The third BBNJ Preparatory Commission (BBNJ PrepCom 3) is working in full gear , with governments this week wasting no time and jumping straight into shaping the rules, bodies and processes that will make the High Seas Treaty operational in practice. Building strong institutions is critical to ensure the Agreement can deliver on its ambition.
The week opened with a Reception we co-hosted with a number of our member organizations to bring together delegates, partners and stakeholders and mark the start of the session. The event featured remarks from the Co-Chairs Ambassador Janine Felson and Mr. Adam McCarthy, and the Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Mr. Steven Hill, who reflected on the BBNJ Agreement’s current role as a lighthouse of multilateralism, setting a hopeful and collaborative tone for the week ahead. Check out this video to see clips from the night speeches.
Thank you to everyone who attended and our partner organizations for co-sponsoring this event: Conservation International, Coral Reefs of the High Seas, EarthEcho, Greenpeace, IFAW, IUCN, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceano Azul Foundation, OceanCare, Oceans North, Parliamentarians for Global Action, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Nature Conservancy.
Inside the negotiations
On Day 1, under the firm guidance of the co-chairs, delegations launched straight into their work, showing the discipline and commitment of delegations against the backdrop of global events. Discussions this week have focused on the operational foundations of the Agreement, particularly:
Rules of Procedure (CoP):
- Broad support for flexibility in the frequency of CoP meetings, with many delegations favouring annual meetings to start while retaining adaptability.
- Strong emphasis on transparency and observer participation, including support from many delegations for maintaining open and accessible processes. Only very few States have supported a non-objecture procedure by which a single State objection is enough to deny observer participation, which the HSA has been strongly advocating against.
- Ongoing discussions around intersessional and virtual decision-making, including the role of extraordinary meetings.
Subsidiary Bodies (SBs):
- Convergence around the need for efficient and functional bodies, with many supporting limited membership structures.
- Recognition of the importance of external expertise, including the role of non-voting experts to support scientific and technical work.
- Continued discussions on timelines to set up subsidiary bodies such as the Scientific and Technical Body to ensure they can be operationalized by CoP1.
Finance and Institutional Arrangements:
- Emerging convergence on establishing an ad hoc committee to develop governing instruments for the Special Fund.
- Ongoing debate about the Terms of Reference of the Voluntary Trust Fund and the extent of funding for supporting delegates from developing countries to attend meetings of the CoP and Subsidiary Body meetings.
- As part of operationalizing the Agreement’s financial mechanism, discussions also concerned arrangements with the GEF.
Clearing-House Mechanism (Cl-HM)
- There is growing support for advancing a pilot or prototype of the Clearing-House Mechanism by CoP1, recognising its central role in enabling information-sharing, transparency and implementation of the Agreement.
- Key questions remain around the key parameters that would need to be included on this pilot and who would develop it, with some support expressed for IOC-UNESCO to play that role
Cooperation with other bodies (IFBs)
- Discussions on cooperation with existing international frameworks and bodies were relatively constructive, with many emphasising the importance of ensuring effective cooperation.
- Conversations will continue on how to structure cooperation in a way that supports implementation and achieving BBNJ objectives.
Secretariat arrangements
- Discussions progressed on the future Secretariat, including different institutional models and their implications.
- This week, China and Chile presented their bids to host the Secretariat, with another presentation expected by Belgium next week.
- The final decision on the seat of theb Secretariat is expected to be taken by Parties at CoP1.
Across discussions, there is a shared recognition of the need to balance efficiency, inclusivity, and ambition in building the institutional framework of the Agreement.
Other moments and looking ahead of week 2
During the week, engagement extended beyond the negotiating rooms, including a youth workshop event we co-hosted alongside EarthEcho that highlighted the importance of meaningful youth participation in the BBNJ process. The session underscored the role of young people as key stakeholders in ocean governance and long-term stewardship of the High Seas.
We also heard the exciting news that the Dominican Republic had ratified the Treaty taking the total number of ratifications to 87. With the Treaty now in force already, attention is now turning towards achieving universal ratification and ensuring effective global implementation.
Throughout the week, the High Seas Alliance has continued to support awareness and engagement, check out some of our short clips explaining the importance of some key issues on our YouTube channel.
The week also included a memorial for the late Kristina Gjerde, honouring her immense contribution to ocean governance. Alongside this, the Ocean Stewardship Awards, established with her family, will continue her legacy by recognising impactful work in protecting the ocean.
Finally, preparations are already underway for the first Conference of the Parties (CoP) set to take place at the UN headquarters in New York City, and with 11-22 January 2027 currently proposed as dates, pending formal approval by the UN Secretary-General.
As discussions continue into the second half of PrepCom 3, focus will remain on advancing practical solutions that can ensure the Agreement is implemented effectively and inclusively.
