Putting in practice the BBNJ Clearing-House Mechanism

The much anticipated first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP1) is happening on 11-22 January 2027, one year after the BBNJ Agreement has entered into force and became an international law. Prior to this, the BBNJ Preparatory Commission held three two-week meetings from 2025 to 2026, where delegations have negotiated and generally agreed on the preparations for CoP1, including the institutional set-up of BBNJ, which will be the backbone of its implementation.

The challenge is clear – how to translate the BBNJ provisions to actionable points to ensure effective, transparent, and inclusive implementation of the Agreement. In preparation for CoP1, the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources of Maldives and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, in collaboration with the High Seas Alliance and International Union for Conservation of Nature Asia Regional Office, are convening a two-day retreat to facilitate knowledge exchange and a capacity-building session on BBNJ institutional issues and key aspects of implementation.

The retreat, which will be held at the margins of the Asia-Pacific Ocean Week in Bangkok on 26-30 October 2026, will also provide a one-day participation for delegates to learn from relevant sessions. Objectives The regional retreat aims to convene Asia government delegates for a learning exchange in preparation for CoP1. It aims to facilitate constructive discussions among countries and share informed views by the experts.