International Seminar“Next-Generation Human Resource Development for Harnessing the Forces of Culture and Nature
for Peace and Sustainability”（March 19, 2024）

Politics through Environmental Protection:
A Case Study on the “Marine Biodiversity ofAreas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)”
Tomoko Takahashi
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

1Outline• Introduction to the Field of International Relations• Classical Dichotomy of Realism and Liberalism• Recent Studies in International Institutions• Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National
Jurisdiction (BBNJ)• Conclusion• References

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

2Introduction to the Field of International Relations• Purpose of this Presentation• Introduction to how political scientists address the issue of sustainability
Sub-disciplines
within the field ofPolitical Science in
the American
Context, figure by
Tomoko Takahashi.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

3Introduction to the Field of International Relations• Classical Theme in International Relations• How can we maintain peace?
• Realists: “It is the balance of major powersthat determine the stability in internationalorder”• Emphasis on states as actors, and reality?
• Exemplary theories: Balance of Power,Hegemonic Stability Theory• Liberals: “The free exercising of sovereign
power should/ can be checked by rules andnorms”• Emphasis on the diversity of actors (nexusof domestic and international arenas), andpolicies and ideals?
• Exemplary theories: Dependency Theory,Democratic Peace Theory, Capitalist Theory

Murray, Robert W. 2013. “The Politics of the Realist/Liberal Divide”, EInternational Relations, last visited on March 12, 2024 at: https://www.eir.info/2013/07/12/the-politics-of-the-realistliberal-divide/.

Screenshot omitted from thepublicized slide.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

4Introduction to the Field of International Relations• Realists: “It is the balance of major powers that determine the stability in international order”• Regarding Sustainability: It can be considered under exceptional circumstances• They presume that it is only when realist mechanisms are taking a “break” that states
can cooperate (Mearsheimer 2018)• Ex. Working towards sustainability under hegemonic stability(Left) WIRED, Picture of a Billiard Ball Game、
Downloaded on November 30, 2023 at:https://wired.jp/2015/12/01/elliptic-pool/。

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.

(Right) John Mearsheimer. Photo downloadedon December 19, 2023 from the following
Website. “Photos”, John J. Mearsheimer Website,
https://www.mearsheimer.com/photos/.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

5Classical Dichotomy of Realism and Liberalism• Liberals: “The free exercising of sovereign power should/ can be checked by rules and norms”• Regarding Sustainability: They elaborate on the conditions for international cooperation• Whether it continues without the hegemon• Whether the relevant norms are internalized in member countries• Gave rise to neoliberal institutionalists and International Political Economy scholarship(Left) The United Nations Office at Geneva, the former
center of the League of Nations. Photo taken in 2017
by Tomoko Takahashi.

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.
(Right) John Ikenberry. Photo
downloaded on December 19,
2023 from the following Youtube
clip. “A Conversation with G.
John Ikenberry”, SAIS Events
Youtube,https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=gy7ewTKUqms.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

6Recent Studies in International Institutions• Neoliberal institutionalists• Regime theories• Relation with hegemony

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.
Robert O. Keohane, Photo
downloaded by Tomoko
Takahashi on December 19, 2023
at:https://rkeohane.scholar.princeton.edu/.

• International Political Economy (IPE)• Interaction with realism (hegemonic stability theory)• Power transition and international trade regimes• Relative capabilities matter

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.

Photo omitted from the publicizedslide.
Joseph Grieco, Photo downloaded on December 19, 2023 at the following
website. ” Duke@ Scholars”, Duke University Website:
https://scholars.duke.edu/person/grieco.

Robert Gilpin, Photo downloaded on December 19, 2023 at thefollowing website: ”Robert George Gilpin Jr., expert on international
political economy, dies at 87”, Princeton University Website,
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2018/07/13/robert-george-gilpinjr-expert-international-political-economy-dies-87.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

7Recent Studies in International Institutions• Grand theories are no longer the norm• Empirical testing of specific hypotheses are seen as rigorous studies in
the field today

Screenshot omitted from thepublicized slide.

Screenshot omitted from thepublicized slide.

Morin, Jean-Frédéric, Clara Brandi, and Jakob Schwab. 2024. "Environmental
agreements as clubs: Evidence from a new dataset of trade provisions." The Reviewof International Organizations 19: 33-62.

Distelhorst, Greg, and Richard M. Locke. 2018. “Does Compliance Pay? SocialStandards and Firm-Level Trade” American Journal of Political Science 62 (3): 695–711.

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi8Recent Studies in International Institutions• Popular Topics (some examples)• Regime Complex of Environmental/ TradeRegimes• Multiplicity of Norms in the Concept of
Human Security• Economic Value Chains and theDissemination of Environmental
Protection• Popular Methods• Social Network Analysis• Survey Experiments• Anthropological Field Work• Case Studies/Archival Research

They all resonate withthe blurred boundaries
between diverse issue
areas related tosustainability
9Ex. environmental,humanitarian,developmental issues…

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)• Screenshots omitted from the publicized slide.

(Above) United Nations General Assembly. Agreement under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use ofmarine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. A/CONF.232/2023/4(Adopted on June 19 and 20, 2023). Last visited on March 12, 2024 at:https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n23/177/28/pdf/n2317728.pdf?token=3VN1CjrlTn
pbZsx9jm&fe=true.

(Left) Takahashi, Tomoko. 2019. “China’s Interest Seen at the Crossroad of InternationalInstitutions -Case Studies on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”. International Relations 197, Japan Association for International Relations: 120-135 [inJapanese (refereed, first-tier journal in Japan/ sole author)].

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

10Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)• Existing Research• Talks about the design of international institutions from a bird’s eye perspective• Need to take a state-centric viewpoint (Takahashi 2019)• Lack of researchers at the Cross-Road of International Institutional Research andComparative Politics/ Area Studies
Figure: The “erosion” of Discretionary Power of Sovereign States that
Commit to International Institutions, figure by Tomoko Takahashi.

Policies ofDiscretionary

InternationalPower ofInstitutions

Sovereign States

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

11Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)• Argument (Takahashi 2019)• BBNJ as a case to show how negotiation on environmental protection can converge into the battle between stateson their range of national jurisdiction• Figure: Essence of the Discussions on BBNJ, figure by Tomoko Takahashi.

UN:Let’s create aBBNJ framework

This isCountry A

High Seas have noprotection…I’m
free to catch moreendangered fish

This isCountry B

EnvironmentalProtection
please! We
swim aroundregardless ofborders!
12

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)• Argument (Takahashi 2019)• BBNJ as a case to show how negotiation on environmental protection can converge into the battle between stateson their range of national jurisdiction• Figure: Tripartite Vectors of Discussions on BBNJ, figure by Tomoko Takahashi.

3. Environmental
Purposes

2. Extra Policy

Coverage of theBBNJ
Accession/Ratification

High Seas etc.

1. NationalJurisdiction(Traditional
Coverage with(BBNJ brings

UNCLOS)

this in)
AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

13Case of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)
Narratives from both the international and Chinese levels (Takahashi 2019)• Narrative on the International Level • Narrative on the Chinese Level• Phase 1:• Utter need to protect the environment(beyond national jurisdiction), Vector 3• Phase 2:• Phase 1:• Agreement with Vector 3• Phase 2:• Area-based management tools (ABMTs)
become an issue, Clash of Vector 1 and2
• Marine genetic resources (MGRs)
become an issue from Vector 1 (NorthSouth divide)• Phase 3: Inevitable commitment toimposing policies on areas beyond
national jurisdiction• Even Vector 3 focal points end up being
fought over regarding Vector 1 and 2• Agrees to an international jurisdiction
regarding ABMTs, Push for Vector 2• Balancing between the North and theSouth regarding MGRs (“common wellbeing of mankind” (not “commonheritage of mankind”)• Phase 3:• Accepting the usage of Vector 2 for thesake of national interest (maximizationof national jurisdiction≠maximization ofnational interests）• ex. deep seabed exploration

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

14

Conclusion• The field of International Relations (IR) has been traditionally
split into two groups• The divide was prominent regarding the feasibility of international
cooperation• Recent scholarship (in international institutional studies that stemfrom IPE) emphasizes concrete hypotheses and their testing• Case of BBNJ as a study that contributes to the maintenanceof sustainability• Questions regarding commitment to international institutions as
erosive factors for national jurisdiction• Inevitability of state-centric calculations on stakes →Realism?

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

15Implications• Latest researchers often lack a specific preference on thewhereabouts of norm contents• Too much emphasis on dialogues in the “niche” theories and“robust” empirical analysis?

• Collaboration with public policy debates may be necessary to
make a difference in real life
• Assessment of regime complex situations etc.
• However, we need to keep a “healthy” distance, not just towards
governments but also toward international organizations

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi16

References• Distelhorst, Greg, and Richard M. Locke. 2018. “Does Compliance Pay? SocialStandards and Firm-Level Trade” American Journal of Political Science 62 (3): 695–711.
• Mearsheimer, John J. The Great Delusion : Liberal Dreams and International Relations.
New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2018.
• Morin, Jean-Frédéric, Clara Brandi, and Jakob Schwab. 2024. "Environmental
agreements as clubs: Evidence from a new dataset of trade provisions." The Reviewof International Organizations 19: 33-62.
• Murray, Robert W. 2013. “The Politics of the Realist/Liberal Divide”, E-International
Relations, last visited on March 12, 2024 at: https://www.e-ir.info/2013/07/12/thepolitics-of-the-realistliberal-divide/.
• Takahashi, Tomoko. 2019. “China’s Interest Seen at the Crossroad of International
Institutions -Case Studies on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”. International Relations 197, Japan Association for International Relations: 120-135[in Japanese (refereed/ sole author)]. （高橋知子「国際制度の交差に見る中国の国益―国連海洋法条約の事例から― 」『国際政治』第197号、 120-135 頁。）

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

17Thank you for listening
Tomoko Takahashi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University
Email (CSEAS): takahashi-t@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Website (English): https://tomokotakahashiut.wixsite.com/mysite
Website (Japanese): https://researchmap.jp/tomokotakahashi

AIDA Seminar (March 19, 2024)| Tomoko Takahashi

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