Belgium has officially submitted its candidacy to host the secretariat of the United Nations Treaty on ocean biodiversity in Brussels, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot confirmed on Monday.
The treaty, known as the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, BBNJ, or the “High Seas Treaty,” was adopted in June 2023. It aims to protect ecosystems, establish marine protected areas, share marine genetic resources, conduct environmental impact assessments, and strengthen the capacities of developing nations.
High seas and deep-sea areas make up nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans and fall outside the jurisdiction of any nation.
Belgium’s proposal includes housing the secretariat at the Residence Palace in Brussels, close to international and European institutions. Minister Prévot highlighted that the Belgian capital is home to the “largest diplomatic community in the world.”
The country also boasts a strong, internationally recognised network of marine biologists, legal experts, and researchers, many of whom were closely involved in negotiating the agreement.
Additionally, Ostend hosts the InnovOcean campus, where international bodies such as UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and Belgian research institutions, including the Flanders Marine Institute, collaborate on marine science, innovation, and global data sharing.
A decision on the secretariat’s location is expected during the first Conference of the Parties (COP) to the BBNJ agreement in January 2027.
