Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty
About the treaty:
- The BBNJ Treaty also called the Treaty of the High Seas, is an international agreement that aims to preserve and sustainably use the marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
- This includes the high seas, which are outside of countries’ exclusive economic zones and makeup nearly half of the Earth’s surface.
- These areas are currently poorly regulated and only 1% of them are protected.
- The High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction was launched in February 2022 to negotiate and achieve a comprehensive and ambitious outcome.
- The negotiations focus on elements agreed upon in 2015, such as the conservation and sustainable use of marine genetic resources, area-based management tools like marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity-building and technology transfer.
Significance of this treaty:
- Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) refers to the areas beyond the jurisdiction of any single country, such as the high seas, the deep sea floor, and the international seabed area.
- These areas are critical for the health of the ocean, the well-being of coastal people, and the overall sustainability of the planet.
- BBNJ comprises 95% of the ocean and provides invaluable ecological, economic, social, cultural, scientific, and food-security benefits to humanity.
Syllabus: Prelims
