On Thursday, 21 August 2025, the World Maritime University – Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (WMU-GOI), in collaboration with the International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO) Global Ocean Forum (GOF), will host a side event titled “Ratifying and Implementing the BBNJ Agreement: Efforts and Challenges” during the second session of the BBNJ Agreement Preparatory Commission (PrepCom II), taking place from 18–29 August 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
WMU-GOI x GOF Side Event
Ratifying and Implementing the BBNJ Agreement: Efforts and Challenges
The event will be held from 1:15 to 2:30pm, bringing together key leaders and experts from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other developing countries to discuss national implementation challenges, legislative alignment, regional action, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge.
About BBNJ PrepCom II
The second session of the Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the BBNJ Agreement is a critical milestone in operationalizing the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The session brings together governments, international organizations, and stakeholders to address the legal, institutional, and technical foundations necessary for effective implementation—especially to ensure inclusive participation from developing countries and SIDS.
For more information, please feel free to write to us at goievents@wmu.se to connect with the delegation onsite.
ACCESS THE post event material below
Post event material to the BBNJ Prepcom II - INCOMING
ABOUT THE wmu-sasakawa global ocean institute
The World Maritime University (WMU)-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute (GOI) is an independent focal point for the ocean science-policy-law-industry-society interface where policymakers, the scientific community, regulators, industry actors, academics, and representatives of civil society meet to discuss how best to manage and use ocean spaces and their resources in accordance with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Institute was inaugurated in May 2018 and made possible through generous support from The Nippon Foundation of Japan, the Governments of Sweden, Canada, and Germany, as well as the City of Malmö.
About the BBNJ Clinic Programme
The Ireland and WMU-GOI BBNJ Clinic is dedicated to supporting Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in their efforts to ratify and implement the BBNJ Agreement. Effective and prompt implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is crucial for ocean sustainability and conservation and addressing global inequalities in access to ocean resources. SIDS, characterized as ‘large ocean states’ due to their geographical features and interconnection with and knowledge of ocean ecosystems, as well as coastal LDCs, are among the most significant beneficiaries of the Agreement and among the most important actors in contemporary ocean affairs. However, these States can face capacity and resource challenges in implementing the BBNJ Agreement. The Programme aims to fulfill both practical capacity development and hands-on educational mandates. WMU-GOI researchers and external experts, including the lead negotiators of the BBNJ intergovernmental conference, will lead the consultation process facilitated by the Clinic, and facilitate ratification and implementation procedures undertaken by legal advisors, government officials, and relevant stakeholders from SIDS and coastal LDCs.