BBNJ Agreement Preparatory Commission

PML’s Head of the International Office, Professor Matt Frost, will attend the BBNJ Agreement Preparatory Commission meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, 14–25 April 2025. The Preparatory Commission is preparing for the ‘entry into force’ of the Agreement and for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement.

The BBNJ Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stands for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, is the first comprehensive, cross-sectoral ocean treaty in decades. It was adopted on 19 June 2023, following nearly twenty years of negotiations. Its adoption marked a historic achievement in efforts to ensure the health and resilience of ocean ecosystems, and to level the playing field in the capacity to participate in and benefit from activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The Agreement covers four main issues:
1.  Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits (Factsheet 2);
2.  Measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas (Factsheet 3);
3.  Environmental impact assessments (Factsheet 4); and
4.  Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology (Factsheet 5).

It also addresses so called “cross-cutting issues (Factsheet 6)”, which are topics that are transversal for the implementation of the Agreement and relevant to the four main issues.
To find out more about the PrepCom meeting visit First session | Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and to connect with the Head of our International Office please visit Professor Matt Frost – Plymouth Marine Laboratory.