Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation

 and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction



Overview

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) was adopted on 19 June 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations. The BBNJ Agreement becomes the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Under the overall objective of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction for the present and in the long-term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Convention and further international cooperation and coordination, the BBNJ Agreement addresses four main issues:
  • Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits;
  • Measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas;
  • Environmental impact assessments; and
  • Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
The Agreement also establishes a funding mechanism and sets up institutional arrangements, including a Conference of the Parties and various subsidiary bodies, a Clearing-House Mechanism and a secretariat.

The BBNJ Agreement is open for signature by all States and regional economic integration organizations from 20 September 2023 to 20 September 2025, and will enter into force 120 days after the date of deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance or accession (see status at the United Nations Treaty Collection.)

On 1 August 2023, the General Assembly adopted resolution 77/321, in which it approved the assumption by the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the functions assigned to him under the Agreement, including the depositary functions and the performance through the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations (DOALOS), of secretariat functions until such time as the secretariat to be established under the Agreement commences its functions.

Full text of the Agreement   ( Arabic, Chinese, English, Français, Russian Español),

Preparatory Commission for the entry into force of the Agreement and the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement

On 24 April 2024, the General Assembly adopted resolution 78/272, in which it decided to establish a Preparatory Commission to prepare for the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement and to prepare for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement. The General Assembly further decided that the Commission shall hold a three-day organizational meeting in the first half of 2024 to discuss organizational matters, including the election of the Co-Chairs and a Bureau, the dates of the meetings of the Commission and the programme of work of the Commission.

The organizational meeting of the Commission is scheduled to take place from 24 to 26 June 2024 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Information on registration modalities to participate in the meeting:

  • States Members of the United Nations, members of the specialized agencies, and parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
  • Organizations and other entities with General Assembly permanent observer status, interested intergovernmental organizations and other international bodies, associate members of regional commissions, and the United Nations system
  • Relevant non-governmental organizations

Documents of the organizational meeting

  • Official documents
    • Provisional agenda (A/AC.296/2024/L.1)
    • Provisional organization of work (A/AC.296/2024/L.2)
    • Matters to be addressed at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction: Note by the Secretariat (A/AC.296/2024/3)
Capacity-building and technical assistance

In line with General Assembly resolution 77/321, DOALOS has developed a programme of activities to promote a better understanding of the BBNJ Agreement and prepare for its entry into force. The planned activities include, among others, regional workshops, technical assistance at the national level, briefings and side events, and the development of tools and outreach materials. In delivering these activities, DOALOS welcomes opportunities of cooperation with States, relevant legal instruments and frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies, as well as other stakeholders. DOALOS will also aim to strengthen inter-agency coordination and cooperation within the UN system in activities supporting the entry into force and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, including through its role as the focal point of UN-Oceans. On 16 January 2024, principals of organizations participating in UN-Oceans endorsed a statement of commitments to strengthen and promote coordination and coherence of UN system activities in relation to the BBNJ Agreement.

  • Regional Workshops (may be subject to change)
    • Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Africa (information coming soon)
    • Indian Ocean (including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal), the Red Sea and Gulf of Arden and the ROPME/RECOFI area (information coming soon)
    • North-East and South-East Asia (16 to 20 September 2024, Bangkok, Thailand, hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)
    • Pacific (8 to 11 July 2024, Suva, Fiji, in cooperation with the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner)
    • Latin America (information coming soon)
    • Caribbean small island developing States (information coming soon)

  • Briefings

  • Side Events

    1. Leveraging the BBNJ Agreement in support of resilient prosperity in SIDS, a side event at the first Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), New York, United States of America, 22-26 January 2024
    2. The BBNJ Agreement and its Linkages with the CMS, a side event at the fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 12-17 February 2024
    3. Stepping Together Toward Ratification and Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, a Multilateral Environmental Agreement day (MEA) side event at the sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), Nairobi, Kenya, 26 February - 1 March 2024
    4. The BBNJ Agreement and its linkages with the Ocean Decade (Programme), a satellite event at 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 10-12 April 2024
    5. Towards living in harmony with the ocean from coasts to areas beyond national jurisdiction: Synergies between the BBNJ Agreement and the work under the CBD, a side event at the twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD SBSTTA-26), Nairobi, Kenya, 13-18 May 2024
    6. Leveraging UNCLOS and the BBNJ Agreement in support of resilient prosperity in SIDS, a side event at the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, 27-30 May 2024

  • Factsheets
    • Overview of the BBNJ Agreement
    • Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits, under the BBNJ Agreement (coming soon)
    • Measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, under the BBNJ Agreement (coming soon)
    • Environmental impact assessments under the BBNJ Agreement (coming soon)
    • Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology under the BBNJ Agreement (coming soon)
    • Cross-cutting issues under the BBNJ Agreement (coming soon)
      •

  • Initial survey of capacity-building and technical assistance needs




Vacancies


Resources

Media
         Social Media
Secretariat contact

For more information, please contact the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations (doalos@un.org).