Presentación de Gina Guillén, del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Costa Rica, en el seminario virtual "Necesitamos un nuevo tratado para proteger la vida en alta mar".

1. Areas Marinas Protegidas en AFJN(ABNJ):
preparando el camino para el nuevo
Acuerdo de Implementación
Gina Guillen Grillo
Costa Rica

2. • El ambiente marino constituye el 90% de la
biósfera, que es la parte de nuestro planeta
dónde se produce la vida . Alrededor del dos
terceras partes de este ella se encuentra en
zonas fuera de las jurisdicciones nacionales.

3. • La pesca excesiva, la destruccion de los habitats, la
contaminacion, el cambio climatico, la acidificacion,
entre otros, afectan fuertemente estas areas, y
representan una amenaza a la conectividad que es
elemental que exista entre los ecosistemas costeros
y alta mar.
• Estas areas sostienen la vida de mamiferos marinos,
aves, grandes peces pelagicos e importantes
ecosistemas.

4. • El principio o enfoque ecosistemico ha sido
un importante marco de referencia que se ha
incorporado progresivamente en los tratados
y acuerdos maritimos.
• Requiere que los administradores y
tomadores de decisiones regulen el uso y las
actividades teniendo presente
consideraciones ecologicas.

5. • La CBD define el enfoque ecosistemico como:
“ la estrategia para el manejo integrado de la
tierra, el agua, el aire y los recursos vivos para
la promocion de la conservacion y el uso
sostenible y de una manera equitativa”.

6. Aichi targets (CBD) Meta 11
• Para 2020, al menos 10 por ciento de las areas
marinas y costeras, especialmente las areas de
particular importancia para la biodiversidad y los
servicios ecosistemicos , deberan estar protegidos
mediante sistemas ecologicamente representativos e
interconectados de areas protegidas y otras medidas
de conservacion ecologicamente representativas y
bien interconectadas administradas de manera
equitativa y efectiva.

7. La importancia de las herramientas de manejo
especial para la conservacion y el uso sostenible
de la biodiversidad marina en areas
internacionales fue reconocida por los Estados
Miembros de la ONU al incluirlo como uno de
los elementos del “paquete” en el 2011.

8. • Dentro de las Herramientas de gestion para zonas
geograficas especificas, las Areas Marinas Protegidas y las
reservas marinas, son las mas efectivas para abordar los
impactos acumulativos de las actividades humanas y del
cambio climatico.
–Las AMPs , incluidas las reservas marinas, con espacios
geograficos claramente definidos, reconocidos, dedicados y
ordenados a traves de disposiciones legales y ambientales,
entre otras, con el fin de lograr la conservacion a largo plazo
de la naturaleza con servicios ecosistemicos asociados y de
valor cultural.

9. • El programa de la ONU para el Medio Ambiente
(UNEP) ha dicho que , “el establecimiento de las AMPs
es un element esencial de la proteccion del ambiente
marino, asociados a los conceptos mas avanzados de
politicas ambientales, tales como el desarrollo
sostenible, el enfoque precautorio, la ordenacion
costera integrada por areas, el planeamiento marino
por zonas,el enfoque ecosistemico y la cooperacion
transfronteriza .”

10. Areas Marinas Protegidas son claves para:
• ayudar a conservar / aumentar la biodiversidad mediante la
proteccion de especies en peligro de extincion
• aumentar la biomasa de los recursos marinos vivos al reducir
los factores de estres antropogenicos de sus habitats
• crear Resistencia al cambio climatico al fortalecer la
“capacidad de resilencia de sus poblaciones y ecosistemas” y
actuando como barreras contra el estres producido por el
cambio climatico.

11. • 2016 Informe FAO : porcentaje sobrepesca y
pesca exhaustive de poblaciones de peces se
encuentran en 89.5 % (comparado con 68% in
2000)
• Para controlar sobrepesca las AMPs pueden
cumplir papel importante

12. • Beneficios de las AMPs dependen de su
tamano y del nivel de proteccion.
• Las AMPs deben de estalecerse en los lugares
y por el tiempo que sean necesarias, y de
acuerdo a criterios estandarizados.

13. Discusiones en primeras 2 Prep
Coms : what was put on the table
Establishment and management of a global network of
ecologically representative and effectively managed
marine protected areas in areas beyond national
jurisdiction
•Enhance cooperation and coordination between and
amongst States and existing organizations to overcome
current fragmentation. Developing countries need
capacity building to be able to comply

14. • Global framework to effectively establish, monitor
and control area-based management tools, including
marine protected areas, in ABNJ, and to promote
cooperation and coordination with existing
mechanisms
• Area based management tools, including marine
protected areas, are not a goal in themselves, but
are tools to address specific impacts in specific areas
and, in some cases, within limited timeframes

15. • Entonces, como funcionaria en
Areas Fuera de Jurisdicciones
Nacionales (ABNJ)???

16. • PROPUESTA PRESENTADA POR MONACO Y
COSTA RICA PARA LA SELECCION,
DESIGNACION, ESTABLECIMIENTO Y
MONITOREO DE AREAS MARINAS
PROTEGIDAS EN ABNJ.

17. Establish an institutional framework which
should include:
• a. A process through which State Parties can
propose the establishment of a MPA
• b. A scientific advisory body
• c. A process through which the Parties to the
Implementing Agreement can consider and
eventually establish proposed MPAs.
• d. A unit in charge of administrative duties
(this important duty could be performed by
DOALOS).

18. Establish a mechanism through which States, may
propose potential MPAs.
• Proposals should include at least: (i) the spatial
boundaries of the MPA; (ii) an evaluation of the
current state of the marine ecosystem and a
description of already ongoing human activities in
that area (iii) a statement of the conservation
objectives to be achieved by establishing the MPA;
(iv) management measures through which those
objectives will be achieved; and (vi) a plan for
monitoring and review of the MPA once established.

19. Notification Process
• Secretariat should notify relevant international,
regional and sectoral bodies with mandates and
competences related to the objectives of the MPA
• They may submit comments regarding the proposal,
including any elements of the proposal with the
potential to undermine their respective mandates
and competencies.
• Secretariat makes the proposal publically available so
that other stakeholders may submit comments

20. • Secretariat compiles all feedback and forward it
back to the proponent
• Proponent submits the final proposal to the
competent scientific advisory body established under
the Implementing Agreement
• Scientific body evaluates proposal’s compatibility
with scientific criteria, and makes recommendations
to ensure that its objectives are achievable and its
management plan is calibrated to achieve those
objectives.

21. • States can consider and address the comments
received during this time-bound, open and public
consultation, including by amending the proposal or
providing additional details as needed and evaluate
the recommendations of the scientific body.
• States then present final proposal to Decision Body
(COP)

22. MPA, once established, should be implemented to the
fullest extent possible.
• States Parties should have primary responsibility for
implementing the MPA management measures with
respect to activities under their jurisdiction or
control (i.e. as a flag State/port State)
• The Secretariat should notify relevant existing bodies
and States that are not parties to the Implementing
Agreement of the decision to establish a new MPA as
well as its objectives, management measures and the
monitoring and review plan and encourage them to
implement the measures

23. • The MPA shall be adequately monitored and
States Parties shall ensure compliance with
management measures
• MPA’s progress towards meeting its
objectives be reviewed at set intervals and
include a report on progress made within
other relevant organizations.

24. IA MPA framework including criteria and objectives
Outline for Proposed Process for MPA Establishment under a new IA
ProposalProposal
EvaluationEvaluation
FrameworkFramework
AdoptionAdoption
ImplementationImplementation
Parties implement
management measures
under their Jurisdiction
Consultation with relevant
regional/sectoral bodies and other
stakeholders
Final Proposal
Recommendations from
scientific advisory body
Notification to existing
bodies; Parties pursue
complementary measures
in existing organizations
Proponents submit MPA proposal, including
objectives and proposed management measures
MPA proposal considered by
decision makers. If adopted:
Review progress towards meeting
objectives including progress by
other organizations
Monitoring and
Enforcement
ReviewReview

25. Challenges
• At present no single authority with a mandate to
carry out all stages of the process
• A range of organizations exist that may have a
mandate to engage in certain aspects of the process.
• Organizations could play a role in the
implementation of a new mechanism, or be given
duties of coordination and cooperation in order to
facilitate comprehensive protection and
management of MPAs.

26. • Consider the status of existing regionally established
MPAs in ABNJ
• North-East Atlantic by the OSPAR Commission
• Mediterranean, both under the Barcelona
Convention and its Protocol on Specially Protected
Areas and Biodiversity; and
• Southern Ocean by the Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine
• Living Resources (CCAMLR)

27. • Strong role for existing regional and sectoral
institutions and legal frameworks but not all
regions currently have competent
organizations

28. Options
• Mechanism for the creation of MPAs in ABNJ
where no competent regional organization or
body exists
• Require States to cooperate to establish
regional organizations, or advisory bodies
(when absent)
• Require States to cooperate to extend the
mandates of existing regional organisations
that are not yet competent in ABNJ.

29. Considerations on Scope
• 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

30. Geographical Scope: ABNJ
•a) High Seas (water column)
•b) The Area (soil and subsoil on international
areas)
•What about the water columns adjacent to
continental shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles?

31. • Substantive Scope: Conservation and
Sustainable use of marine biodiversity
• Elements of the package:
-ABMT
-EIA
-Capacity Building and Sharing of Marine
Technology
-MGR including benefit sharing

32. • Benefit Sharing regime: Are fisheries
included?
• Fisheries not as commodity included
Genetic resources included (use of genotype or
chromosomes)
Biological resources not included (phenotype or
physical characteristics)

33. THANK YOU!