STRONG High Seas

Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

Logo: Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas (STRONG High Seas)

Overview

STRONG High Seas – Strengthening Regional Ocean Governance for the High Seas was a five-year international research and capacity-building project (2017–2022) focused on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Marine areas beyond national jurisdiction cover roughly 50% of the Earth’s surface and 64% of the ocean, yet remain governed by a fragmented and incomplete international framework. STRONG High Seas supported the development of regional governance approaches, strengthened institutional capacity, and contributed directly to the evolving negotiations on a new international agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), now known as the BBNJ Agreement.

Purpose and Approach

The project aimed to strengthen regional ocean governance in ways that:

  • Bridge regional priorities with global negotiations
  • Support implementation of existing marine protection instruments
  • Identify positive examples of sustainable use in ABNJ
  • Foster technical, scientific, and policy cooperation across regions
  • Develop and test future governance approaches relevant to an international UNCLOS implementing agreement

Work focused in particular on the Southeast Pacific and Southeast Atlantic, while maintaining strong links to global UN processes.

Key Contributions and Results

  • Capacity building during BBNJ negotiations
    Government representatives from the Southeast Pacific and Southeast Atlantic regions participated in targeted capacity-building programmes during UN BBNJ negotiation sessions (2018, 2019), supporting sustained national engagement both in New York and in capitals.

  • Regional ownership and political uptake
    The project was formally acknowledged by member States of the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS) and the Abidjan Convention, with explicit commitments to continued collaboration and integration of ABNJ considerations into regional work programmes.

  • Direct policy impact
    STRONG High Seas contributed expert input to:
    • National BBNJ inter-ministerial dialogues (e.g. Peru, 2020)
    • Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the Abidjan Convention
    • Development of African Union positions on BBNJ
  • Regional stakeholder platforms
    Co-development of dedicated ABNJ stakeholder platforms:
  • Knowledge sharing beyond pilot regions
    Lessons learned were synthesised and shared with other regions to inform emerging governance approaches under the future international agreement.

Project Context: Why ABNJ Matter

Areas beyond national jurisdiction are increasingly affected by:

  • Fishing and other extractive activities
  • Shipping and pollution
  • Climate-driven changes (warming, acidification, deoxygenation)

Because ABNJ ecosystems are ecologically connected to coastal waters, impacts in the high seas directly affect coastal communities and national economies. Existing governance arrangements remain fragmented, with limited coordination across sectoral and regional bodies.

STRONG High Seas operated at this interface — between science, policy, and diplomacy — to help close governance gaps and strengthen collective stewardship of the global ocean.

Project Details

Funding
International Climate Initiative (IKI): €3,123,691.58

Duration
June 2017 – May 2022

Status
Completed

Coordinating organisation
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) e.V.

Political partners

  • Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS)
  • Secretariat of the Abidjan Convention (Côte d’Ivoire)

Implementing partners

  • BirdLife International (UK)
  • IDDRI – Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (France)
  • International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa
  • Universidad Católica del Norte (ESMOI, Chile)
  • WWF Colombia
  • WWF Germany

Further Information and Outputs

  • Project website
    https://www.prog-ocean.org/our-work/strong-high-seas/

  • IKI project information
    PDF
    https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/project/strong-high-seas-sustainable-use-of-the-high-seas-17-iv-063-global-a-strong-high-seas/

  • Project flyer
    PDF

  • Publications, events, and media
    All outputs are available via the project website, including event documentation and research publications.
    Social media: Twitter (@PROG_Ocean), Facebook (@STRONGHiSeas)