LKI at Inter-Ministerial Workshop on Advancing the Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and Ocean Governance Frameworks in Sri Lanka.

June 23, 2026    Reading Time: 2 minutes

Reading Time: 2 min read

Senior Research Fellows Ms. Piyumani Ranasinghe, Ms. Nillasi Liyanage, and Ms. Madhuka Rukmalgama from the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) attended the five-day ‘Inter-Ministerial Workshop on Advancing the Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement and Ocean Governance Frameworks in Sri Lanka’, held at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo, from 15–19 June 2026. The programme was conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism in collaboration with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS). The workshop built upon previous engagements, including a workshop conducted in collaboration with the High Seas Alliance and a series of inter-ministerial and inter-agency meetings held since 2025.
At the workshop, the Senior Research Fellows contributed to the drafting of the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the sub-committee on Capacity Building and the Transfer of Marine Technology (CB&TMT). CBTMT Sub-Committee is established under the National Coordination Mechanism for the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement to facilitate national implementation of Part V of the Agreement, which primarily considers capacity building.
The Sub-Committee shall serve as the principal technical and coordinating body responsible for identifying national capacity needs, coordinating capacity-building initiatives, facilitating marine technology transfer, promoting international cooperation, and advising the National Coordination Committee on all matters relating to CBTMT.