PROJECT BACKGROUND

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. It was then supplemented by two implementing agreements. Although UNCLOS contains provisions for the protection and preservation of the marine environment and the sustainable management of ocean resources, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly recognized that there was a need for the comprehensive legal regime under UNCLOS to better address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of Areas Beyound Naitonal Judrisdation (ABNJ). Ultimately, this recognition culminated in the adoption of 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 BBNJ Agreement) on 19 June 2023, after nearly two decades of negotiations under various format. The BBNJ Agreement is the outcome of a long, iterative process that was initiated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2004. This process was completed with the adoption of the Agreement at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental conference on an international legally binding instrument under UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, in June 2023. The BBNJ Agreement is the third implementing agreement to the UNCLOS. The Agreement opened for signature in September 2023, s ixty instruments of ratification, approval, acceptance or accession are required for the Agreement to enter into force. The UNGA, in its resolution emphasized the importance of the early entry into force and effective implementation of the Agreement. To this end, timely support to national processes towards becoming parties to the Agreement and implementation readiness is critical. The African region is now united behind the urgent need to ratify the BBNJ treaty “at the earliest possible date,” as reiterated by the Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the 19th ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-19, 17-18 August 2023). The Government of Liberia, having actively participated in the regional meeting of ECOWAS member States planned on 20-22 November 2023 proceeded to sign the agreement in Septeber 2024 and later ratified in June 2025. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty stands as a pivotal instrument in this endeavor, reflecting Liberia’s commitment to international cooperation and environmental stewardship.

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