Key facts
- Chile and Belgium said they combined their bids to host the BBNJ secretariat, proposing Valparaiso as headquarters.
Chile and Belgium said on November 6 that they had combined their bids to host the secretariat of the UN's Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, proposing Valparaiso as headquarters and Brussels as the base for the treaty's information-exchange mechanism. The two countries said in a joint statement that the joint bid aims to "facilitate an effective decision" at COP1. The first Conference of the Parties meets in New York in January 2027, where China's Xiamen will compete as a rival candidate.
The January 2027 vote in New York will decide where the BBNJ secretariat and its financial mechanism sit, with Valparaiso and Brussels proposed by Chile and Belgium against China's Xiamen.
Chile and Belgium said on November 6 that they had combined their separate bids to host the secretariat of the UN's Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, known as BBNJ, according to a joint statement reported by Reuters.
Under the proposal, the Chilean port of Valparaiso would host the secretariat's main functions, including implementation of the treaty's financial mechanism. Brussels would house the physical and technical infrastructure and host meetings of the subsidiary bodies.
The two countries said the joint bid aims to "facilitate an effective decision" at COP1.
The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in 2023 after a decade of negotiations, is a UN body that seeks to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, covering about two-thirds of the ocean's surface.
The decision will be taken at the first Conference of the Parties in New York in January 2027, where China's Xiamen will compete as a rival candidate.
Pick the topics you care about. Get only what matters, on your cadence.