Negotiating fair and equitable sharing of benefits in the BBNJ agreement: Role of the Group of 77 and China

Abstract

This paper maps the contribution of the G77/China Group of developing countries to the negotiations and the final text of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty. Key achievements such as the manner of inclusion of DSI, the use of the ‘BBNJ Standardised Batch Identifier, a proposal to account for aggregate use of marine genetic resources and DSI, the tracking of monetary and non-monetary benefits through the use of the batch identifier all stem from proposals put forward by this block of 134 developing countries, and are key to the perception of legitimacy achieved by this progressive agreement. This paper written in the form of a testimonial by the Chair of the Group during these negotiations, shows above all, the continued relevance of the Group as a formidable negotiating entity.