TY - JOUR AU - de Benedetti, Ludovica AB - Yearbook of International Environmental Law, 2023, 34(1), yvae003 Report OCEANS (1) INTRODUCTION This was a landmark year for the law of the sea, with the historic adoption of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) (). This agreement, which was finalized after years of negotiations, represents a major step forward in the global effort to protect and manage the marine environment. The final text of the BBNJ Agreement was officially adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference at its fifth further resumed session on 19–20 June and will enter into force 120 days after the deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification (Article 68). The text of the Agreement is divided into twelve parts and two annexes, but the most relevant content issues relate to four main issues: marine genetic resources and related benefit-sharing issues arising from their use; area-based management tools, including marine protected areas (MPAs), for the protection of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction; environmental impact assessment; and capacity building and transfer of marine technology. It is the first global agreement to specifically address marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and provides a comprehensive framework TI - Regional Seas JO - Yearbook International Environmental Law Series DO - 10.1093/yiel/yvae003 DA - 2024-10-10 UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/regional-seas-0OOLfRpjWx VL - 34 IS - 1 DP - DeepDyve ER -