Author Archives: A. N. Honniball

On 23 March 2022 the European Union (EU) became a Member of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), having acceded to the Convention for the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean. As required for accession under Article 24(2) of the NPFC Convention, existing Members reached consensus on inviting the EU to accede at the 6th Meeting of the NPFC (23-25 February 2021) (COM06 Report, para. 8). The NPFC was unable to reach consensus on the EU’s previous 2018 and 2019 requests to join, and the EU’s 2020 request was not considered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of NPFC Meeting. Some Members expressed concerns over EU fishing activities in the Convention Area, proposing conditions thereof (COM06 Report, para. 10; Annex D). For more information see here and here.

On 25 March 2022, the Republic of Korea and Mexico submitted a Proposal to amend Annex 1 to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes or other Matter, 1972 to remove sewage sludge from the list of wastes or other matter that may be considered for dumping (LC44/10, annexed to Circular Letter No. 4539). The amendment is proposed under Article 21 of the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Protocol) and would entail the deletion of sewage sludge from the list of permissible wastes in Annex 1 of the London Protocol.

If the amendment is adopted, Article 4(1) of the London Protocol will apply to sewage sludge whereby:

Contracting Parties shall prohibit the dumping of any wastes or other matter with the exception of those listed in Annex 1.

London Protocol, Article 4(1).

Note, the governing bodies at the previous Meeting of Parties (43rd London Convention/16th London Protocol) in October 2021 agreed “that there was sufficient evidence and justification for amending Annex 1 to remove sewage sludge from the list of permissible wastes” and “invited a Contracting Party or Parties to the London Protocol to propose an amendment to Annex 1 of the London Protocol to remove sewage sludge from the list of wastes or other matter that could be considered for dumping” (LC 43/17, paras. 10.16-10.24). The proposal is submitted for consideration and adoption at the 17th London Protocol Meeting of Contracting Parties (3-7 October 2022). For more information see the IMO press release.

On 3 March 2022, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States issued a joint statement, entitled, Joint Statement on Arctic Council Cooperation Following Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, stating “our representatives will not travel to Russia for meetings of the Arctic Council. Additionally, our states are temporarily pausing participation in all meetings of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, pending consideration of the necessary modalities that can allow us to continue the Council’s important work in view of the current circumstances”.

On 5 January 2022, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Secretariat issued IOTC Circular 2022-01, which includes a Communication (dated, 3 January 2022) from the the Government of the State of Eritrea on its intention to withdraw “its membership in the IOTC indefinitely as of the beginning of the year 2022”. Eritrea states it has “neither been an active member of the organisation nor did it honoured its financial obligations during the last 20 some years due to unfair, unfounded and unjustified sanctions imposed upon it”. Article XXI(1) of the IOTC Agreement provides that “Withdrawal shall become effective at the end of the calendar year following that in which the notice of withdrawal has been received by the Director- General” (i.e., 2023, unless the Commission makes a determination under Article IV(4)).

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted two resolutions on the 9 December 2021, Resolution 76/72: Oceans and the law of the sea and Resolution 76/71: Sustainable fisheries, including through the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and related instruments.

Argentina stressed that certain recommendations contained in Resolution 76/72 cannot be considered as applying to states not parties to the 1994 Implementing Agreement, while Turkey voted against adoption, considering Turkey’s consistent objection to the view that UNCLOS has a “universal and unified character” (131 in favour to 1 against (Turkey) with 4 abstentions (Colombia, El Salvador, Nigeria, Venezuela)). Colombia, El Savador and Venezuela also distanced themselves from the universal nature of UNCLOS as non-parties to UNCLOS. Resolution 76/71 was adopted by consensus without a vote. Discussions (2) leading up to adoption include the position of state representatives on numerous topics, with the impacts of sea-level rise, plastic pollution, the South China Sea and discharges in the Fukushima area arising on several occasions.

On 1 November 2021, Prime Minister Gaston Browne (Antigua and Barbuda) and Prime Minister Kausea Natano (Tuvalu) announced the signing of an Accord on 31 October 2021 which establishes a Commission of Small Island Developing States on Climate Change and International Law. The Commission is open to all small island states globally to join. During the Press Conference, the founding members signalled that the Accord authorises the Commission to request an advisory opinion from ITLOS concerning climate change, sea-level rise, protection of the marine environment and international responsibilities. The exact strategy, including potential questions to be put before ITLOS, are to be developed by the Commission. On the advisory opinion jurisdiction of ITLOS, see Articles 16 and 21 of the Statute of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Annex VI of UNCLOS); Article 138 of the Rules of the Tribunal; and the SRFC Advisory Opinion.