Human activities and interests in the ABNJ are wide-ranging: ninety percent of world trade and submarine telecommunications cables pass through the ABNJ.
With activities set to increase, coordination among stakeholders is vital to preserve this common good for future generations. A new treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction – the “BBNJ Agreement” – will strengthen ABNJ governance.
The project aims to raise awareness of the BBNJ Agreement and improve cooperation on ABNJ governance in two pilot regions: the Southeast Pacific region and the Pacific Islands Region, working with the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur, the Pacific Islands Forum Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Universidad Católica del Norte, and the University of the South Pacific.
Together with 23 partners, including global, regional, and national organizations, donor agencies, and civil society, the project will exchange experiences and improve cross-sectoral collaboration on key issues such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, seabed disturbance, marine and land-based pollution, and climate change.
Key activities
Strengthen capacity for cooperation and coordination
Develop a training program for key officials from regional and national organizations on how to cooperate and collaborate on ABNJ issues.
Improve understanding of ABNJ issues and governance
Establish effective knowledge exchange mechanisms for well-informed decision-making on ABNJ issues among key stakeholders.
Increase understanding on the new ‘BBNJ Agreement’ within the international community and high-level officials involved in ABNJ governance.
Partners
Featured
Brochures
Common Oceans Program - Cross-sectoral cooperation
2023
Cross-sectoral management and governance is a major challenge to biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction...
Brochures
Programa Océanos Comunes – Cooperación intersectorial
2025
La gestión y la gobernanza intersectorial es un desafío importante para conservación de la biodiversidad y el uso sostenible de las zonas marinas situadas...
Facts and figures
Sectors operating in ABNJ include fisheries, shipping, tourism, marine scientific research, and emerging sectors, such as geoengineering.
ABNJ activities are governed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), together with other specialized international agreements on activities like fishing and shipping.
Regional arrangements for ABNJ governance include 26 regional fishery bodies, 18 Regional Seas Programmes, 23 Large Marine Ecosystem Projects, as well as regional political and economic communities driven by the interests of Member States.