New book unpacks law of the sea
In an exciting new book, Professor Joanna Mossop shares insights from her experience in shaping real-world law and policy about global ocean governance.
V.Alum last spoke to Joanna in 2023, to celebrate the conclusion of negotiations for the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (also known as the ‘BBNJ Agreement’).
The BBNJ Agreement is a wide-ranging treaty focused on improving the governance of human activities on the high seas. It is only the third agreement of its kind (the last was in 1995), and its adoption by governments across the world will mark a significant step forward in ensuring healthy and resilient ocean ecosystems.
During negotiations at the United Nations in New York, Joanna supported the New Zealand delegation as in independent academic adviser. In addition, she assisted the head of the New Zealand delegation, Victoria Hallum, who was asked to facilitate negotiations about compliance and dispute settlement. Here, her expertise was extremely valuable in international negotiation sessions and helped to guide proposals that shaped the Agreement.
The Agreement, which 76 countries have now ratified, will enter into force on 17 January 2026. The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) will take place within the next 12 months. States are currently working on establishing the rules for the various institutions created by the Agreement, which must be considered at the first COP.
Although the Agreement is about to enter into force, the work now is to educate others and help implement it throughout the world, Joanna says. Since 2023, she has remained focused on that work, not only by providing law-of-the-sea training to agencies in New Zealand but also by delivering valuable training workshops to government advisers, officials, and academics internationally.
Joanna has co-edited a reference book on the Agreement (published by Oxford University Press in November 2025), titled The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Commentary and Analysis. “This project was inspired by my involvement in the negotiations, which were highly technical and complex,” she says. “I could see that having a resource explaining the negotiations that led to the final text would be invaluable for those interpreting and implementing the Agreement. I hope that the book will be the authoritative source on the negotiations.”
The book, which is over 500 pages, brings together perspectives from almost 30 negotiators and experts involved in the Agreement to explain its background, the negotiation process, and the history behind each provision of the final text. The book offers additional perspectives, including chapters written by members of negotiating blocks from the Global South (including the Pacific), giving a voice to often unheard perspectives.
As concerns about marine biodiversity grow, this book is a valuable resource for scholars, lawyers, government officials, and NGOs working to understand and implement this important new treaty. It is currently being translated into Chinese.
Joanna was also recently awarded a Ki te Pae Excellence Award in Research Mobilisation Excellence. This is part of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s Excellence Awards, given in recognition of the meaningful, real-life impact of Joanna’s research.
“Most legal academics aim for their research to have real world impacts,” Joanna says. “I’ve been fortunate to have this opportunity to directly contribute to the negotiation and implementation of this important Agreement.”