AS the build-up to this year’s United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France continues, there is a degree of optimism that Fiji will join other Pacific Island nations that have ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which is also known as the High Seas Treaty.
Last week, France’s ambassador to the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan was in Fiji to meet national and regional leaders ahead of the UNOC in June.
Co-hosted and co-chaired by the governments of France and Costa Rica, Ms Roger-Lacan told The Fiji Times that while there is the normal UN agenda to be carried out, the co-chairs also have their priorities.
She said France’s priorities at the UNOC were threefold.
The BBNJ Treaty – the legislative focus
She said the first priority was the legislative part, whereby the focus would be on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement – also referred to as the High Seas Treaty.
Ms Roger-Lacan said they wanted to be able to celebrate the official entry into force of the BBNJ by the time UNOC rolls around.
“Unfortunately, it won’t be the case, because for that, we needed 60 ratifications by February,” she said.
“Because there is a lapse of time between the entry into force and the last ratification instrument.
“Nevertheless, it is very important that we can announce that we have those 60 ratifications at the time of the UNOC. From UNOC onwards, the lapse will flow, and the entry into force will be six months later.”
She said for the time being, there were three ratifications from the Pacific — the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
“My job is also to tour in the Pacific, because I’m the roving French ambassador to the Pacific.
“So, I go from country to country in the Pacific with my list of issues and ratification of the BBNJ is one of them.”
Ms Roger-Lacan said the last time she was in Vanuatu, she was informed the country’s leaders would have a parliamentary session to ratify the BBNJ in May.
“We will add one ratification, and if Fiji is going to ratify at the time of the UNOC, if it can be before, it would be great. But if it is at the time of UNOC, it’s really great because if you count the number of independent states in the Pacific, it’s 14. Five ratifications, it would be already something, and it will anyway add up to the rest and constitute the 60 ratifications that we need. So, this is a big strategic aim for us.”
Ms Roger-Lacan said the other area of concern was the issue of the plastic treaty.
She said the last round of negotiations was not that good because plastic producers were not very engaged with the idea of banning plastic production.
However, she added it was interesting because there was co-participation between representatives from Fiji and France at those negotiations.
“They put together lots of common items that are needed for the plastic treaty to be signed, to be offered for signature.
“The Pacific Ocean is absolutely strategic in this field because the Pacific Ocean suffers from plastic pollution and it is a major stakeholder.
“If all the members of the Pacific Islands Forum could come up with a consolidated position on what should be negotiated on the plastic treaty, that would be amazing.”
Funding — the economical part
Ms Roger-Lacan said the economical front of UNOC would be the willingness to identify funds.
These include how funds would be produced and generated for the sustainability of the ocean.
“For example, to prevent some fishers from using cheap material, but encourage them to use sustainable material that respects the lives of the fish stocks and so on,” she said.
“So, this will be there, and we as co chairs, we have discussed a lot with the potential funders for these types of initiatives.
“This will be one of the, hopefully, deliverables, where there will be some announcements for this and that amount of money to be devoted to this and that project.
“We count very much on making lots of announcements for the Pacific.”
Science and indigenous knowledge – the third part
Ms Roger-Lacan said science would be at the forefront of UNOC with a huge science congress planned on the ocean.
“It’s organised the way of scientific congresses, you know, like the medicine congresses, with thousands of scientists which have sent their proposals for statements already.
“Proposals stopped in January, but nevertheless, there are still lots of offers. Our aim, really, as far as the Pacific is concerned, is to join the scientific, hard knowledge with ancestral traditional knowledge.”
Ms Roger-Lacan said there was a huge ancestral traditional knowledge in the Pacific that was not used. It was very much ignored and one which they wanted to take on board. She said they started a study in March last year through the Institute of Research For Development, which had its regional office in New Caledonia.
She said the institute was given funds by the French Government to have a specific study in the Pacific.
“Together with the Pacific stakeholders, both government, local communities, traditional communities. They met in Noumea in March 2024 and then in Papeete in December 2024. They will produce the results of their study at UNOC, sharing this knowledge of deep-sea ocean and deep-sea science.”
Ms Roger-Lacan said the elephant in the room was also the issue of deep-sea mining (DSM).
“We don’t want to enter into this debate because it’s a very sensitive debate in the Pacific.”
She acknowledged the different positions held by various entities such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group, whose members have entered a moratorium.
Ms Roger-Lacan said French Polynesia was also of a similar position and the New Caledonia Congress was going to adopt a moratorium.
“There is also, both in the science and the economic field, the issue of decarbonation of maritime transport, lots of things.
“In this scenery, there is what the United States position is on all this green stuff. We know and we have the feeling that the Pacific countries are totally attached to greening the Pacific environment, greening the economy, greening maritime transportation, air transportation. We want to assist and to contribute to this endeavour.”
UNOC aspirations
Ms Roger-Lacan said the feeling at the United Nations level was that the sustainable development was really the strategy and the roadmap for UNOC.
“Anything that will derail from this agenda will be perceived as singularised and not the common way forward,” she said, adding she had discussed the issues with leaders during her meetings in Fiji.
“Also, UNOC is about announcing as many marine-protected areas (MPAs) as possible. The aim is to have 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030, being marine protected areas. And we have the feeling that the contribution of the Pacific Ocean will be huge to reach this.”
