BBNJ Agreement : Mapping the Roles of the Relevant Actors and Their Issues in the Environmental Impact Assessment Process

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirement for activity conducted in the marine area beyond national jurisdiction is considered a requirement under general international law and a part of a comprehensive environmental management system. The draft Agreement on the protection of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) is the opportunity to formulate and design a comprehensive EIA framework by clearly identifying the roles of the relevant actors for the activity in the marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). This paper explores the roles of each actor involved in the EIA process for the proposed activity in the ABNJ under the current BBNJ draft agreement and negotiations. As a result, this paper identifies five significant issues concerning the roles and functions of each actor and suggests these issues to be discussed and resolved in order to design a comprehensive EIA procedure for the activities in the ABNJ during the negotiation of the BBNJ Agreement