Barbados has signed and ratified a United Nations (UN) treaty which regulates biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Barbados is the 13th country in the world to ratify the agreement and the second in CARICOM after Belize.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, signed the Agreement on behalf of the Government of Barbados, yesterday, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The Agreement is open for signature by all states and regional economic integration organisations until September 20, 2025, and will enter into force 120 days after the 60th instrument of ratification, approval and acceptance or accession.
The treaty is officially titled “Agreement under 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” is commonly known as the BBNJ Agreement.
The overall objective of the treaty is the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction for the present and the long term, through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Convention and further international cooperation and coordination.
It creates an international legal framework in which countries will be able to cooperate in the management of marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
The treaty also establishes measures such as area-based management tools, including marine protected areas and environmental impact assessments, and supports capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
In addition, the Agreement also addresses a number of “cross-cutting issues”, establishes a funding mechanism, and sets up institutional arrangements, including a Conference of the Parties and various subsidiary bodies, a Clearing-House Mechanism, and a secretariat.