Chair,

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Chair of the PrepCom on the development of an international legally binding instrument under the UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Let me assure you of our full support and confidence in your able leadership to steer the PrepCom in its mandate conferred by the General Assembly Resolution 69/292 and move forward the discussion on BBNJ.

We welcome the provisional agenda and programme of work that you prepared. On the preliminary basis, we are of the view that the proposed agenda and programme of work are faithful to the General Assembly Resolution 69/292.

Firstly, the proposed topics to be discussed in different sessions are vital. We hope that the discussion will allows the good dynamic for the future meetings. Then, hopefully, the discussion of the four topics identified in the 2011 package in different working groups would bring about interaction and allow substantive inputs for the consideration of the PrepCom. We also welcome the proposed organization of the meeting which was drafted to avoid overlapping meetings and provides for the wrap-up session to consider the outcome of the working groups and possible elements at that stage.

Finally, we would like to wish you great success for this important undertaking. The Group of 77 and China stands ready to constructively engage in this process.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.