The second session of the Preparatory Commission for the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) will take place in New York from 18 to 29 August 2025.

IUCN has been engaged in this process since its beginning and took part in the first session of the preparatory commission last April.

The second session will focus on some key issues for the operationalisation of the BBNJ agreement including financial mechanisms, arrangements with the GEF, modalities for the operation of the Clearing-House Mechanism, and arrangements for the functioning of the secretariat. It will also look at ways to enhance cooperation with relevant legal instruments
and frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies.

Led by the Centre for Policy and Law and the Ocean Team, the IUCN delegation will continue to advocate for universal ratification of the BBNJ agreement, its early implementation, and advance efforts to protect of the High Seas.

Beside the official segments, IUCN will organise and participate in several side-events, including:

18 August (13:15-14:45) – AOSIS event on BBNJ financing
21 August (13:15-14:30) – Unlocking capacity for biodiversity conservation in ABNJ
22 August (13:15-14:30) – Taking a wider view: From sites to networks for BBNJ
23 August (10:00-12:00) – BBNJ First mover workshop
25 August (13:15-14:30) – Capacity Building and Marine Techology Transfer, the engine of BBNJ implementation
26 August (13:15-14.30) – The ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change and the BBNJ Agreement
27 August (13:15-14:45) – BBNJ High Ambition Coalition Members Meeting