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114 | BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION / STEERING COMMITTEES IN BRIEF

Anse Capucin. Southwest of Mahé - Seychelles
© Timon - Adobe Stock respective managers. The priority target,
the joint management area between
Mauritius and the Seychelles, the Saya
de Malha Bank located beyond the
exclusive economic areas of the two
States, especially retained the attention
of the committee, the challenge being to
collect scientific information likely to help
consolidate the shared governance of
an area that potentially has exceptional
ROADMAP universal value. This mission run by
Explorations de Monaco, scheduled for the
FOR MONACO autumn 2022, will also focus on a selection

EXPLORATIONS of refuges (islands and seamounts) for
the biodiversity of this region with the aim
of helping to protect them in the face of
The Steering Committee for the “Indian General of Mission Blue, the 14 committee impacts from anthropogenic pressure and
Ocean” mission prepared by the company members, from Australia, France, South climate change.
Explorations de Monaco met at the Africa, Sweden, and the United States and
Oceanographic Museum on 23 March remotely from Mauritius and the United Lastly, the committee discussed commu-
to put forward recommendations on the Kingdom, agreed on the finalisation of the nication actions that could accompany the
scope and conduct of this collaborative situation of target maritime species. mission and the dissemination of its results.
project at the intersection of science,
mediation, awareness and governmental Discussions focused on the goals and
cooperation. Under the presidency of implementation of 3 projects from the
scientist Carl Gustaf Lundin, Director mission’s scientific programme with their

A MORE REPRESSIVE LEGAL ARSENAL

FOR THE OCEAN

Spotlight on law, a neglected but no less essential component of environmental protection: the 1 legal workshop of Monaco Ocean Week, organised
st
by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. On 25 March, the foundation stone of an event expected to develop was laid by eminent specialists in the
law of the sea brought together to examine a key issue: How to reinforce and develop sanction mechanisms in marine environmental law?
Leading lawyer Alexander Knoops, Professor of International Law at the University of Amsterdam, began by talking about the challenges and the need
for more coercion in marine environmental law, analysing the first major judgments relating to environmental law. As such, the professor suggested –
based on specific and objective criteria – creating the crime of ecocide, and more specifically of oceanocide, which would become the 5 international
th
crimes of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Then Philippe Weckel, Professor of International Law at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, shed light on the complexity of law enforcement in
the marine sector, due to overlap between the strata of legislation (Port State Law, Territorial Waters Law, Flag Law). Grégoire Leray, Professor of
Environmental Law at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, presented the criteria for assessing the performance of international environmental
protection conventions.
In conclusion, other than the need to tighten sanctions in environmental law, especially marine, the panel suggested supranational solutions, such as
the idea of an international marine intervention force for marine protection.