Institutional arrangements in a BBNJ treaty: Implications for Arctic marine science

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the implications for Arctic marine science of the treaty that is being negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) from the perspective of the necessary institutional arrangements. Given that the institutional architecture will be crucial to the successful implementation of the resulting treaty, this article examines the approaches to institutional arrangements as they relate to the discussions leading to the commencement of the BBNJ intergovernmental conference, developments at the intergovernmental conference, and their implications for Arctic marine science. The Arctic perspective is of particular interest because Arctic States and other States with significant interests in the Arctic have been largely skeptical of, and in some cases resistant to, the BBNJ process. This article concludes that although the BBNJ treaty negotiations provide a challenge to regional, sectoral, and national actors in the Arctic, they also provide an opportunity for these actors if the resulting treaty includes robust institutional arrangements that create mechanisms for greater integration and coordination of marine science, particularly Arctic marine science.