V.ALUM 2023
Developing the law of the sea Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s Professor Joanna Mossop is an international authority on the law of the sea. For over 20 years, she has researched, taught, and written about this topic. She is now weaving together the separate strands of her scholarship to help shape an international body of law that meets the needs of people, the ocean, and the environment.
2023 has been exciting for Professor Mossop. Not only was this the year of her inaugural lecture— ‘Reimagining the law of the sea—evolution or revolution’—she was an independent adviser to the New Zealand delegation negotiating a new treaty on the high seas and saw the conclusion of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) Agreement.
Page 36
The BBNJ Agreement provides a legal framework for dealing with the parts of the ocean that sit outside national boundaries—around twothirds of the world’s oceans. More than 80 countries have signed the Agreement, but 60 ratifications are required for it to enter into force, so Professor Mossop does not expect it to come into effect for another three to five years. “During that time, there will be a lot of work needed to implement the agreement into national laws before countries can ratify it and it gets up and running,” she says.
