BBNJ Agreement: The People’s Legislative Assembly Opens the Door for Burkina Faso to Participate in Global Marine Biodiversity Governance
Burkina Faso is strengthening its commitment to environmental protection and the preservation of natural resources. Meeting in a plenary session on Monday, 9 November 2026, under the chairmanship of Comrade Dr Ousmane BOUGOUMA, members of the People’s Legislative Assembly (Assemblée législative du peuple – ALP) unanimously adopted, with all 71 members voting in favour, the draft bill authorising the ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Adopted on 19 June 2023 in New York, this international agreement is commonly known as the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction).
According to the government, represented by Comrade Karamoko Jean Marie TRAORE, Minister of Foreign Affairs, this international legal instrument aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction for the benefit of present and future generations.
For Burkina Faso, ratifying this agreement is in line with the country’s ongoing national public policies on environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, sustainable natural resource management and the promotion of scientific research. Its objectives and implementation mechanisms are particularly consistent with the National Sustainable Development Policy, the 2026–2030 National Development Plan (NDP), the 2024–2028 National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP), and the National Biodiversity Strategy.
This initiative also forms part of the momentum generated by the 2026–2030 RELANCE Plan and the guidelines of the Popular Progressive Revolution. It reflects Burkina Faso’s determination to participate in international efforts to protect the high seas, which are considered the common heritage of humankind. Beyond its environmental dimension, joining the agreement represents a commitment to strengthening resilience in the face of climate and food security challenges.
Furthermore, ratifying the BBNJ Agreement offers Burkina Faso strategic, scientific, technical, diplomatic, institutional and financial benefits. In particular, it will enable the country to participate more actively in international marine biodiversity governance mechanisms and contribute to global initiatives aimed at conserving and sustainably using marine biological resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
From a legal standpoint, the agreement comprises a preamble, 76 articles divided into 12 parts, and two annexes.
For the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security (CAEDS), which examined the bill on its merits, Burkina Faso’s status as a landlocked country should not be an obstacle to its participation in the governance of international marine areas. On the contrary, the country can turn this situation into an argument in favour of equitable access to the resources and opportunities offered by the high seas.
Through this ratification, Burkina Faso therefore seeks to avoid any form of marginalisation in international forums where scientific knowledge is developed and rules governing marine resource management are established. This move confirms that biodiversity conservation and the governance of global commons are matters of concern to all States, regardless of whether or not they have a coastline.
Source: Assemblée législative du peuple (ALP)
