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.
This Agreement is NOT YET IN FORCE. It shall enter into force 120 days after the date of deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance or accession. The Agreement shall be open for signature in New York on 20 September 2023 and shall remain open for signature until 20 September 2025.