Supporting international cooperation towards universal ratification and promoting implementation readiness of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
Global and regional support to the BBNJ Agreement ratification process and implementation readiness (BBNJ G&R project)
Project Background
Adopted in 2023 to address mounting pressures on areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is a landmark treaty strengthening the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity on the high seas. Now that it has entered into force, it is expected to enhance international governance by focusing on four key pillars: 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. To support international cooperation towards universal ratification and to promote implementation readiness of the BBNJ Agreement, the Global Environment Facility-funded global and regional support to the BBNJ Agreement ratification process and implementation readiness (BBNJ G&R) Medium-Sized Project (MSP) has been designed with three interlinked components, supported by project monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge dissemination.
Component 1: Global-level Capacity Building and Outreach
Activities: Development of capacity-building modules, awareness raising and outreach materials, including gap analyses, best practices and digital knowledge platforms, to support awareness, knowledge sharing and implementation readiness.
Component 2: Regional Training, Workshops and Dissemination
Activities: Delivery of regional training, workshops, and knowledge-sharing activities, in coordination with relevant bodies, to strengthen understanding, participation and capacity for ratification and implementation.
Component 3: National-level Support and Coordination
Activities: Provision of targeted technical support, guidance and coordination to strengthen national legal, institutional and policy preparedness to enhance quality and coherence of national-level efforts.
Component 4: Monitoring, evaluation and knowledge dissemination
Activities: Establishment of monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management mechanisms to track progress, support adaptive management and demonstrate contributions to implementation.
Each component features specific outputs, activities, and deliverables carried out by three implementing agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Global Ocean Forum (GOF) will execute outputs led by UNEP, alongside international collaborating partners.
Updates on UNEP-led Outputs
After a project stakeholders workshop (28 March 2026 during the BBNJ PrepCom 3 at the UNHQ in New York), and an inception workshop and a Project Steering Committee meeting held virtually (10 June 2026), the GOF started the execution of UNEP-led outputs with a kickoff meeting held on 10 July 2026. The kickoff meeting hosted a broad range of participants from the global, regional and national levels and highlighted the critical role of stakeholder engagement for the success of the BBNJ G&R project.
Since kickoff, the project team has finalized its workplan, held meetings with key collaborators, and participated in coordination with the implementing agencies through the project’s Interagency Taskforce. Work has started on the first foundational output of the project, including the data gathering that will result in a global gap analysis of capacity needs, challenges, and priorities. The global gap analysis report is critical to subsequent project outputs, including the inventories informing the creation of a suite of new capacity building materials and products to support accession to and implementation readiness of the BBNJ Agreement.
The BBNJ G&R project will also be featured in Workshop 9, From Negotiation to Action: Building capacity for cross-sectoral implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, at the 11th GEF International Waters Conference (IWC11) in Bali, Indonesia from 19 to 22 October 2026.
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
Timeline: March 2026-August 2028
Funding Agency: Global Environment Facility
Implementing Agencies:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Development Programme
Executing Agency (UNEP-led Outputs): Global Ocean Forum
Project Team (UNEP-led Outputs):
UNEP
Isabelle Vanderbeck, Portfolio Manager, UNEP-GEF International Waters
Quanyi Ye, Administrative and Finance Associate for BBNJ G&R
GOF
Alexis Maxwell, Project Coordinator
Catie Mitchell, Technical Specialist
Miriam Balgos, Technical Advisor
Eugenia Merayo Garcia, Gender Specialist
Co-financing Partners:
Implementing Agencies (FAO, UNEP, UNDP)
United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UN DOALOS)
French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
High Seas Alliance
Fundación Marviva International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
