- The Secretary General of Foreign Policy, Rodrigo Olsen, said he saw “an auspicious future in the candidacy of the city of Valparaíso to be the headquarters of the Treaty Secretariat.”
The series of meetings in which the mayor of Valparaíso, Jorge Sharp, has participated at the United Nations headquarters in New York, together with the Chilean delegation within the framework of the installation of the Preparatory Commission for the entry into force of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdictions, BBNJ, and that seek to reinforce and promote the promotion of Valparaíso to host the Secretariat of the High Seas Treaty.
The Buenos Aires mayor is a member of the Chilean delegation made up of the Chilean ambassador to the UN, Paula Narváez; by the Secretary General of Foreign Policy (SEGEN), Rodrigo Olsen; by Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber; and by representatives of the Regional Government and Rapa Nui.
The meetings began with an appointment by the Preparatory Commission with a view to the presentation that the national commission will have today, where the foundations will be put forward to host the Agreement, which among other things seeks to consolidate the tools that counteract the negative effects produced by climate change. , the loss of biodiversity and pollution, also understanding the importance of promoting multilateralism and sustainable governance of the ocean.
Among the bilateral meetings held by the national delegation, the meetings with the ambassador to the United Nations of India, Ravindra Raguttahalli, stand out; with the ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Inga Rhonda; with the ambassador of the Federated States of Micronesia, Jeem Lippwe; with the representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and with the representative of the Bahamas, Stan O. Smith.
In addition to the meetings, efforts are focused on the official presentation of the application, which will take place today and in which the National Chancellor, Alberto van Klaveren, will also participate.
It should be noted that Valparaíso’s application competes only with Brussels, the capital of Belgium that has no access to the sea.
The Secretary General of Foreign Policy (SEGEN), Rodrigo Olsen, highlighted the sessions of the Preparatory Commission of the BBNJ treaty, which “speaks about marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, a high seas treaty, which compromises our oceanic vocation.”
“One of the guiding principles of our foreign policy is ocean conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources. That is why we have brought a transversal delegation, a broadly inclusive delegation, with the presence of a representative of our National Congress, with the mayor of Valparaíso Jorge Sharp, with whom we have met and we have worked as a team to promote it. We see an auspicious future in the candidacy of the city of Valparaíso to be the headquarters of the Treaty Secretariat,” indicated the secretary.
Meanwhile, from the UN headquarters in New York, Mayor Jorge Sharp highlighted that “I think it is important to point out that Valparaíso, as the country’s candidacy to host the ocean protection treaty, has received transversal support from different delegations and countries that make up the United Nations system. All countries highlight the importance of Chilean foreign policy and also the commitment of the city of Valparaíso to this candidacy. We are looking very well, the fact that Valparaíso remains the capital of this important treaty would be a transcendental step, not only for our country, but especially for our beloved Port City.”
