Intervention by Uruguay

August 19

 

Madame President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the following Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay (CLAM). Our Group also welcomes the statement delivered by CARICOM. In this regard, it is an honor for CLAM to share our positions with those of CARICOM with whom we look forward to continue working in a coordinated manner.

We wish to thank you for the working document in the form of a draft treaty that you have prepared, as requested by our Group at the end of the second session of the IGC with a view to guiding our work in this third session. We also wish to thank your team and DOALOS for their efforts.

This document with its new format is very important and will contribute to move into a new negotiating dynamic, in accordance with the provisions of resolution 72/249 of 24 December 2017, and will allow us to focus on key issues. This will lead delegations to continue working in the elaboration of a text that will reflect the spirit and objectives that have been defined in the various resolutions guiding this process.

We reiterate the need to move towards the adoption of the future agreement, taking into account the importance not to undermine existing instruments, legal frameworks and organisms.

We also wish to thank you for taking into consideration our request to include informal-informal meetings in the program of work to negotiate text proposals.

In this context, and in order to get the most out of our negotiations, CLAM considers that it would be very important to have updated and revised versions of the document on those areas in which progress is achieved during our work in this third session. This would also be useful during the next inter-sessional period. We therefore would request such updates to be prepared in the format that you deem fit, with the support of DOALOS.

CLAM reiterates its commitment to this process. In particular, we reiterate our support to achieve a universal instrument, in which all States can participate, including parties and non-parties to UNCLOS, without affecting their legal status. Likewise, the new instrument should take into consideration the particularities of middle income and landlocked countries. Our delegations underscore the importance of having an instrument which is universal, through a transparent and inclusive negotiation, allowing for the ratification by all States.

We also wish to stress that neither these negotiations nor the future agreement prejudge or affect existing disputes among States.

 

Madame President,

We wish to highlight the diversity of our Group, which incorporates States with large coastlines as well as landlock countries, States with important fisheries interests, States with islands, and States parties and non-parties to UNCLOS. This diversity and the different views it offers, can enrich considerably our work and it can be useful to find middle ground formulas.

Also, we underscore the importance of the voluntary trust fund for the participation of delegations from capitals in this Conference. Several of our delegations have benefited from such fund. We are very grateful for the contributions made so far and we call upon all States to make new contributions to said fund.

Finally, que reiterate the importance that CLAM gives to this process and to the elaboration of the new agreement, which will be very important to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Thank you.