The fourth meeting of the ABNJ Deep Seas Project Steering Committee (PSC4) was held in Saint-Denis, Reunion from 23–25 January 2019, with the cooperation of the SIOFA Secretariat. The meeting was attended by representatives of eight project partners, including six regional bodies. The list of participants is attached as Appendix 1. The primary objectives of the PSC were to review the Project’s progress, to agree on actions and activities to be undertaken prior to the project’s closure and to discuss preparations for a new phase of the project. FAO and WCMC briefed the PSC on activities that are underway (e.g. review of area based planning tools, legal step-wise training) and on upcoming activities (e.g. rights based management workshop, global deep sea meeting). FAO and WCMC also briefed the PSC on their 2019 work plan and its budgetary implications. The PSC endorsed the 2019 work plan and requested a budget revision to take into account the unplanned activities in 2019 work plan (e.g. VME workshop, rights based management workshop, global deep sea meeting). The PSC took note of the end of project closure requirements and preparations that were being made for a subsequent phase of the ABNJ deep sea project.

This publication has been prepared within the framework of the Global Environment Facility project entitled “Sustainable fisheries management and biodiversity conservation of deep-sea living marine resources and ecosystems in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)” (referred to as the ‘ABNJ Deep Seas Project’). This project is jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  The synthesis report draws on the different studies developed under the project and provides insights into the future of cross-sectoral area-based planning in ABNJ. 

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a type of area-based planning that is well established in national waters but doesn’t currently occur in ABNJ. It can be used to achieve ecological, social and economic objectives. This report showcases a MSP framework for ABNJ, for the purposes of conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. It considers the framework under different governance scenarios, highlighting how an international legally binding instrument would aid undertaking MSP in ABNJ. This publication has been prepared within the framework of the Global Environment Facility project entitled “Sustainable fisheries management and biodiversity conservation of deep-sea living marine resources and ecosystems in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)” (referred to as the ‘ABNJ Deep Seas Project’) jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations (FAO) and United Nations Environment Programme. 

This step-wise guide aims to assist with the implementation of relevant international instruments pertaining to deep-sea fisheries and biodiversity conservation in areas beyond national jurisdiction, especially the high seas, into national policy and law. This guide focuses on the incorporation and transposition of international rules, standards, and recommended practices and procedures into national policy and law. It addresses the key measures for making international obligations effective at the national level and suggests possible options for integrating those measures into the national legal framework. Legislative examples are also provided to illustrate how certain provisions have been incorporated into primary or secondary legislation. The guide first addresses the establishment of a national policy, followed by a description and analysis of essential legislative provisions regarding deep-sea fisheries and the conservation of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This guide is thus relevant to policy-makers, parliamentary draftpersons, and parliamentarians. 

The Common Oceans ABNJ Deep Seas Project is funded by the Global Environment Fund and implemented by FAO and the UN Environment Programme. The partnership brings together a broad range of partners, including regional fisheries bodies responsible for the management of deep-sea fisheries, fishing industry partners, and international organizations to achieve sustainable fisheries management and biodiversity conservation of deep-sea living resources in the ABNJ. To showcase existing knowledge, practices and innovative research for sustainable deep-sea fisheries management and biodiversity conservation in the ABNJ, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the SponGES Project consortium, organized a meeting – the ABNJ Deep Sea Meeting 2019 – that took place on 7-9 May 2019, at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. Over 40 participants, including representatives from partner organizations and other stakeholders from multiple sectors within the ABNJ, attended the three-day meeting. While significant progress has been made in the management of deep-sea fisheries and in the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems, the ABNJ still faces threats from climate change, ocean acidification, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Building on the achievements of the Common Oceans ABNJ Deep Sea Projects and the SponGES Project, the participants were invited to give presentations on key topics and discuss emerging issues concerning ABNJ governance and deep-sea research, monitoring and management.