30x30 Ocean Action Plan 2025

30x30 Ocean Action Plan41 40Ratify the BBNJ Agreement and establish ABNJ MPAsAction Area 1 Enabling The Global Conditions For Success • Commit to ratifying the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) by 2026 and take proactive steps upon its entry into force. This includes aligning national and regional frameworks with BBNJ processes, engaging actively in the establishment and operationalisation of its institutional bodies and tools, and prioritising the development of a strong scientific evidence base to inform marine protected area (MPA) proposals in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), including ecologically representative and well- connected MPA networks. • Governments should formalise their contributions to further protections in the high seas by integrating their national strategies for BBNJ-related efforts into their National Biodiversity Strategies and Actions Plans (NBSAPs), Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs), and other domestic ocean policy instruments. These strategies should make clear how potential area-based management tools (ABMTs), including MPAs, in the high seas will complement—not replace—commitments made for their exclusive economic zones (EEZs). • Designate a lead Ministry or agency and develop a national implementation framework that operationalises the provisions of the Agreement at a national level and includes legal and institutional review, inter-ministerial coordination, and structured engagement with IPLCs to ensure accountability, inclusive governance, effective marine protection implementation, knowledge co-production, and equitable benefit-sharing in high seas conservation. • Establish formal coordination channels with regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and relevant regional seas conventions to align BBNJ implementation with sectoral mandates, prevent duplication, and strengthen integrated governance in areas beyond national jurisdiction. • Begin cross-sectoral scientific, technical, and diplomatic work to identify and prepare proposals for high seas MPAs under the BBNJ Agreement. This includes mapping ecologically important areas, aligning with regional governance bodies, engaging Indigenous and local knowledge systems, and forming country coalitions to champion early designation efforts once the BBNJ Agreement enters into force. Scientific planning should also account for ecological connectivity—such as larval dispersal, migratory routes, and habitat linkages, and climate-smart and dynamic area-based management approaches. Contribute actively to international and regional coalitions • Establish clear, accessible regional maps of the growing ecosystem of multilateral alliances, scientific and technical partnerships, and financing platforms that are designed to support governments with the tools, data, knowledge, and capital needed to accelerate marine protection. This ecosystem includes initiatives offering cutting-edge scientific guidance, ecological assessments, and decision-support tools that are critical to informed and effective conservation. However, many of these resources remain underutilised or disconnected from national planning processes. Unlocking their full potential— especially the scientific and technical assets—is essential to support countries in delivering meaningful, equitable contributions to the global 30x30 target, aligned with their national context, ecological priorities, and capacity. Ensuring these tools are accessible and integrated into domestic planning will be key to maximising each country’s role in advancing collective progress toward Target 3. • Contribute actively to international coalitions and multilateral initiatives driving 30x30 outcomes—such as the Global Ocean Alliance, High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, High Seas Alliance, Blue Action Fund, UNEP Regional Seas Programme, and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs—by sharing national progress, aligning with global targets, and using open-access tracking platforms and independent verification tools to foster transparency, accountability, and peer alignment across countries and global initiatives. • Recognise and engage with Indigenous- and community-led conservation networks—such as the ICCA Consortium, LMMA Network, and regional IPLC alliances—which play a critical role in delivering locally grounded, culturally appropriate marine protection that complements national and international efforts. • Strengthen collaboration with RFMOs to align spatial conservation goals with fisheries policies, including through observer programs, data transparency, and the adoption of ecosystem-based approaches with a view to achieve 100% sustainable management of the global ocean.This will ensure that high seas MPAs will function as adaptive, interconnected networks that reflect shifting species distributions and oceanographic changes, rather than status or outdated stationary sites that may lose relevance as conditions evolve. The Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) already identified in the ABNJ and reported to the CBD, should form a basis for targeting priority areas for conservation. • Engage with enabling initiatives such as the High Seas MPA Accelerator , which supports collaboration and fast-tracks the development of proposals for a connected, high-quality, and well-managed network of high seas MPAs. This includes identifying opportunities for RFMOs to support area-based management objectives, co-develop criteria for spatial protection within fishery zones, and contribute data to the future BBNJ Clearing-House Mechanism.Action Area 1 Enabling The Global Conditions For Success Photo: Image-Source / Envato Elements