The President of the United States, Joe Biden has transmitted the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification.
The international marine pact, which is also known as the High Seas Treaty or BBNJ Agreement, was initially adopted on 19 June 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on ‘Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction,’ that was convened under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Agreement is sealed 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).
The BBNJ Agreement becomes the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
According to the press release from the U.S Department of State, the high seas account for almost two-thirds of the global ocean.
“This Treaty protects high seas freedoms and promotes high seas scientific research and innovation, while establishing mechanisms for protecting high seas ecosystems. It also creates rules of the road which will incentivize companies to invest in research and development using high seas marine genetic resources.”
The High Seas Treaty is the culmination of years of multilateral diplomacy to provide a long-awaited framework for international cooperation to conserve and sustainably use high seas marine biodiversity.
The High Seas Treaty Agreement addresses among other things, the 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 addresses a number of “cross-cutting issues”, 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 treaty 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.