From Negotiations to Conservation: The Role of Science Diplomacy in the BBNJ Agreement
Publication Date:
2025
Pages:
6
Item Reference:
IB-2025-13
Publication Place:
Bruges
Publication Language:
EN
Copyright Holder:
UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
Copyright Year:
2025
Policy Brief Type:
Abstract:
- The ocean plays a critical role in regulating the climate, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining human livelihoods, but it faces increasing threats from overfishing, deep-sea mining, and pollution.
- The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement provides a legal framework for governing the high seas, covering two-thirds of the ocean and addressing the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
- Science diplomacy has been crucial in negotiating and shaping the BBNJ agreement. It has facilitated neutral, evidence-based discussions, enabling international collaboration despite political and economic differences.
- Science diplomacy enhances ocean governance through trust-building, fair data sharing (FAIR and CARE principles), integration of Indigenous knowledge, capacity-building for developing countries, and fostering long-term international cooperation.
- Beyond the agreement’s adoption, science diplomacy remains vital for implementation, ensuring that policies evolve with scientific advancements and that global cooperation persists in protecting ocean health for future generations
