12 June 2012: The 22nd Meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concluded its annual session, addressing various agenda items, including the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Convention.

Sri Lanka expressed its intention to continue to play an active role in defining the breadth of the principles enshrined in the Convention, especially in the area of marine biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction. Trinidad and Tobago called on States Parties to proceed with efforts to conclude an agreement on biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) as a matter of priority. Ecuador announced that on 22 May his country had decided to accede to UNCLOS, and expressed hope of promoting the preservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond the areas of its national jurisdiction and within full respect for the world’s common heritage.

The session took place from 4-11 June 2012, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. [UN Press Release] [Publication: Report of the twenty-second Meeting of States Parties]