From Ratification to Implementation: National Experiences and Lessons Learned on the BBNJ Agreement
📅Monday, 19 October
🕐13:00-14:16 Yerevan Time
🧭Ocean Pavilion, Blue Zone, Meridian Expo Centre
🔵Blue Zone accreditation required
With the BBNJ Agreement now in force, attention is shifting from ratification to the practical challenges of implementation. How are countries preparing to translate the Agreement into national action? What legal, institutional and technical challenges are emerging, and how can existing ocean governance processes help address them?
Convened by the Government of Mexico and the Ocean Panel, this session will bring together government representatives and technical experts to share national experiences, examine common implementation challenges and explore practical approaches to moving forward.
The discussion will consider how existing national frameworks, including Sustainable Ocean Plans, marine spatial planning, biodiversity strategies and climate plans, can support BBNJ implementation. It will also explore opportunities for peer learning, regional cooperation and international partnerships to help countries address capacity and resource gaps.
Why Join?
Hear directly from countries and technical experts working through the practicalities of BBNJ implementation, exchange perspectives on emerging challenges and identify approaches that could support progress across different national contexts.
Participants:
Moderator:
Prof. Matt Frost, Head of Office for International Affairs, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Panellists:
Dr. Tom Pickerell, Global Director, Ocean Programme, World Resources Institute
Laura Rodríguez, Director of Multilateral Environmental Issues, Government of Mexico
Fleur Downard, Director of the International Environment and UN Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Government of Australia
Fariz Ahmadov, Senior Policy Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans, Government of Canada
Gaute Hanssen, Policy Director, Nature, Ministry of Climate and Environment, Government of Norway