IOI is represented at BBNJ PrepCom 3
2 April 2026, United Nations Headquarters, New York
The International Ocean Institute (IOI) represented by Liliana Rodriguez Cortes (Delegate of the IOI to the United Nations) participated in the last day of the third session of the Preparatory Commission (PrepCom3) for the entry into force of the 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 (BBNJ Agreement) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 23 March to 2 April 2026.
Convened shortly after the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement on 17 January 2026, the PrepCom3 represented a critical milestone in advancing preparation for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP1). The final day of the session led by Co-Chairs Janine Coye-Felson (Belize) and Adam McCarthy (Australia) focused on consolidating progress made over two weeks of negotiations and identifying areas requiring further work.
Deliberations on the closing day reflected both a sense of urgency and cautious optimism. Delegates worked to streamline draft recommendations on key operational elements, including institutional arrangement, financial mechanisms, and the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM). While notable progress was achieved, several issues remained unresolved, particularly regarding the CHM, the funding modalities and governance structures.
A central theme throughout the closing discussions was the importance of ensuring that the implementation framework of the Agreement is both effective and equitable. States, particularly developing States and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) reiterated the need for accessible and predictable financial resources, as well as robust capacity building and technology transfer provisions.
It is important to note that States envision the CHM as a critical platform for facilitating data sharing, cooperation, and capacity building in the implementation of the BBNJ. While there are still a lot of issues to be resolved in regards to the CHM, some progress was made on its conceptual and technical development. Thursday’s discussions noted much more progress was needed, and Delegations emphasised that the mechanism should be user-oriented and responsive to the needs of States, particularly those with limited technical capacity.
Discussions further underscored the importance of coherence with the broader ocean governance framework under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including coordination with existing regional and sectoral bodies.
From an IOI perspective, the outcomes of the final day reaffirm the central role of capacity development in supporting the effective implementation of the Agreement, and more importantly ocean governance framework within which the BBNJ will need to be implemented. The continued emphasis on training, knowledge exchange, and institutional strengthening aligns closely with IOI’s mission and ongoing work in ocean governance.
As PrepCom 3 concluded, delegates recognised that additional efforts will be required to finalize key elements during COP1 to be held in January 2027. This point was underlined by regional groups of developing States, including SIDS. The International Ocean Institute remains committed to this process through its capacity building programmes and engagement in international ocean governance initiatives.
Please download the Statement by the International Ocean Institute to BBNJ PrepCom 3 here