Workshop on the negotiations of the BBNJ agreement

Scientists of Utrecht University participated in a workshop on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). The United Nations is working on a treaty on this. Expectations are high that all UN countries will adopt it in 2020.

On 12 February 2020, staff of NILOS (Netherlands Institute of the Law of the Sea)  and UCWOSL (Utrecht University Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law) participated in the workshop entitled “Negotiating an Agreement on the Conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction”.

Centre for Global Challenges

This workshop was part of the project “The sustainable and equitable management of the marine environment beyond national jurisdiction” of the Centre for Global Challenges of Utrecht University. It is a multidisciplinary project involving members of NILOS, UCWOSL as well as members of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and Ethics Institute, both from Utrecht University. 

South Africa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

The workshop aimed at informing students and staff on the state of the BBNJ negotiations, as well as some issues related to the governance of BBNJ. Tom Diederen of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thembile Joyini of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, as well as researchers from the partner institutes of the project, presented and discussed their views on the role of the law, institutional and governance aspects as well as equity considerations in the BBNJ process.