At United Nations Headquarters in New York, the High Seas Alliance, the International Indian Treaty Council, and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner hosted a side event that brought together Indigenous voices to discuss how the BBNJ Agreement can truly deliver for Indigenous Peoples. Photo courtesy of Bianca 0.
A historic milestone for our Blue Planet was reached on January 17, 2026, as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the Oceans Treaty, officially entered into force. The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), representing Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, Arctic and Pacific, welcomes this new era of international ocean law. IITC emphasizes that the Agreement’s promise now depends upon its implementation in a manner that fully respects the internationally recognized rights, knowledge systems, and self-determined participation of Indigenous Peoples.
In 2018, at the International Indian Treaty Conference at Bear Butte, South Dakota, IITC adopted a resolution by consensus to engage in the BBNJ process because of the critical importance of the oceans to the survival of Indigenous Peoples and the planet. Since then, IITC has actively participated in all phases of the negotiations and has also convened extensive Indigenous-led regional and global consultations to help ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ distinct collective rights and knowledge systems are fully reflected in the Agreement. IITC continues to remind States that effective governance of the High Seas must not replicate the exclusionary structures of the past.
IITC welcomes the Agreement’s unprecedented recognition of Indigenous Peoples and its repeated references to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). At the same time, IITC remains concerned that several provisions of the Agreement continue the practice of conflating Indigenous Peoples with ‘local communities’ in ways that may blur our distinct legal status as Peoples under international law, which recognizes us as collective rights holders with the inherent right of self-determination.
Following our regional and global consultations in 2025, IITC facilitated the development of two comprehensive policy briefs that provide a technical roadmap for implementing the Agreement’s legal obligations. Reflecting IITC’s years of direct engagement in the negotiations, these documents underline the necessity of distinguishing Indigenous Peoples from civil society, ensuring their full membership in subsidiary bodies, and establishing dedicated financial mechanisms for direct access.
“The BBNJ Agreement recognizes Indigenous Peoples and recalls the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The next challenge is ensuring that these commitments are fully reflected in the institutions, procedures, and implementation mechanisms established by the Conference of the Parties,” said Ghazali Ohorella, Maluku, Pacific Region, IITC’s Lead in the BBNJ Process.
The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the BBNJ Agreement will be held from January 11–22, 2027, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York. This landmark meeting will establish many of the institutions, procedures, and implementation mechanisms to shape the future governance of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. IITC intends to actively engage in COP1 and continue working to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are fully reflected in the Treaty’s implementation. IITC also encourages Indigenous Peoples from all regions to participate to ensure strong, active and broad participation.
The IITC’s vision for COP1 centers on the establishment of an Indigenous Advisory Mechanism (IAM). This proposed body would supplement the work of the subsidiary bodies and help close the participation gap by ensuring that Indigenous Peoples exercise their right to self-determine their own representatives, knowledge holders, and institutional participation.
As the implementation phase begins, IITC calls on States to adopt the recommendations set forth in its First and Second ‘Operationalizing Indigenous Peoples’ Participation in BBNJ Governance’ briefs. These recommendations include:
- Ensure that implementation of the Agreement recognizes Indigenous Peoples as distinct rights holders under international law and does not conflate Indigenous Peoples with other stakeholder groups.
- Amend rules of procedure to recognize Indigenous Peoples as a category distinct from civil society.
- Move beyond advisory roles to ensure Indigenous knowledge holders sit as full members in all subsidiary bodies.
- Launch a Voluntary Fund that allows Indigenous Peoples to access resources to participate without intermediaries.
- Create mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples to submit implementation reports directly to the Secretariat.
IITC looks forward to continuing to work alongside Indigenous Peoples from all regions, States Parties, the United Nations, and other partners throughout implementation of the BBNJ Agreement to help ensure that its institutions, decisions, and practices reflect international Indigenous human rights law.
The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the BBNJ Agreement has been scheduled for 11–22 January 2027 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. To stay informed about registration procedures, deadlines, and other official updates, visit the official UN BBNJ Agreement website at https://www.un.org/bbnjagreement/en.
For additional information: [email protected]
About the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC)
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific working for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights, treaties, traditional cultures, and sacred lands. IITC was the first Indigenous organization to receive General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
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IITC calls for Recognition of Rights, Knowledge and Formal Participation by Indigenous Peoples in the UN Oceans Treaty
At United Nations Headquarters in New York, the High Seas Alliance, the International Indian Treaty Council, and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner hosted a side event that brought together Indigenous voices to discuss how the BBNJ Agreement can truly deliver for Indigenous Peoples. Photo courtesy of Bianca 0.
A historic milestone for our Blue Planet was reached on January 17, 2026, as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the Oceans Treaty, officially entered into force. The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), representing Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, Arctic and Pacific, welcomes this new era of international ocean law. IITC emphasizes that the Agreement’s promise now depends upon its implementation in a manner that fully respects the internationally recognized rights, knowledge systems, and self-determined participation of Indigenous Peoples.
In 2018, at the International Indian Treaty Conference at Bear Butte, South Dakota, IITC adopted a resolution by consensus to engage in the BBNJ process because of the critical importance of the oceans to the survival of Indigenous Peoples and the planet. Since then, IITC has actively participated in all phases of the negotiations and has also convened extensive Indigenous-led regional and global consultations to help ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ distinct collective rights and knowledge systems are fully reflected in the Agreement. IITC continues to remind States that effective governance of the High Seas must not replicate the exclusionary structures of the past.
IITC welcomes the Agreement’s unprecedented recognition of Indigenous Peoples and its repeated references to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). At the same time, IITC remains concerned that several provisions of the Agreement continue the practice of conflating Indigenous Peoples with ‘local communities’ in ways that may blur our distinct legal status as Peoples under international law, which recognizes us as collective rights holders with the inherent right of self-determination.
Following our regional and global consultations in 2025, IITC facilitated the development of two comprehensive policy briefs that provide a technical roadmap for implementing the Agreement’s legal obligations. Reflecting IITC’s years of direct engagement in the negotiations, these documents underline the necessity of distinguishing Indigenous Peoples from civil society, ensuring their full membership in subsidiary bodies, and establishing dedicated financial mechanisms for direct access.
“The BBNJ Agreement recognizes Indigenous Peoples and recalls the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The next challenge is ensuring that these commitments are fully reflected in the institutions, procedures, and implementation mechanisms established by the Conference of the Parties,” said Ghazali Ohorella, Maluku, Pacific Region, IITC’s Lead in the BBNJ Process.
The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the BBNJ Agreement will be held from January 11–22, 2027, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, New York. This landmark meeting will establish many of the institutions, procedures, and implementation mechanisms to shape the future governance of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. IITC intends to actively engage in COP1 and continue working to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are fully reflected in the Treaty’s implementation. IITC also encourages Indigenous Peoples from all regions to participate to ensure strong, active and broad participation.
The IITC’s vision for COP1 centers on the establishment of an Indigenous Advisory Mechanism (IAM). This proposed body would supplement the work of the subsidiary bodies and help close the participation gap by ensuring that Indigenous Peoples exercise their right to self-determine their own representatives, knowledge holders, and institutional participation.
As the implementation phase begins, IITC calls on States to adopt the recommendations set forth in its First and Second ‘Operationalizing Indigenous Peoples’ Participation in BBNJ Governance’ briefs. These recommendations include:
- Ensure that implementation of the Agreement recognizes Indigenous Peoples as distinct rights holders under international law and does not conflate Indigenous Peoples with other stakeholder groups.
- Amend rules of procedure to recognize Indigenous Peoples as a category distinct from civil society.
- Move beyond advisory roles to ensure Indigenous knowledge holders sit as full members in all subsidiary bodies.
- Launch a Voluntary Fund that allows Indigenous Peoples to access resources to participate without intermediaries.
- Create mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples to submit implementation reports directly to the Secretariat.
IITC looks forward to continuing to work alongside Indigenous Peoples from all regions, States Parties, the United Nations, and other partners throughout implementation of the BBNJ Agreement to help ensure that its institutions, decisions, and practices reflect international Indigenous human rights law.
The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the BBNJ Agreement has been scheduled for 11–22 January 2027 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. To stay informed about registration procedures, deadlines, and other official updates, visit the official UN BBNJ Agreement website at https://www.un.org/bbnjagreement/en.
For additional information: [email protected]
About the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC)
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific working for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights, treaties, traditional cultures, and sacred lands. IITC was the first Indigenous organization to receive General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).