United Nations - The Nippon Foundation Training Programme To Reinforce Capacity in the Context of the Intergovernmental Conference on 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

Overview

The United Nations - Nippon Foundation Training Programme to Reinforce Capacity in the Context of the Intergovernmental Conference on 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 (“BBNJ Training Programme”) is organized by the United Nations, through the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS), and the Nippon Foundation as one of the activities under the new Sustainable Ocean Programme (pdf). The BBNJ Training Programme aims at reinforcing the capacity of representatives from developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, to effectively engage in the Intergovernmental Conference. To that end, the Programme provides participants the opportunity to:

1. Increase awareness of the purpose, history and procedural aspects of the Intergovernmental Conference;
2. Increase knowledge of the substantive issues being discussed during the Intergovernmental Conference; and
3. Enhance capacity to participate in and negotiate at the Intergovernmental Conference.

The Training Programme will not seek to develop or influence national positions on issues at hand, but will rather provide information and opportunities to further reinforce knowledge and skills of participants in the Intergovernmental Conference.

Content and Form

The BBNJ Training Programme will consist of modules on: (i) historical development of the process dealing with the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction and other related processes; (ii) the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other relevant legal instruments and frameworks; (iii) “the package of issues” under consideration, namely the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, in particular, together and as a whole, marine genetic resources, including questions on the sharing of benefits, measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments and capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology, as well as cross-cutting issues; and (iv) procedural aspects.

The Training Programme will include presentations by the staff members of DOALOS, which acts as the secretariat for the Intergovernmental Conference.

Given the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the format of the 2021 delivery of the BBNJ Training will be virtual and carried out through the MS Teams platform. The live sessions will be complemented by a number of pre-recorded videos. The training will be conducted in English.

Expected Impact

The BBNJ Training Programme is expected to enhance the capacity of developing countries, in particular least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, to participate and negotiate in the Intergovernmental Conference, including through increased knowledge of the process leading to the Intergovernmental Conference, enhanced understanding of the issues being discussed and strengthened capabilities to negotiate.

How to apply

To nominate candidates for the training, the following two steps need to be completed:

• First, the names of candidates and expression of support for their participation in the training shall be conveyed in a Note Verbale from the applicant’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations addressed to the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs. The communication should be transmitted by email to doalos@un.org.
• Second, to be considered for participation, nominated applicants shall complete an online form, available HERE. Each question must be answered clearly and completely.

Deadline for the submission of applications

The deadline for submission of online application forms and nominations has passed. Please check back here for future training opportunities..

Dates of the training

The sixth delivery of the BBNJ Training is planned for 1 and 3 December 2021. Three-hour live sessions will be delivered on each of the two days of the training, repeated at different times to facilitate participation across time zones. Further details, including specific times and the programme of the training, will be sent to successful applicants.