Institutionalising science and knowledge under the agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ): Stakeholder perspectives on a fit-for-purpose Scientific and Technical Body

The use of science, scientific information, and other knowledge to inform decision-making is increasingly recognised as an integral feature of environmental governance – a governance principle which is reflected in the new agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). To support the integration of science and knowledge, the BBNJ Agreement establishes a Scientific and Technical Body (STB) and confers the task of finalising the formulation and function of this new advisory body to the Conference of Parties once the agreement enters into force. Therefore, it is a critical time for careful consideration of what is needed to achieve an effective STB. However, to date, there is limited research on what a fit-for-purpose STB would involve for BBNJ or what is needed to operationalise this in practice. As such, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by providing insights garnered from semi-structured interviews with key BBNJ stakeholders. Using qualitative content analysis, we identify and examine eight characteristics that stakeholders deem as important qualities for the STB to encompass, as well as challenges and opportunities for operationalising these qualities in practice. Our findings indicate that a fit-for-purpose STB extends beyond the mere production of high-quality scientific advice - it also necessitates the inclusion and due consideration of other fundamental qualities such as inclusivity and equity, transparency, flexibility, and synergy with the existing governance framework, amongst others, as well as proactive consideration of trade-offs associated with different design choices. These findings are pertinent to the forthcoming endeavour of designing and implementing an STB under the BBNJ Agreement, and more generally, provide insights on normative qualities that stakeholders perceive as important for science-policy interfaces.