Digvijay Rewatkar made a presentation on Deep Seabed Mining and Biodiversity Preservation

UNCLOS as a living instrument is consistently evolving over time with the latest BBNJ Agreement becoming a part of a comprehensive regime for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The BBNJ Agreement sets out its objectives through its key pillars of marine genetic resources, area-based management tools, environmental impact assessment and capacity building & technology transfer. In this regard, questions have emerged about the harmonious application of the BBNJ Agreement with existing regimes such as the seabed mining regime considering their varied objectives. While there are many tools such the ABMTs and REMPs available as tools for environmental management, the mechanisms through which both these regimes will arrive at comprehensive management tools is unclear. The regime is further complicated with ambiguous and vague framing of provisions which leaves much to be desired in terms of development of practice. This presentation will focus on the institutional architecture and interactions is so far as the development and implementation of area-based management tools is concerned, and highlight the potential challenges and opportunities.