future ocean

programme

Tackling the Triple Planetary Crisis in 

Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

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PROGRAMME INFORMATION & BACKGROUND

TACKLING THE TRIPLE PLANETARY CRISIS IN AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION

The Future Ocean Programme is concerned with the future of ocean governance over a fifty-year span (2024 - 2074). This future will be determined by how we tackle the triple planetary crisis of catastrophic loss of biodiversity, human induced climate change, and pollution of the marine environment including plastic pollution. 

Current Progress
Current Progress
Current Progress
Current Progress

2024

2074

The programme will deliver both scholarly outcomes and policy-relevant and accessible research outputs, making positive impacts on regional and international processes relating to the protection and sustainable use of areas beyond national jurisdiction, while building regional and national capacity.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

PILLAR 1: REGIME AND INSTITUTIONAL INTERACTIONS

The initial focus of this pillar is mapping existing ocean regimes and institutions that address critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—including plastic pollution—on both global and regional scales, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This mapping is crucial for understanding the unique mandates and institutional structures of these regimes, as well as identifying potential areas for reform.

Research tasks under this pillar encompass several key activities,  including exploring legal theories and philosophical perspectives on the interactions between regional and international regimes and institutions. It will also assess how specific provisions and mechanisms outlined in the BBNJ Agreement might interface with current mechanisms and approaches that address significant environmental and social issues.

Furthermore, the research will examine multi-sectoral governance and stewardship in pilot areas, such as the Sargasso Sea, the Costa Rica Thermal Dome, and the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges, along with other selected locations in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. This analysis aims to identify and propose models for implementing area-based regulatory tools for regions beyond national jurisdiction.

PILLAR 2: NON-STATE ACTORS & RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

Non-state actors play a crucial role in implementation and compliance, serving as key drivers in steering ocean governance efforts toward pressing social issues they identify. The BBNJ Agreement is the first law of the sea instrument that explicitly recognized the rights of non-State actors and provided the framework to design mechanisms to engage them in the protection and preservation of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

This pillar advances the interests and knowledge of non-traditional actors in the development and implementation of ocean governance frameworks to tackle the triple planetary crisis by providing dedicated approaches to promoting their participation at national, regional and international levels. It seeks to build an equitable global partnership through the creation of new levels of cooperation among States, stakeholders, key sectors of societies, and people, to achieve a transformed relationship between humanity and the ocean.

PILLAR 3: OCEAN OBSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES

Co-Designing a Future Blueprint for Ocean Observation Technologies to Combat the Triple Planetary Crisis

There is a pressing need to harmonize international standards governing ocean observation technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). This need derives from the absence of a structured international framework to keep pace with emerging technologies. The problem requires consideration of existing and future rules that pertain to technological products, procedures, and operations of robotics and AI to tackle the triple planetary crisis. This pillar aims to unlock the full potential of emerging ocean observation technologies and AI to combat this crisis, while at the same time exploring social issues associated with advanced AI technologies that are currently the subject of widespread global debate.

PILLAR 4: FUTURE OF OCEAN GOVERNANCE

This pillar plays a central role regarding   high-level intergovernmental and United Nations Initiatives that will propel thinking about the future of ocean governance and its interconnections with pressing economic and social issues over this fifty year span. A key focus is investigating and solving an important strand of the Future Ocean Programme, which is the absence of an appropriate forum to mediate ocean governance advice within UN system bodies. Research under this pillar will include identifying the factors necessary to establish the proposed IPOS while building on previous work undertaken with the support of The Nippon Foundation. It will also contribute to UN planning processes for designing and funding governance arrangements emerging under the BBNJ Agreement. Additionally, this pillar will generate knowledge using methodologies from future studies, political economy, and law to model desirable ocean governance futures—and anticipate those that must be avoided.

PROGRAMME DELIVERABLES

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

Shaping Ocean Policy: Law, Politics & Public Action


Generate knowledge and understanding of how law, political science, and public policy are used to effect change in humanity’s relationship with the ocean.

Accelerating BBNJ Ratification & Implementation in Developing Nations


Facilitate the rapid ratification and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement in developing countries, especially by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and coastal Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Regulating Emerging Technologies & AI in Ocean Governance


Explore regulatory issues concerning emerging activities and new technologies/artificial intelligence.

Foster Urgency & Strengthen Multilateral Lawmaking for the Global community


Leverage  the urgency to tackle a shared existential crisis and foster a better understanding of multilateral lawmaking and related processes with the aim to achieve shared opportunities for the global community with a particular focus on developing States.

Empowering Non-State Actors, Women & Emerging Leaders


Advance the interests and knowledge of non-State actors, and expand opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups.

Strengthen Legal & Governance Frameworks to Combat Ocean Threats


Examine legal and governance tools to combat the negative impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution which place immense pressure on marine resources and ecosystems.

MEET THE RESEARCH TEAM

Suriya Narayanan Sundararajan

phd candidate

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Quote

"My perspective on sustainable ocean governance encompasses not only technological innovation but also the dynamic interplay of regimes and institutions that shape its application. I believe that only through cohesive legal, economic, and technological frameworks can we navigate toward a more equitable future for our oceans. In this regard, I support and embrace the integrative approach of the Future Ocean Programme, where intergovernmental institutions, regulatory regimes, and cutting-edge ocean technologies evolve together. By ensuring that progress unfolds under effective stewardship, I envision a future where technological innovation and ecological integrity are not in conflict but instead co-author a new maritime epoch.


This vision aligns closely with my doctoral research on "Triple Planetary Crisis in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: The Interface of Ocean Observation Technologies and the Ocean Law Architecture to Address the Harmful Effects of Offshore Activities in the Indian Ocean Region." My work explores how advanced ocean observation technologies, when buttressed by a robust legal framework, can help mitigate the environmental threats posed by offshore activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction, reinforcing the need for a governance model where science, law, and policy work in unison to protect the future of our oceans."

Biography

Mr Suriya N. Sundararajan is a PhD candidate in Maritime Affairs at the World Maritime University (WMU)-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, under the Future Ocean Programme funded by The Nippon Foundation.

Areas of Research

International Law, Ocean Technologies, Regime and Institutional Interaction, Law of the Sea.

Ayo Olusola Pacheco

phd candidate

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Quote

"The Triple Planetary Crisis—climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss—threatens to irreversibly degrade our oceans. To break this cycle, we need a comprehensive governance approach that integrates maritime legal frameworks, promotes collaboration, and harnesses advanced observation technologies. My research, titled “Assessing and Mitigating Deep-Sea Mining Impacts on Biodiversity Conservation in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Gulf of Guinea and Walvis Ridge” focuses on fragile deep-sea ecosystems that face escalating threats from human activities. By harmonizing regulations, engaging stakeholders, and utilizing cutting-edge assessment tools, I propose measures to mitigate biodiversity loss and enhance ecosystem resilience. The objective is to ensure that deep-sea resource exploitation aligns with sustainable ocean governance, thereby safeguarding marine biodiversity for future generations.”

Biography

Ayo Olusola Pacheco is a PhD candidate in Maritime Affairs at the World Maritime University (WMU)-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, under the Future Ocean Programme funded by The Nippon Foundation.

Areas of Research

Law of the Sea, Blue Economy, Environmental Justice, Ocean Technologies, Biodiversity Conservation.

Principal Investigators

DIRECTOR

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Associate Professor

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Assistant Professor

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Assistant Professor

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Assistant ProfessoR

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute



Associate Research Officer

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute




Operations Team

Programme and Operations Manager

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Senior Administrative Assistant

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Project and Operations Assistant

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Administrative Assistant

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Project and Engagement Assistant

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Project and Communications

WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute


Journals

  • Van der Marel E., & Stöfen-O’Brien, A. (2024). Accommodating a Future Plastics Treaty: the ‘Plasticity’ of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law39(2), 322-344. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718085-bja10164
  • Birchenough, A., Haag, F., & Sun, Z. (2024). The Development and Administration of the London Convention and Protocol: ‘Two Instruments, One Family’ and Their Link to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law39(3), 429-439. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718085-bja10195
  • Sun, Z. (2025). Coastal State Jurisdiction over Acts against Transiting Submarine Pipelines in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the Continental Shelf—The Case of the Nord Stream Incidents. Ocean Development & International Law, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00908320.2025.2457754
  • Pamela M Buchan, Edem Mahu, Sophie Seeyave, Brian K Arbic, Gail Sant, Elígio d R Maúre, Sarah Mahadeo, Evgeniia Kostianaia, Juliet Hermes, Randa Sacedon, Temitope O Sogbanmu, Samina Kidwai, Xin Lin, Zhen Sun, Forging a pathway for connecting skills, knowledge, technology, and participatory decision-making for all through the UN Ocean Decade Challenge 9, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 82, Issue 1, January 2025, fsae174, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsae174
  • Derrig, R. The future as developmental construct in the work of Harold Lasswell. Policy Sci 57, 921–924 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-024-09557-2
  • Derrig, R., Grainger, C., Hassanali, K., & Bateh, F. (2024). Protecting the Ocean in the Contemporary International Order: Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer from the Stockholm Declaration to the BBNJ Agreement. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law39(3), 571-582. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718085-bja10176

Book Chapters

  • Cordonier Segger, M.-C., & Voigt, C. (Eds.). (2024). Routledge handbook of climate law and governance: Courage, contributions and compliance. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003276678

Monographs

  • Sun, Z. (2025). Finding a balance in the exclusive economic zone: Conflict and stability in the law of the sea.

Contact Information

Find us here: Fiskehamnsgatan 1 Malmö

Email:  goisecretariat@wmu.se

Phone: +46 40 356 351

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