EU Explanation of Vote – UN General Assembly 2nd Committee: sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea
Chair,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as Monaco align themselves with this statement.
We extend our gratitude to Ms. Kereeta Whyte of Barbados and Ms. Janeel Drayton of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for facilitating the negotiations and to the Secretariat for its support. We approached these negotiations in a spirit of utmost constructiveness, fully recognizing the resolution’s importance to our partners, the Caribbean states.
We are pleased that the revised draft resolution expresses concerns about the record-breaking sea surface temperatures in 2023 and 2024, and that it looks forward to the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice next year. We consider both issues highly relevant for the Caribbean Sea.
The European Union and its Member States consider it unfortunate, however, that preambular paragraph 10 on the BBNJ Agreement was the subject of a vote. This Agreement is a key priority for us, because it is of crucial importance to reverse the decline in the health of our ocean, and we continue to call for its swift entry into force. We therefore appreciate all Member States that voted against the amendment to weaken the original language.
Chair,
The European Union and its Member States wish to use this opportunity to also express their regret regarding four issues.
First, we are disappointed that the text does not welcome the Summit of the Future, or the Pact for the Future and its annexes, which were adopted by consensus by our leaders. The Pact for the Future includes a dedicated chapter on sustainable development. It addresses issues of crucial importance to the entire UN membership, including Caribbean countries, such as climate change, ocean health, biodiversity loss, and sea level rise.
Second, we hope that in the future we can agree on the reference to the Paris Agreement in the UN Treaty Series - if we are to achieve our climate objectives, we must remain united.
Third, we regret the omission of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Fourth, we would like to express our views regarding the language used in preambular paragraph 9 to refer to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This formulation is not consistent with agreed language in the Omnibus resolution on oceans and the law of the sea which, in our view, is and should remain the authoritative source of any reference to the Convention in resolutions of the UN General Assembly, namely: “Emphasizing the universal and unified character of the Convention, and reaffirming that the Convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained”. In this respect, we wish to reiterate that by establishing the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out, the Convention promotes stability of the law as well as maintenance of international peace and security. The universal character of the Convention is evidenced in its universal language and purpose, in the commitment to settle all law of the sea issues on the basis that they are interrelated and need to be considered as a whole, and in its almost universal participation. In addition, international jurisprudence has long accepted that its provisions either embody or reflect customary international law. In concluding, joining consensus on the adoption of this resolution does not imply agreement with the language used in preambular paragraph 9 nor support for its use in any other resolution in the future.
Chair,
The European Union and its Member States welcome the adoption by consensus of the resolution. In conclusion, we look forward to continue working together with our Caribbean partners on issues of common concern. I thank you.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.