UNEP and the BBNJ Agreement: Offer to Host the Secretariat

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, in its article 50, paragraph 1, provides for the establishment of a secretariat and requires the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement, at its first meeting, to make arrangements for the functioning of the secretariat, including deciding on its seat. UNEP offers a trusted and effective framework to facilitate the smooth operation of MEAs' Secretariats through a well-coordinated and integrated support mechanism which can be replicated in establishing the BBNJ Agreement Secretariat.