Vast marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, which constitute about two-thirds of the world's oceans, face serious threats, including overfishing, intensive shipping traffic, and plastic pollution. Furthermore, new dangers are emerging, such as deep-sea mining and proposals for carbon dioxide removal from seawater. Although these waters are already regulated by international law, a unified global protection system was previously lacking.
With the entry into force of the UN Convention on Marine Areas (formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ Agreement) on January 17, 2026, a new legal framework has been established for the sustainable use and conservation of marine biodiversity in these common waters.
At the UN Biodiversity Summit (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, experts gathered to determine how various global rules can work together to save the ocean.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) provides a broad framework for biodiversity conservation. Its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to ensure the effective conservation and management of at least 30% of the world's terrestrial and inland water areas, as well as coastal and marine areas by 2030.
The BBNJ Agreement supplements this framework by introducing rules for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national control. It covers a wide range of issues: from marine genetic resources and the fair sharing of benefits derived from them to area-based management tools such as marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, capacity building, and the transfer of marine technologies. These measures are intended to strengthen international cooperation and support developing countries in implementing the agreement.
China played a key role in the negotiations and ratified the treaty on December 15, 2025, becoming one of the first Parties. Beijing has now supported Xi'an in Fujian province to host the treaty secretariat. Brussels and Valparaíso are also contenders, with a final decision expected in January 2027. To help developing countries participate in the process, China has pledged to allocate $3 million to a voluntary dedicated fund.
Meanwhile, seven West African countries, led by Nigeria, are working to advance a proposal for establishing a highly protected marine protected area in the convergence zone of the Guinea-Canary currents. At COP17 on October 26, Nigeria presented this initiative, which is being developed through the West Africa BBNJ Coordinating Committee. This initiative emphasizes the need for scientific cooperation, data exchange, monitoring, compliance assurance, sustainable financing, and support for coastal livelihoods.
Turning such proposals into effective protection will require robust scientific data. Deep-sea research, biodiversity monitoring, satellite observations, and vessel tracking data can help identify ecologically important habitats, establish baselines, and inform the planning of open-ocean marine protected areas. Environmental impact assessments can also help assess the potential risks of human activities to vulnerable ecosystems.
Although the CBD and the BBNJ Agreement operate within separate systems, closer coordination between them is vital. Achieving the 2030 goals will require that international rules are underpinned by solid science, technical competence, and continuous cooperation.