BBNJ in the Arctic: New Global Ocean Rules Meet Existing Governance and Geopolitical Tensions
Norway has recently ratified the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), a new global framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The agreement will enter into force in 2026 and is often described as a milestone in international ocean governance.
In the Arctic, however, BBNJ will not be introduced into an institutional vacuum. The region is already governed by a dense network of legal frameworks, sectoral agreements, and political arrangements. The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, existing regional cooperation mechanisms, and long-standing national interests all shape how new global rules may be interpreted and applied in practice.
BBNJ introduces new instruments with potentially far-reaching implications for the Arctic Ocean, including the possibility of establishing marine protected areas in international waters and new procedures for environmental impact assessments. How these instruments will interact with existing governance structures remains an open and politically sensitive question. Implementation will depend not only on legal design, but also on coordination, trust, and willingness to cooperate in a region marked by increasing geopolitical tension.
The agreement is also closely linked to broader global ambitions, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework with its target to protect or conserve 30 per cent of the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers. Translating such goals into meaningful action in the Arctic raises complex questions.
Who defines conservation priorities in areas beyond national jurisdiction? How are regional knowledge systems and existing management regimes taken into account? And what happens when some key Arctic actors participate in BBNJ while others remain outside the framework?
As climate change increases accessibility and commercial interest in Arctic waters, these questions become more than theoretical. BBNJ has the potential to reshape how biodiversity conservation, resource use, and governance are balanced on the northern high seas. Whether this will occur in ways that enhance coherence and legitimacy—or instead add new layers of complexity—remains to be seen.
At the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic, we work at the intersection of international law, geopolitics, and regional ocean governance. Through research and dialogue, we examine how global agreements such as BBNJ are likely to play out in an Arctic context, and what this means for Norway’s role and room for manoeuvre in a rapidly changing ocean governance landscape.
To explore this topic further, join us for our side event during Arctic Frontiers 2026:
