Cet atelier est organisé, en coopération avec le Secrétariat de la Convention de Nairobi, par le Fonds français pour l'environnement mondial, l'UICN et l'Iddri dans le cadre du projet « Conservation et exploitation durable des monts sous-marins et des écosystèmes hydrothermaux de l'océan Indien occidental dans les zones situées au-delà de la juridiction nationale (ZAJN) ».

Cet évenement met en évidence l'importance des ZAJN pour les États et les communautés de la région et étudie les moyens possibles pour les acteurs régionaux de s'engager dans la gouvernance des ZAJN.

Présentation (en anglais) :

During the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean (Nairobi Convention), held in Mahé, Seychelles, 22-24 June 2015, Contracting Parties adopted Decision CP8/10 urging States “to cooperate in improving the governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction, building on existing regional institutions including the Nairobi Convention and developing area based management tools such as marine spatial planning to promote the blue economy pathways in the Western Indian Ocean Region”.

Marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) represent around half of the Planet’s surface and host a significant portion of its biodiversity. These areas are under increasing pressure from intensifying human activities, with impacts including e.g. overexploitation of living marine resources, especially fisheries, pollution of the marine environment, emergence of threats linked to deep-sea mining, effects of climate change and ocean acidification, etc.

Against this background, States decided in 2015 to open negotiations for a legally-binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ. Some regions have been concurrently developing activities in ABNJ, particularly through the adoption of area-based management tools such as marine protected areas adopted within Regional Seas programmes, fisheries closures established by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, and other measures adopted by international sectoral organisations.