Table of Contents Serial No. Main Heads 1 Introduction 2 Substantive Obligations of the BBNJ Agreement 3 The Role of Simplicity in Legal Design 4 Equity in Resource Access and Benefit Sharing 5 Safeguarding Global Credibility through Implementation 6 Institutional Architecture for Effective Governance 7 The Relevance of Legal Education and the Best Law Universities in the World 8 Comparative Benchmarks from International Precedents 9 Conclusion Introduction India’s engagement with the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean commons has entered a decisive phase with its signing of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). Rooted in the framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the BBNJ Agreement addresses the governance gap relating to marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. As explained by the United Nations, the treaty extends to nearly two-thirds of the global ocean surface and provides a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. India’s present task is to draft comprehensive domestic legislation. Such a law must embody simplicity in form, equity in outcomes, and credibility in global perception, principles emphasised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). In doing so, it will contribute not only to environmental stewardship but also to the consolidation of India’s status in the architecture of international law. The BBNJ Agreement …







