Grounding the BBNJ agreement’s resource mobilization goal: cost benchmarks and the case for needs-based funding

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) established a historic legal framework for conserving and sustainably using marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. However, translating this framework into implementation hinges critically on adequate financing, particularly for developing States Parties. Article 52(11) of the BBNJ agreement mandates the Conference of the Parties to establish an “initial resource mobilization goal through 2030” for the special fund. To support this mandate, this review synthesizes available cost data and institutional benchmarks from analogous international conservation and marine governance mechanisms relevant to activities eligible for funding under the special fund, including: capacity-building and technology transfer; implementation of the agreement including area-based management tools and environmental impact assessments; conservation and sustainable use programs by Indigenous Peoples and local communities; and public consultations. We identify cost ranges supported by empirical precedent, acknowledge significant research gaps, and discuss implications for COP-level resource mobilization discussions. This synthesis aims to support the evidence base necessary to support the Conference of the Parties’ deliberation on Article 52(11), emphasizing that the resource mobilization goal must be grounded in developing States Parties’ evidence-based needs assessments rather than comparable mechanisms’ allocations, which reflect budgetary realities rather than comprehensive implementation requirements.