Preparatory Committee established by General Assembly resolution 69/292: Development of an international legally binding instrument 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

Background information

In its resolution 69/292 of 19 June 2015, the General Assembly decided to develop an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

To that end, it decided to establish, prior to holding an intergovernmental conference, a Preparatory Committee, to make substantive recommendations to the General Assembly on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS, taking into account the various reports of the Co-Chairs on the work of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. 

Meetings of the Preparatory Committee and secretariat

The Preparatory Committee held two sessions each in 2016 and 2017. At its fourth session, held from 10 to 21 July 2017, the Preparatory Committee adopted its report to the General Assembly.  

Secretariat services were provided to the Preparatory Committee by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations (doalos@un.org).

Documents for the Preparatory Committee