World Oceans Day

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement , also known as the " High Seas Treaty ," is a legally binding UN treaty adopted in 2023 that entered into force on January 17, 2026. It aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in international waters—covering nearly half the Earth's surface—via, among others, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and environmental impact assessments .   Related Sites and Documents:  Concept Note .   Watch the Ocean Intelligence 2.0: Deep Technology in Support of BBNJ Implementation! Meetings & Events

  Single-use Plastic . A cheap convenience has rapidly become a global crisis.⁣ ⁣ Understand The problem of plastic waste⁣ Plastic's health & environmental impacts⁣ Solutions for reducing plastic pollution⁣ ⁣The Global Plastics Treaty is a proposed legally binding UN instrument to end plastic pollution by addressing the full life cycle of plastics , from production to disposal. After a final round of negotiations in August 2025 ( INC-5.2 ) concluded without a full agreement due to divisions on key issues like production caps versus waste management , future talks are needed to finalize the treaty. The treaty aims to establish common global standards, promote a circular economy, and implement measures like bans on problematic products, improved design, and extended producer responsibility. The World Resource Institute .

   The second session of the Commission is scheduled to be held from 18 to 29 August 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Credentials of representatives (item 6) Other matters (item 7) Closure (item 8) The BBNJ Agreement addresses four main 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; and Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology. In its resolution 78/272, the General Assembly decided to establish a preparatory commission to prepare for the entry into force of 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 and to prepare for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement. Pursuant to General Assembly decision 78/560, the first s...

The second session of the Commission is scheduled to be held from 18 to 29 August 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Item 5 (continued) Reporting back on parallel meetings Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties (Cluster I: Issue 1) The BBNJ Agreement addresses four main 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; and Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology. In its resolution 78/272, the General Assembly decided to establish a preparatory commission to prepare for the entry into force of 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 and to prepare for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement. Pursuant to General A...

 The second session of the Commission is scheduled to be held from 18 to 29 August 2025 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Item 5 (continued) Arrangements for the functioning of the secretariat, including its seat (Cluster I, Issue 4) The BBNJ Agreement addresses four main 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; and Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology. In its resolution 78/272, the General Assembly decided to establish a preparatory commission to prepare for the entry into force of 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 and to prepare for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement. Pursuant to General Assembly dec...

The Sargasso Sea Commission will share experiences from over a decade of work to conserve the Sargasso Sea, which is directly related to part III of the agreement on area-based management tools Watch the Navigating the BBNJ agreement: Sargasso Sea experience (BBNJ prepcomm2 side event)! . Meetings & Events