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Attending the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOFA)
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2026.07.30.
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Attending the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOFA)
The Korean government delegation attended the 5th Conference of the Parties to CAOFA held in Brussels, Belgium from Tuesday, June 16 to Thursday, June 18.
Approximately 100 people attended the Conference in hybrid format, including government delegations from the 10 Parties and participants from observer countries and institutions. Korea was represented by a government delegation consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOF, Korea Polar Research Institute, and Korea Maritime Institute. (Chief Representative: Director, Green Diplomacy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
CAOFA was signed in 2018 by five Arctic coastal countries (United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark, and Norway) and five non-coastal countries (South Korea, China, Japan, Iceland, and potential fishing nations such as the European Union) to prevent illegal fishing in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean and to conduct joint research on marine biological resources, entering into force in June 2021.
The Agreement is centered on temporarily suspending fishing activities in the relevant waters for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean amid the continuous decline of Arctic sea ice due to climate change, establishing appropriate fisheries resource management systems during the suspension period, and conducting joint scientific research activities.
This Conference of the Parties adopted the 2026-2027 scientific research plan on marine biological resources and ecosystems in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean, reached an agreement among CAOFA parties on the text of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) for cooperation between CAOFA and Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), and will begin consultations with NEAFC based on this.
Furthermore, drafting of text continued to establish conservation and management measures related to exploratory fishing* for scientific purposes in the central Arctic Ocean, with a consensus reached among Parties on the need to finalize these measures at the earliest possible date.
* Key issues include the ▴ method for approving Parties' exploratory fishing plans and ▴ guidelines for action when encountering vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) that require protection during exploratory fishing operations.
The Korean government delegation actively engaged on the key issues above while also sharing research findings from the Chukchi Sea and Chukchi Borderland** (Chukchi Ridge/ Plateau) areas—which have been accumulated through the K-AWARE* project currently being implemented under the leadership of the Korea Polar Research Institute—during discussions at the Meeting of the Parties. In particular, with the Chukchi Borderland sea area having been selected as a priority pilot area for the CAOFA Joint Program for Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM), Korea is expected to contribute actively to joint scientific research and ecosystem monitoring at the CAOFA level in the future based on the research experience and expertise accumulated in the area.
* K-AWARE: Korea Arctic Ocean Warming and Response of Ecosystem
** Chukchi Borderland: It is an open-ocean area in the central Arctic Ocean, north of the Chukchi Sea, and an important region for studying climate-driven changes in the Arctic Ocean ecosystem. Korea uses the Araon and other vessels for long-term research on global warming and Ecosystems; in light of these research efforts by the parties, it was selected as a pilot area for the CAOFA Joint Program for Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM) at this year's Conference of the Parties.
Meanwhile, this year marks the end of the four-year term of the presidency. At this Conference of the Parties, it was decided by consensus to extend the terms of Vice-Chairperson Nadia Bouffard—who has served as Vice-Chairperson for the past four years—and Hong Young-ki, Ambassador to the Czech Republic (former Representative for Polar Cooperation), by one year. This decision is considered to have been made in light of Korea's active contributions to CAOFA, such as hosting the Conference of the Parties for three consecutive years including the inaugural assembly in 2022.
Korea will continue to actively fulfill its role as Vice Chair of CAOFA by ▴conducting scientific research in the Arctic Ocean and ▴contributing to key issues under the CAOFA.
- Continued contribution to CAOFA discussions through a one-year extension of Korea’s Vice-Chairmanship
【Related National Tasks】120. Realizing a G7 diplomatic powerhouse through contributions to and participation in the international community
【Related National Tasks】120. Realizing a G7 diplomatic powerhouse through contributions to and participation in the international community
The Korean government delegation attended the 5th Conference of the Parties to CAOFA held in Brussels, Belgium from Tuesday, June 16 to Thursday, June 18.
Approximately 100 people attended the Conference in hybrid format, including government delegations from the 10 Parties and participants from observer countries and institutions. Korea was represented by a government delegation consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOF, Korea Polar Research Institute, and Korea Maritime Institute. (Chief Representative: Director, Green Diplomacy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
CAOFA was signed in 2018 by five Arctic coastal countries (United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark, and Norway) and five non-coastal countries (South Korea, China, Japan, Iceland, and potential fishing nations such as the European Union) to prevent illegal fishing in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean and to conduct joint research on marine biological resources, entering into force in June 2021.
The Agreement is centered on temporarily suspending fishing activities in the relevant waters for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean amid the continuous decline of Arctic sea ice due to climate change, establishing appropriate fisheries resource management systems during the suspension period, and conducting joint scientific research activities.
This Conference of the Parties adopted the 2026-2027 scientific research plan on marine biological resources and ecosystems in the high seas of the central Arctic Ocean, reached an agreement among CAOFA parties on the text of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) for cooperation between CAOFA and Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), and will begin consultations with NEAFC based on this.
Furthermore, drafting of text continued to establish conservation and management measures related to exploratory fishing* for scientific purposes in the central Arctic Ocean, with a consensus reached among Parties on the need to finalize these measures at the earliest possible date.
* Key issues include the ▴ method for approving Parties' exploratory fishing plans and ▴ guidelines for action when encountering vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) that require protection during exploratory fishing operations.
The Korean government delegation actively engaged on the key issues above while also sharing research findings from the Chukchi Sea and Chukchi Borderland** (Chukchi Ridge/ Plateau) areas—which have been accumulated through the K-AWARE* project currently being implemented under the leadership of the Korea Polar Research Institute—during discussions at the Meeting of the Parties. In particular, with the Chukchi Borderland sea area having been selected as a priority pilot area for the CAOFA Joint Program for Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM), Korea is expected to contribute actively to joint scientific research and ecosystem monitoring at the CAOFA level in the future based on the research experience and expertise accumulated in the area.
* K-AWARE: Korea Arctic Ocean Warming and Response of Ecosystem
** Chukchi Borderland: It is an open-ocean area in the central Arctic Ocean, north of the Chukchi Sea, and an important region for studying climate-driven changes in the Arctic Ocean ecosystem. Korea uses the Araon and other vessels for long-term research on global warming and Ecosystems; in light of these research efforts by the parties, it was selected as a pilot area for the CAOFA Joint Program for Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM) at this year's Conference of the Parties.
Meanwhile, this year marks the end of the four-year term of the presidency. At this Conference of the Parties, it was decided by consensus to extend the terms of Vice-Chairperson Nadia Bouffard—who has served as Vice-Chairperson for the past four years—and Hong Young-ki, Ambassador to the Czech Republic (former Representative for Polar Cooperation), by one year. This decision is considered to have been made in light of Korea's active contributions to CAOFA, such as hosting the Conference of the Parties for three consecutive years including the inaugural assembly in 2022.
Korea will continue to actively fulfill its role as Vice Chair of CAOFA by ▴conducting scientific research in the Arctic Ocean and ▴contributing to key issues under the CAOFA.
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