The third meeting of the Preparatory Commission (PrepCom III) for the entry into force of the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) marked the beginning of the journey of implementation, following the Agreement’s entry into force on 17 January 2026.

As the last PrepCom meeting, it was mandated to prepare the Commission’s report for consideration at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP1), which will take place “no later than one year after the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement.” It was also mandated to prepare a set of draft decisions and documents on institutional and financial matters.

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting, progress was mixed. Delegates reached agreement on several issues, including the processes for the operationalization of the Clearing-House Mechanism and the Special Fund and on the content of a draft memorandum of understanding between the COP and the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). “They also initiated the proceedings for the selection of the permanent seat of the Secretariat, holding interactive sessions with presentations by the three candidates – Belgium, Chile, and China – and agreeing on the decision-making modalities for COP1,” ENB writes.

With no agreement on the rules of procedure for the COP, the terms of reference for the subsidiary bodies, or the financial rules and regulations, these issues were forwarded to the COP for consideration, in addition to other agenda items, including area-based management tools, marine protected areas (MPAs), and environmental impact assessments (EIAs). The ENB analysis of the meeting notes that, to the disappointment of many, most of the points of contention “had nothing to do with the Ocean” and were “rooted in long-standing disputes [that] are not BBNJ-specific.”

In closing, PrepCom Co-Chairs Janine Coye-Felson (Belize) and Adam McCarthy (Australia) reminded delegated that “intersessional work will continue as the PrepCom’s mandate ends upon the conclusion of COP1.”

PrepCom III convened at UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 23 March to 2 April 2026. [ENB Coverage of PrepCom III] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on PrepCom II] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on PrepCom I]