in areas beyond national jurisdiction, in support of the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity and island biodiversity, applying the ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach, and using the best available science and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, with their free, prior and informed consent, in accordance with relevant national legislation, international instruments, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and human rights law,

Acknowledging the importance of best available science, information and technology for decision-making, as well as the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, and welcoming the work undertaken under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, as well as the work of the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects and of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,

Considering that valuable guidance also emerges from the work of other competent intergovernmental organizations, which complements guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties,

Welcoming the capacity-building, experience-sharing and partnership activities facilitated by the Secretariat to support the implementation of the Framework, including through the Sustainable Ocean Initiative, at the national, regional and global levels, in collaboration with Parties, other Governments, subnational governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth, economic sectors and relevant organizations, and expressing its gratitude to donor countries and many other partners for providing financial and technical support for the implementation of activities under the Initiative,

Welcoming also the collaborative efforts carried out under the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations Secretariat, the International Maritime Organization, the International Seabed Authority, regional seas conventions and action plans, regional fishery bodies, large marine ecosystem projects and programmes and other relevant United Nations bodies, international organizations and regional organizations and initiatives to strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation on a regional and global scale in order to accelerate progress towards the Framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through the Sustainable Ocean Initiative Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations and Regional Fishery Bodies,

Acknowledging that, through the programmes of work on marine and coastal biodiversity and on island biodiversity, the Conference of the Parties has provided valuable guidance on a wide range of issues that is essential to the implementation of the Convention and the achievement of the 2050 vision for biodiversity and that the guidance should continue to be referred to in efforts to implement the Framework,

Deeply concerned about the increased frequency of mass coral bleaching and the increasing risk of the irreversible loss of coral reefs, reaffirming its decision X/33 and recalling its decision 14/5 of 29 November 2018 on biodiversity and climate change, and stressing the urgent need to implement the targets of the Framework that pertain to marine and coastal biodiversity and to island biodiversity, in particular Target 8,

1. Acknowledges the adoption of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction;

2. Encourages Parties, and invites other Governments participating in the intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, to take into consideration the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in its negotiations, as appropriate;

3. Urges Parties, and invites other Governments and relevant organizations and stakeholders, to accelerate the implementation of priority actions for coral reefs and closely associated ecosystems, as contained in the annex to decision XII/23, in the context of the Framework;

4. Recognizes that the programmes of work on marine and coastal biodiversity and on island biodiversity, together with relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties, still correspond to global priorities and contain guidance that provide essential support for the implementation of the Framework;

5. Notes that there are certain elements of the targets of the Framework for which limited guidance or tools are available under the programmes of work on marine and coastal biodiversity and on island biodiversity and that those elements may require enhanced action and attention to implement the Framework, as listed in the annex to the present decision, and that such work may take the form of new guidance, where needed, in cooperation and collaboration with competent intergovernmental organizations, avoiding duplication and making use of existing tools and guidance developed by other organizations and frameworks, the synthesis of best practices and experiences, and capacity-building and development with regard to the areas concerned;

6. Stresses that there are many areas of the programmes of work on marine and coastal biodiversity and on island biodiversity that have not been fully implemented and for which the enhanced provision of financial resources, capacity-building and development, technical and scientific cooperation and access to and transfer of technology, in particular for developing country Parties, especially the least developed countries and small island developing States, is needed;

7. Also stresses that a substantial and progressive increase in the level of financial resources, in an effective, timely and easily accessible manner and including national, international, public and private resources, is needed for the implementation of the Framework and of Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15 with regard to marine, coastal and island ecosystems;

8. Invites relevant global and regional organizations and bodies, within the jurisdictional scope of their mandates, as well as initiatives and related networks, to enhance their work on the issues listed in the annex to the present decision, in support of the implementation of the Framework, recognizing that many other organizations are conducting work on issues relevant to the implementation of the Framework;

9. Notes the ongoing work conducted under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, and encourages Parties, and invites other Governments, to ratify, approve, accept or accede to that Convention;

10. Requests that, subject to the availability of resources, the Executive Secretary enhance cooperation and collaboration with competent international organizations, including regional or subregional organizations, with regard to the issues listed in the annex to the present decision, in line with their respective mandates, for:

11. Also requests that the Executive Secretary continue the cooperation with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations Secretariat and organizations with competence in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, as appropriate and subject to the availability of resources, convene an expert workshop on opportunities for specific areas, including cross-sectoral areas, of scientific and technical work of work conducted under the Convention to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and make available information on such cooperation and the results of the workshop; 

12. Further requests that the Executive Secretary, subject to the availability of resources: