High Seas Biodiversity Conservation and Use in the Arctic

High Seas Biodiversity Conservation and Use in the Arctic: BBNJ Agreement Implementation and Potential Impacts on Regional Governance

In June 2023, in one of the most significant steps taken in decades to promote protection of marine biodiversity, governments overwhelmingly adopted what is often referred to as the High Seas Treaty – 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.”  The treaty has reached the required number of ratifications to enter into force in 2026, and will have responsibilities related to protected areas and marine genetic resources in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction such as the Central Arctic Ocean.  But what are the real implications of this treaty for the Arctic?  This panel will focus on key questions about the treaty and the Arctic, such as:  How does the treaty apply to the Arctic Ocean?  How likely is it that the treaty will establish new marine protected areas there?  How will the treaty interact with existing institutions such as the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement?  How will the treaty function in the Arctic if countries like China, Norway and EU Member States join, but Russia and the United States do not?   

Co-hosted by:

- Centre for the Ocean and Arctic
- UiT the Arctic University of Norway
- Sasakawa Peace Foundation