The United National General Assembly today postponed the fourth (and possibly final) session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, which had been scheduled to take place March 23-April 4 in New York, NY. Citing “the situation concerning the coronavirus disease” in its decision, the resolution said that postponement would be “to the earliest possible available date to be decided by the General Assembly.”
The Intergovernmental Conference was established by the UN General Assembly in part to develop text of an international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of Sea on BBNJ. Draft agreement text was to be considered for potential action at the now-postponed 4th session.
