The international Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement entered into force on January 17, 2026, prompting Pacific Island countries to step up preparations for implementation and regional coordination. A high-level webinar convened earlier this April by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) brought together more than 80 regional experts to begin translating the treaty’s provisions into practical measures for the Blue Pacific.
Central to the discussions was the treaty’s establishment of legally binding Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for activities that affect marine biodiversity. The webinar focused on how EIAs will be used to screen projects and decisions — including how cumulative and transboundary impacts must be assessed — and on the technical and institutional work required for effective participation by Pacific states. Presenters and participants examined practical implications for national processes and for collaboration between adjacent coastal States now recognised under the agreement.
Pacific Ocean Commissioner Filimon Manoni said the treaty “provides states with stronger tools for ocean protection,” but warned that those tools will only be effective if countries invest in technical understanding and institutional systems. Manoni’s comments underlined a recurring theme from the webinar: legal obligations in the agreement must be matched by capacity-building, data sharing and procedural readiness at national and regional levels.
The BBNJ framework also emphasises tailored support for small island and developing states, the systematic sharing of scientific data, and the integration of traditional and local knowledge into decision-making. The agreement clarifies the rights and responsibilities of Pacific Island countries as adjacent coastal States and sets expectations for cooperative approaches to activities beyond national jurisdiction — a significant development for the region’s stewardship of high seas areas adjacent to its waters.
SPREP Director General Sefanaia Nawadra described the Agreement as a “symbolic lighthouse” for extending conservation efforts across the Pacific, stressing the diplomatic as well as environmental significance of the treaty. With the first Conference of the Parties (CoP) scheduled for 2027, webinar attendees and organisers identified immediate regional priorities: securing sustainable funding to support treaty implementation and strengthening legal readiness, including aligning domestic laws and administrative procedures with new international obligations.
Participants left the session emphasising concrete next steps: mapping national gaps in law and capacity, advancing regional data-sharing arrangements and developing targeted technical assistance to support EIAs and related compliance mechanisms. As the treaty moves from signature to operational rule, the Pacific’s push to coordinate and prepare ahead of the 2027 CoP marks the latest development in an evolving effort to ensure the Blue Pacific can both shape and benefit from global governance of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.