9 September 2016: UN Member States have agreed on the modalities for the high-level UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which calls to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” By the modalities decision, which was agreed through a silence procedure on 7 September and adopted in plenary on 9 September, the Conference will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 5-9 June 2017. Fiji and Sweden will retain co-hosting responsibilities by assuming the costs of the Conference and its preparatory process.

Originally planned to convene in Nadi, Fiji, the conference venue was reconsidered through informal consultations by Member States “in view of the exceptional circumstances” related to the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Winston, which struck Fiji in February 2016. Consultations on the modalities were led by representatives of Mauritius and Sweden.

According to the decision adopted by consensus on 9 September (A/70/L.64), the Conference will: take place on the theme, ‘Our oceans, our future: partnering for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14;’ identify ways and means to support the implementation of SDG 14; build on existing successful partnerships and stimulate innovative and concrete new partnerships to advance the implementation of Goal 14; involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together governments, the UN system, other intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations, academic institutions the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and other actors to assess challenges and opportunities relating to, as well as actions taken towards, the implementation of Goal 14; share the experiences gained at the national, regional and international levels in the implementation of Goal 14; and contribute to the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing an input to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on the implementation of Goal 14.

On the organization of the Conference, the decision states that it will include eight plenary meetings and seven partnership dialogues, as well as a special event commemorating World Oceans Day on 8 June 2017. Partnership dialogues will take place in parallel with the plenary meetings, be interactive and multi-stakeholder in nature, and focus on recommendations to support the implementation of Goal 14.

Governments decided that the Conference and its preparatory process will be open to all UN Member States, specialized agencies and parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Other “relevant stakeholders” are invited to participate as observers. The decision calls for participation by associate members of the regional commissions, in the same capacity specified for their participation in the global conferences on the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS) held in 1994, 2005 and 2014.

On the Conference outcome, governments agreed that the Conference will adopt a concise, focused, intergovernmentally agreed declaration in the form of a “Call for Action” to support the implementation of Goal 14, as well as a report containing the co-chairs’ summaries of the partnership dialogues, and a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14, to be announced at the Conference.

On the preparatory process, the decision requests the UNGA President to convene a two-day preparatory meeting, in February 2017, to consider the themes for the partnership dialogues and elements for a “Call for Action.” The President is also requested to appoint two co-facilitators to oversee the preparatory process and intergovernmental consultations on the “Call for Action”, with a draft Call for Action presented by March 2017 and negotiations concluded by May 2017.

The decision also requests the UN Secretary-General to prepare a background note by the end of January 2017, including a proposal for themes of the partnership dialogues, for the preparatory meeting. Annexes to the resolution include the provisional agenda recommended for adoption by the Conference, the organization of work for the Conference, and provisional rules of procedure recommended for adoption by the Conference.

Speaking after the adoption on 9 September, Venezuela noted that it is not a party to UNCLOS, which it said should not be the sole legal framework for oceans and seas, and recalled his country’s reservations on SDG target 14c: “Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want.”

Fiji said the decision marked a “joyous moment” for Fiji and all who care about oceans’ health. He said this will be “the game-changing conference for the ocean” by supporting SDG 14’s implementation and helping to reverse the ocean’s “current cycle of decline.” [UNGA President’s Letter on Agreement] [Meeting Webcast] [Meeting Summary] [IISD RS Story on Modalities consultations]