Marine Areas beyond National Jurisdiction

Abstract

Areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) encompass more than two-thirds of the ocean. Continents are connected and divided by the ecological, economic, and cultural values tied to these remote ocean spaces. Ships traverse the sea surface; submarine cables zigzag the seabed. Marine ecosystems of ABNJ support climate regulation and link the movements of coastal species and ocean currents. Fisheries and genetic research use ABNJ biological resources; mineral resources are being explored. For humans in societies worldwide, marine ABNJ are sources of heritage linked to historic and contemporary maritime voyages. Ocean ABNJ are shared, in principle, by all nation-states, but few equitably access and benefit from these resources. Sustainable use and conservation of marine ecosystems in ABNJ is a topic of international concern. Questions of equity abound in the exploitation and conservation of ABNJ resources, and in determinations of who benefits and how responsibilities are fulfilled. These questions are at the forefront of developments for a new United Nations treaty for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (the BBNJ agreement). In this chapter, human connections with marine ABNJ are explored, the development of the international governance framework for marine ABNJ is introduced, and the development of the BBNJ agreement is outlined.