Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction

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 June 19, 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction convened under the auspices of the United Nations. The BBNJ Agreement is the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The main objective of the BBNJ Agreement is 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 UNCLOS, and further international cooperation and coordination. The BBNJ Agreement consists of the following four pillars as well as cross-cutting 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
• Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.

The BBNJ 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.

The BBNJ Agreement entered into force on January 17, 2026, 120 days after the deposit of the 60th instrument of ratification. The current status of the BBNJ Agreement can be found at the United Nations Treaty Collection website.

The BBNJ Agreement identifies the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund as part of its financial mechanism, which also includes a special fund and a voluntary trust fund. In August 2023, the Seventh GEF Assembly approved by consensus the corresponding amendment to the Instrument to add the BBNJ Agreement to the list of conventions served by the GEF. Council Decision 14/2023 also authorized the use of up to $34 million from the GEF-8 international waters focal area for the funding of ratification support and early action activities for the BBNJ Agreement.

GEF Council Decision 14/2024 approved Council document GEF/C.66/07 that articulated the initial guidelines for enabling activities and ratification support projects to promote early entry into force and implementation readiness for the BBNJ Agreement. The document was developed in close consultation with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, which serves as the temporary secretariat.

DOALOS and the GEF Secretariat are working closely to ensure coordination of efforts and the efficient use of resources by avoiding gaps and duplications in the delivery of assistance. In this regard, DOALOS and the GEF Secretariat have conducted an initial survey of capacity-building and technical assistance needs, including with regard to making progress towards signature and ratification, approval, acceptance, or accession, to inform the development of future assistance in support of becoming parties to the BBNJ Agreement and fostering readiness to its implementation. The compilation of results of the initial survey is available here.

Furthermore, the GEF-9 international waters strategy for the ninth replenishment period (GEF-9, from 2026-2030) builds on the success of GEF-8 (2022-2026) to support multi-country cooperation in managing and conserving shared freshwater and coastal and marine ecosystems for lasting global environmental benefits. This includes the GEF’s role as part of the financial mechanism for the BBNJ Agreement. GEF-9 support will be guided by the general principles and approaches set out in article 7 of the Agreement.

GEF-9 support to the BBNJ Agreement aims to ensure that duplication is avoided, and that complementarity and coherence is promoted among the utilization of the funds within the financial mechanism. Supported activities will include continued national-level support for ratification and implementation readiness aligned with GEF Council guidance. Supported activities will also include those aligned with any future GEF Council guidance and future guidance provided to the GEF by the BBNJ Conference of the Parties.

GEF-9 support will be utilized to support activities described in Article 52, paragraph 6, of the BBNJ Agreement, as follows:

1. Fund capacity-building projects under this Agreement, including effective projects on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity and activities and programs, including training related to the transfer of marine technology
2. Assist developing States Parties in implementing this Agreement
3. Support conservation and sustainable use programs by Indigenous Peoples and local communities as holders of traditional knowledge
4. Support public consultations at the national, subregional, and regional levels
5. Fund the undertaking of any other activities as decided by the COP.

Questions to the GEF Secretariat can be directed to: Rawleston Moore (rmoore@thegef.org), Andrew Hume (ahume@thegef.org), and Ines Benabdallah (ibenabdallah@thegef.org).

• GEF/C.71/12 (June 2026) - Draft Memorandum of Understanding Between the Conference of the Parries to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conversation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and the Council of the GEF
• GEF C.66/07 (February 2024) - Initial guidelines for enabling activities and ratification support projects for 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)
• GEF/A.7/08 (August 2023) - Amendment of GEF Instrument to include BBNJ Agreement
• GEF/C.64/12/Rev.02 (June 2023) - Preparing the GEF to serve as part of the financial mechanism of the international legally binding instrument 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)