PROJECT BACKGROUND

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, sets out the legal
framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out. It was then supplemented
by two implementing agreements. Although UNCLOS contains provisions for the protection and
preservation of the marine environment and the sustainable management of ocean resources, the United
Nations (UN) General Assembly recognized that there was a need for the comprehensive legal regime under
UNCLOS to better address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of Areas Beyound
Naitonal Judrisdation (ABNJ). Ultimately, this recognition culminated in the adoption of 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” (the BBNJ Agreement) on 19 June 2023, after nearly two decades
of negotiations under various format.

The BBNJ Agreement is the outcome of a long, iterative process that was initiated by the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in 2004. This process was completed with the adoption of the Agreement at the
fifth session of the Intergovernmental conference on an international legally binding instrument under
UNCLOS on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national
jurisdiction, in June 2023. The BBNJ Agreement is the third implementing agreement to the UNCLOS. The
Agreement opened for signature in September 2023, s ixty instruments of ratification, approval, acceptance
or accession are required for the Agreement to enter into force. The UNGA, in its resolution emphasized the
importance of the early entry into force and effective implementation of the Agreement. To this end, timely
support to national processes towards becoming parties to the Agreement and implementation readiness is
critical.

The African region is now united behind the urgent need to ratify the BBNJ treaty “at the earliest possible
date,” as reiterated by the Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the 19th ordinary session of the African
Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-19, 17-18 August 2023).
The Government of Liberia, having actively participated in the regional meeting of ECOWAS member States
planned on 20-22 November 2023 proceeded to sign the agreement in Septeber 2024 and later ratified in
June 2025. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty stands as a pivotal instrument in
this endeavor, reflecting Liberia's commitment to international cooperation and environmental stewardship.