Activities in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are governed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) framework and specialized international agreements related to particular activities. Some sectors are governed globally by UN-specialized agencies, including shipping, governed by the International Maritime Organization. Fisheries are governed by 26 regional fishery bodies and global guidelines from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). The marine environment is managed through the organizations above alongside 18 Regional Seas Programmes that facilitate regional-scale ocean assessment and management of transboundary issues; 23 Large Marine Ecosystems transboundary projects that convene countries bordering major ocean current systems to conduct analyses and develop strategic action programs for long-term resource governance; and other regional intergovernmental arrangements, such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community and Common Market, which are driven by common national interests. Current regional arrangements vary across regions depending on context and sustainable development priorities, such as area-based management, fisheries management, or strategic transboundary action. Presently, there is no global organization responsible for addressing biodiversity and multiple resource use issues in ABNJ on a cross-sectoral basis.

The Global Ocean Forum, UN Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, GRID-Arendal, Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur, Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Universidad Católica del Norte, and University of the South Pacific are now collaborating to execute a UN Environment Programme-implemented and Global Environment Facility-funded project, “Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” (Cross-sectoral Project [CSP]), from 2023 to 2028, together with 23 co-financing partners. The CSP, a child project of the FAO-coordinated Common Oceans Program, seeks to build and strengthen regional and national capacity for sectoral and cross-sectoral cooperation, knowledge management, and public awareness of the ABNJ and the Agreement under the UNCLOS on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The CSP is focusing on two pilot regions (Southeast Pacific, Pacific Islands) to build the capacity of Member States (officials, managers, ministerial representatives), regional organizations (secretariat), and representatives from global ocean-related organizations. This is envisioned to facilitate cross-sectoral coordination to achieve the conservation of marine biodiversity and sustainable ocean use.

The project, following a co-design and co-implementation approach, will seek input from various stakeholders from the two pilot regions during each phase of the capacity-building program. Through knowledge exchange, this project aims to improve cross-sectoral collaboration on critical issues such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, seabed disturbance, marine and land-based pollution, and climate change. Capitalizing on opportunities such as those presented by the BBNJ Agreement is key to ensuring replicability and upscaling for broader impact across different sectors and scales in ABNJ. Ideally, the capacity development process designed under the CSP can be replicated in other regions and adapted to different scales as necessary (e.g., ocean basins, ABNJ regions, or between national governments).

Year 1 activities will focus on conducting a capacity needs assessment in the two pilot regions, including preparing national ABNJ profiles for all target countries. These profiles, designed to aid countries in early action and ratifying the BBNJ Agreement, will identify and detail systemic capacity issues and their perceived causes. Stakeholder input will inform the capacity needs assessment through virtual workshops in each pilot region open to government representatives, academia, NGOs, indigenous peoples, and local communities, the private sector, and any other stakeholders involved in ABNJ governance and management.

About the project

The Common Oceans Program is a global partnership funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), promoting sustainable fisheries and conservation of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Program brings together the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), regional fisheries management organizations, national governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia.  

For more information, please contact Isabelle Vanderbeck, isabelle.vanderbeck@un.org, Miriam Balgos, mbalgos@globaloceanforum.com, and Catie Mitchell, cmitchell@globaloceanforum.com, visit the project page on iwlearn.net or the project website. 

Words by Catie Mitchell.