Ghana has begun preparations to implement the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, following the country’s ratification of the global treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening Ghana’s institutional capacity, aligning national policies and laws, and improving coordination among stakeholders involved in ocean governance.
The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched the Enabling Activities for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (EA-BBNJ) Project at an inception meeting in Accra on Tuesday.
The project is being implemented under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and is supported by funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Chief Director of MEST, Madam Suweibatu Adam, said the project marked an important step towards developing a coordinated national approach to ocean governance following Ghana’s ratification of the BBNJ Agreement.
She said the initiative would support institutional strengthening, stakeholder engagement, capacity development, policy and legislative alignment, as well as increased public awareness of the treaty.
Madam Adam noted that Ghana’s jurisdiction did not extend to areas beyond national jurisdiction but stressed that the country had a significant interest in the health of the global ocean and would benefit from effective participation in international ocean governance.
She said the project complemented other national biodiversity initiatives, including the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the review of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the establishment of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area.
She also cited ongoing efforts to strengthen marine and coastal governance.
“The success of this project will depend on the active participation and collective expertise of all institutions represented here,” she said, urging stakeholders to work together to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
In remarks delivered on his behalf, the Environment and Climate Team Lead at the UNDP, Dr Abdul Razak Saeed, said the BBNJ Agreement became legally binding after entering into force in January 2026.
He said the project would help Ghana strengthen institutional capacity, improve stakeholder engagement and align relevant policies to support effective implementation of the agreement.
Dr Saeed congratulated Ghana on ratifying the treaty, describing the decision as a demonstration of the country’s commitment to international ocean governance and the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.
He, however, stressed that the success of the agreement would depend on how effectively countries translated their commitments into concrete action.
He therefore called for coordinated governance, strategic partnerships and sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that Ghana’s obligations under the treaty were effectively implemented.
