The Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement: From Participation to Implementation began with full flair in Chennai today. Traversing the Oceans, about 60 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste, national and international organizations including FAO and IUCN and media are participating. The Regional Workshop organized by BOBPIGO, HighSeasAlliance, and RiseUP and supported by the Government of Netherlands aims to explore challenges and opportunities for conserving and managing the high seas in South and Southeast Asia.

Welcoming the participants, Dr. P Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO underscored the importance of the high seas governance in achieving human sustainability and reiterated the BOBP-IGO's commitment to strengthening regional coordination to ensure ocean and fisheries governance. Ms. Rizza Ssacra-Dejucos, Asia regional coordinator, of High Seas Alliance (HSA) set the context of the workshop and provided a brief background of the agreement.

Mr. Ewout de Wit, Consul General, Kingdom of Netherlands said that as a marine economy, the Netherlands is highly committed to ocean sustainability, and it is enshrined in the national constitution. He expressed his hope that the BBNJ Treaty will provide necessary institutional support to bridge the current gaps in ocean governance as well as addressing future needs.

Cdr. P K Srivastava, Advisor, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India emphasised the multi-faceted role played by Ocean as a provider of water, food, health, resources and communication. He informed that the Cabinet has BBNJ agreement for signing and India will sign the Agreement during the next UNGA session. He also presented a roadmap for ratification of BBNJ Agreement. Giving example of India he said that India has several laws which can be strengthened to address the conservation, evaluation and other aspects of the BBNJ Agreement.

Dr. David Eggleston, Deputy Consul General, Australian Consulate General in Chennai, Dr. Grinson George, Director, #CMFRI and Mission Officials from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand also spoke during the inaugural session. Mr. Md. Arifur Rahman, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Chennai informed that Bangladesh is one of the first signatories of the BBNJ Agreement and is committed to fulfil the requirements of the treaty.