technology

ABS clearing-house

The BBNJ Agreement's access-and-benefit-sharing notification mechanism, requiring disclosure of access to and intended use of genetic material from Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction before commercialization.

Where it's used

Marine genomic prospecting & the BBNJ treaty
The UN High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) entered into force in January 2026, creating the first legal regime for accessing and sharing benefits from marine genetic resources collected outside any nation's waters — turning deep-sea genomic prospecting from an unregulated commons into a treaty-governed pipeline running from Ocean Genome Legacy's biobank to PharmaMar's marine-derived oncology drugs.
marine-biotech 8 min