A legal scenario analysis for marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction

Rapport du séminaire international organisé du 19 au 21 septembre 2011 conjointement par l'Iddri et l'UICN (Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature), en partenariat avec l'Agence des aires marines protégées, l'université du Littoral - Côte d'Opale, l'European Bureau for Conservation and Development, et Nausicaá (Centre national de la mer - Boulogne-sur-Mer), et consacré aux aires marines protégées dans les zones au-delà de la juridiction nationale.

Points clés [en anglais] :

AN INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY
The international seminar “Towards a legal framework for the creation and management of cross-sectoral marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction” was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer from 19 to 21 September 2011. It was based on an innovative approach, using foresight methodologies to stimulate discussions on possible pathways to ensure an efficient governance of marine protected areas (MPAs) in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). This pioneering experience helped stakeholders and experts developing strong, long-term and articulated strategies to influence international and national efforts towards stronger governance of biodiversity in ABNJ.

A SCENARIO ANALYSIS
Four legal scenarios on the establishment and management of MPAs in ABNJ were presented to the participants, and then discussed, challenged and refined. The scenarios presented in this report are those that came out of these exchanges and are all designed to be coherent, plausible and salient. During the seminar, and without ranking them, participants established a list of criteria which could allow an evaluation and comparison of their desirability and ability to deliver expected outcomes.

LESSONS LEARNT
An analysis of the feasibility of the scenarios was also conducted, which focused mainly on issues regarding the adoption of new international agreements on the protection of marine biodiversity in ABNJ, the negotiations leading to it and the implementation of existing and future legal instruments. This exercise highlighted the importance and complementary roles of three arenas (regional frameworks, the Law of the Sea Convention and the Biodiversity Convention) in the establishment and management of MPAs in ABNJ. The key conclusion pertains to the need to act at these three levels in a different manner, depending on the windows of opportunity for each of them.