01/06/2026
๐๐ซ๐ท๐ต๐ญ As part of the โBlue Nations: France and the Philippines, Partners for the Oceansโ initiative, the French Embassy to the Philippines and Micronesia and the Stratbase Institute, will organize a hybrid conference titled โAdvancing High Seas Governance: Opportunities for Regional Cooperation on the BBNJ Agreement Implementationโ to be held on June 9, 2026 (Tuesday) at Manila Polo Club, Makati City.
This year marks a pivotal moment for the worldโs oceans. The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement)โalso known as the High Seas Treatyโentered into force on 17 January 2026, establishing for the first time a comprehensive and legally binding framework to govern the high seas. Covering nearly two-thirds of the global ocean, these waters are home to extraordinary biodiversity, absorb vast quantities of carbon, and sustain fisheries and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide. Yet they have long been subject to a fragmented and inadequate governance regime, leaving marine ecosystems exposed to deepening threats from overexploitation, pollution, and climate change. The BBNJ Agreement closes this governance gap, offering a new legal foundation to conserve and sustainably use the living resources of the global commons.
This sixth installment of the โBlue Nations: France and the Philippines, Partners for the Oceansโ initiative will convene marine scientists, legal experts, policymakers, and civil society representatives around three interconnected objectives. First, it will assess the concrete implications of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement)โs three substantive pillars for the Philippines: the potential to co-design or co-sponsor the first high seas marine protected areas linked to the Coral Triangle; the opportunities and governance challenges presented by the marine genetic resources benefit-sharing framework for Philippine science and coastal communities; and the role of capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology in strengthening Southeast Asian capacity for high seas governance. Second, it will identify practical pathways for regional cooperation, including with France, to advance the science-driven and equitable implementation of the Agreementโfrom joint ocean monitoring initiatives to capacity-building programs and collaborative scientific expertise. Third, it will explore how the Philippines can exercise leadership through its 2026 ASEAN Chairship to promote coordinated regional engagement with the Agreement, advance ratification among ASEAN member states, and position Southeast Asia as a proactive and unified voice at COP 1.
