Consider the following statements regarding Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty

1. It is an instrument being developed under the framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on Laws of Sea(UNCLOS)
2. BBNJ areas comprise around 99% of the total ocean surface

Select the correct statement.

The “BBNJ Treaty”, also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”, is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, currently under negotiation at the United Nations.

• This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the UNCLOS, the main international agreement governing human activities at sea.
• Areas beyond national jurisdiction(BBNJ) comprise 95% of the ocean and provide invaluable ecological, economic, social, cultural, scientific and food-security benefits to humanity.
• These areas are hardly regulated and also least understood or explored for its biodiversity – only 1% of these areas are under protection.

Hence only statement 1st is correct.

By: Shubham Tiwari