Statement: SPLOS 35th meeting
Statement by Ms. Anna Pála Sverrisdóttir, Deputy Director General,
Directorate for Legal and Executive Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
SPLOS 35th meeting,
17 June 2024
President,
Allow me, once again, to warmly congratulate you and other members of the bureau and to thank you for your work. Iceland further thanks DOALOS colleagues for the excellent Secretariat services provided; for this and other meetings as well as for the capacity building it carries out.
Peaceful ocean governance, anchored in the rule of law, ought to be our collective goal. At the core of this lies the comprehensive and universal nature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, commonly and fondly referred to as the "Constitution of the Ocean." The Convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. It sets the rules for how states use the world's oceans, manage their resources, and conserve the marine environment.
As an island state heavily reliant on the ocean, Iceland actively helped shape the Convention, ratified it early and continues to rely on its frameworks. UNCLOS has proven its worth and that it can stand the test of time and external developments. It remains a living, breathing instrument. The rights and obligations it lays out are central to ocean governance and cooperation among states and must remain so, including of course when we respond to current challenges.
President,
As a long-standing proponent of UNCLOS, Iceland is proud to have ratified its most recent implementing agreement; the BBNJ Agreement; in time to be a State Party from its entry into force. We will work to deliver on its promise of a healthy ocean. Iceland played an active role in the negotiations for the Agreement, which was adopted by consensus in 2023, in a true victory for multilateralism enabled by the leadership of Ambassador Rena Lee of Singapore. Our collective task now is the effective operationalization of BBNJ and its seamless cooperation and coordination with other instruments, frameworks and bodies - which Iceland emphasizes will be a win-win scenario. We look forward to the COP1 early next year and will remain actively engaged.
On Sea Level Rise, Iceland approaches the questions and challenges around it from the perspective of empathy with those worst hit by the adverse effects of climate change and sea-level rise. Rising up to the challenges and finding solutions, including to the legal challenges, is a shared responsibility. Iceland welcomes the thorough contribution presented in the report of the study group of the International Law Commission, after years of work. Importantly, we also welcome the contributions made through the landmark ITLOS Advisory Opinion on climate change from 2024 and, the following year, the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. We recall in particular the ICJ´s opinion that, in the context of sea level rise, there is no affirmative obligation of states to review or update their charts or lists of geographical coordinates relating to baselines or the outer limits of maritime zones once they have been duly established in conformity with UNCLOS.
Iceland believes these findings enhance understanding and clarify issues of international law arising in connection with sea level rise, while it remains incumbent upon us, the states, to recognize and build on these findings for the sake of stability and predictability for those affected. Iceland looks forward to the High-Level meeting on Sea Level Rise in September this year and is actively engaged in the negotiations on the Political Declaration.
President,
A major agenda item at this meeting of States Parties will be the election of judges to ITLOS. It falls to us, the state parties, to elect judges that will maintain the integrity and reputation of the tribunal. The importance of this cannot be understated and we are reminded of that in the context of the 30th anniversary of the tribunal, a milestone for the peaceful settlement of ocean related disputes. Iceland remains committed to supporting the Tribunal and enabling it to carry out its work. We take pride in the significant contribution of its incumbent President, Judge Tómas Heiðar of Iceland.
The same applies to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. It is essential that we, the States Parties, find ways of enabling the members of the Commission to fulfil its important task, which has proven to be even more complex than envisaged when UNCLOS was drafted. As Iceland has mentioned already during this meeting, it is of the utmost importance to keep attracting top scientists as members of the CLCS, and we do hope to see greater numbers of qualified female scientists on the Commission.
Iceland contributes annually to the Voluntary Trust Fund for the participation of CLCS members from developing states and will continue to do so.
President,
The 26th meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP-26) will be conducted next week – The session will focus on the theme of "Marine Ecosystem Restoration", a timely crosscutting theme. Considering Iceland´s co-chairship of the process this year we hope that state parties actively participate and use this opportunity to engage on this topic. Iceland has been, and remains, committed to action to restore and manage marine ecosystems.
The same goes for action on responsible, sustainable fisheries. As a major fishing state, we take every opportunity to discuss fisheries management. We would therefore draw attention to the General Assembly multi-stakeholder workshop on bottom fishing taking place here in New York on July 13-14. We encourage all states to participate in this important dialogue, to be moderated by this very Icelander.
President,
Iceland firmly supports the continuation and successful conclusion of talks on the much-needed plastics treaty. Despite a temporary bump in the road, let us keep our eyes on the prize, a world where our kids don’t ingest microplastics when they take a sip of water. Iceland takes this opportunity to draw attention to the Third International Symposium on Marine Plastic Pollution; the Atlantic Plastics 2026, taking place in Reykjavík on October 20-22.
President,
Lastly, in less than four years we will reach the end of the Agenda 2030 and its goals. Iceland remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, not least SDG 14 on life below water; the Ocean SDG.
It is imperative that we continue strengthening multilateral ocean governance and cooperation, which remains a worthy and ongoing task.
I thank you.