BBNJ Agreement: PrepCom 3 Hoists the Sails for High Seas Action

The Third Session of the Preparatory Commission (PrepCom 3) is more than a procedural milestone; it is a critical moment to ensure that the institutions, tools, and processes created under the Agreement are ready to translate global ambition into real protection for the ocean.

Covering nearly half the planet, areas beyond national jurisdiction belong to no single nation but to all of humanity. These vast waters are essential to the health of our planet, regulating the climate, sustaining global fisheries, and hosting some of the most unique and least understood species and ecosystems on Earth. Yet they face growing threats from overfishing, pollution, and the accelerating impacts of climate change – making their protection more urgent than ever.

A Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Global Ocean

After nearly two decades of negotiation, the BBNJ Agreement provides a comprehensive legal framework to conserve marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, as well as the tools to establish marine protected areas, mandate environmental assessments, and require States to cooperate on capacity-building and technology transfer, enabling all countries – including developing and landlocked States – to participate in stewarding the ocean.

PrepCom is tasked with laying the foundation for turning this historic text into functioning institutions.

After two sessions in 2025 (first session and second session), this final preparatory meeting will continue to focus on recommendations for the first Conference of the Parties (COP1), defining how the Agreement’s institutions should operate in practice and how global commitments can be transformed into tangible protection. It provides a pivotal opportunity to ensure that the mechanisms created under the Agreement are fit for purpose and capable of delivering the urgent ocean protection the world needs. The success of the Agreement will ultimately be measured by the speed of implementation and the effectiveness of the protection it delivers for marine life.

Multilateralism in Action: Why This Moment Matters

Beyond conservation, the BBNJ Agreement is a demonstration that multilateralism can still deliver (see High Seas Treaty Enters into Force: Multilateralism Delivers). In a time when global alliances are under pressure and international institutions face challenges to their relevance, the successful negotiation and adoption of the Agreement under the auspices of the United Nations stands as a testament to what cooperative action can achieve. But the work is only beginning: the institutions must be built, tested, and supported by governments, science, and civil society alike.

As States convene over the next two weeks, global attention will be on PrepCom 3. Its outcomes will set the tone for implementing the BBNJ Agreement, turning political commitment into real, lasting protection for areas beyond national jurisdiction, and ensuring that the shared ocean and its rich biodiversity are safeguarded for generations to come.

OceanCare at PrepCom 3

OceanCare has been following the deliberations on a High Seas Treaty since 2007 and has been actively engaged in the formal negotiations under the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) from 2018 to 2023. OceanCare has attended all PrepCom sessions to date, namely those held in April and August 2025, and will attend the final PrepCom session over the next two weeks, where OceanCare will continue to advocate for strong and effective processes and institutions that are critical for the meaningful implementation of the BBNJ Agreement. It is only with an effective and well-structured institutional framework, that the Agreement can deliver on its conservation commitments, including addressing underwater noise and plastic pollution.