Another article on the BBNJ treaty published

Recently, another article on the treaty negotiations for biodiversity protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction was published – this time I was part of a multi-author group from the Environmental Studies Section of the ISA (International Studies Association).

The article is published in the Earth System Governance journal, where one of our authors – Frank Biermann – is the Editor in Chief. The blurb of the journal the following:

The journal Earth System Governance addresses governance processes and institutions at all levels of decision-making – from local to global – within a planetary perspective that seeks to align our current institutions and governance systems with the fundamental 21st century challenges of global environmental change and earth-system transformation. The journal intends to be interdisciplinary with a firm grounding in the social sciences and humanities, and covers research on all regions and sectors.

Abstract

In September 2018, following over a decade of informal discussions, the United Nations General Assembly launched an intergovernmental conference to address the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. This process is scheduled to take two years and is structured around four themes: marine genetic resources, area-based management tools (including marine protected areas), environmental impact assessments, and capacity building and marine technology transfer. This Perspective draws on the earth system governance literature and the authors’ own experience of and views on the BBNJ process to provide insights and recommendations for the ongoing negotiations. It highlights three areas of concern: (i) the politicization of science and coping with scientific uncertainty, (ii) institutional fragmentation; and (iii) the need for a new agreement to respond to the complex set of multiple, multilevel, and systemic threats to marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

Citation:

Elizabeth M. De Santo; Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir; Ana Barros-Platiau; Frank Biermann; Leandra Regina Gonçalves; Rakhyun E Kim; Elizabeth Mendenhall; Ronald Mitchell; Elizabeth Nyman; Michelle Scobie; Kai Sun; Rachel Tiller; D. G Webster; Oran Young (2019). Protecting Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: An Earth System Governance Perspective. Earth System Governance Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2019.100029