Profile
LAISA BRANCO de ALMEIDA

LAISA BRANCO de ALMEIDA

Doctoral Student in International Law
email
Spoken languages
English, Portuguese, Spanish, French

PHD THESIS
 

Title:   The Rational Design of the Marine Genetic Resources Regime under the BBNJ Agreement: Competing Coalitions and Institutional Coherence with UNCLOS

PhD Supervisor: Zachary Douglas

Expected completion date: 2026

This thesis examines how the institutional design of the BBNJ Agreement incentivises cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological resources in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates international relations and institutional economics with international law, the thesis applies Rational Design Theory to analyse the formation of institutionalized cooperation under the BBNJ Agreement and compares its innovations to previous frameworks under UNCLOS. The analysis focuses on three key institutional features — flexibility, centralisation, and control — highlighting the use of escape clauses for sectoral activities, the establishment of a monitoring and repository system, and the adoption of revised decision-making and voting rules.

The findings indicate that reintroducing flexibility mechanisms can enhance compliance with the access and benefit-sharing system, but carve-out clauses may exclude important activities from the Agreement’s scope, which could undermine the goal of equitable benefit-sharing. Flexibility in international agreements is shown to positively influence cooperation. Centralising information through the BBNJ monitoring and clearing-house system represents significant institutional progress. This centralisation challenges the traditionally non-hierarchical structure of international law and raises important questions about the ability of decentralised systems to address enforcement issues. Finally, moving from consensus-based to voting mechanisms is a crucial step towards preventing informal vetoes by powerful actors and ensuring fairer conflict resolution.
 

PROFILE
 

Laisa Branco C. C. de Almeida is a Ph.D. Candidate in international law at The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID). She holds a Master's Degree in International Law from the same institution, where she was granted the Hans Wilsdorf Fellowship from the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation (2020-2022). She is a qualified lawyer in Brazil, holding an L.L.B. from the University Federal of Bahia. Laisa is a member of the Minerals and the BBNJ Groups of the Deep Stewardship Council Initiative and the World Commission on Environmental Law of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Her past work has been featured in the Environmental Law Review, Revista Tribuna Internacional (Chile), and the Indonesian Journal of International Law.
 

Areas of expertise
 

  • Domestic work
  • Informal work
  • Poverty & social inequalities
  • Qualitative research methods
        

RESEARCH INTERESTS
 

  • Law of the Sea
  • Environment Externalities
  • Ocean-Based Management Tools and Minerals Exploitation

 

Relevant publications and works
 

  • Almeida L B, ‘Non-use measures for deep seabed mining in the Area’ in A Jaeckel, J Ardron, L Branco and P Singh, and S Guggisberg and C Blanchard (eds), Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law (Brill Nijhoff 2025) ch 10, doi:10.1163/9789004730571.
  • Almeida L B, ‘Promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from fish in areas beyond national jurisdiction’ (2025) 28(1) Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law Online 113, doi:10.1163/18757413-bja10034.
  • Almeida L B, ‘The new regulatory framework under the BBNJ Agreement for marine genetic resources and the material exception to fishing and fishing-related activities’ (2025) 3 Ocean Development and International Law (advance article) doi:10.1080/00908320.2025.2531163.
  • L.B.C.C. Almeida, Chapter 10: "Non-Use Measures for Deep Seabed Mining in

  • the Area, " Aline Jaeckel, Jeff Ardron, Laisa Branco and Pradeep Singh. In Guggisberg, Solène, and Catherine Blanchard, eds. Non-use Measures for Global Goods and Commons in International Law, (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill | Nijhoff, 28 Aug. 2025) doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004730571

  • L. B. C. C. Almeida, "The New Regulatory Framework under the BBNJ Agreement for Marine Genetic Resources and the Material Exception to Fishing and Fishing-related Activities, " Ocean Development and International Law (ODIL), Taylor & Francis, Vol. 3 (2025) https://doi.org/10.1080/00908320.2025.2531163.
  • L Almeida; T Borges, ‘The role of international law of the seas on the global governance of marine climate geoengineering techniques’ In: Direito do Mar, Vol 2. Editora D’Placido, 2018, p 267 ISSBN 978-85-8425-921-2
  • L Almeida; R Pimentel, ‘The necessity of precautionary approach to avoid harm when performing a marine scientific research’ In: Direito do Mar, Vol 2, Editora D’Placido, 2018, p 289 ISSBN 978-85-8425-921-2
  • L Almeida, B. Mourão Sachett: A new era for sustainable ocean development and climate change? (In) compatibility of the United Nations Agenda and geoengineering technologies, in: Direito do Mar e transdisciplinariedade, vol 1, ISBN 978-65-5969-005-5, 2020, p.402
     

Journal articles

  • L Almeida; J Glicerio Filho, ‘The International Economic Law and the conservation of marine resources in the Area: an analysis over the WTO coercive measures’ In: Direito internacional em expansão: vol 14, Wagner Menezes (ed). Arraes Editores, 2018, p 254 ISBN-978-858238-490-9
  • L Almeida; B. Mourão Sachett; Safeguarding the Amazon: Any Role for International Law? Coleção Direito Internacional sem fronteiras, Vol 1, Brazil Publishing, 2020. DOI: 10.31012/978-65-86854-07-7
  • L Almeida; E. M. Zavanella; ‘The Brazilian Blue Amazon Program: A new chapter for submarines nuclear-powered international domain?’ Revista Tribuna Internacional, Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de Chile, ISSN: 0719-482X
  • L Almeida; ‘Ocean Law In Times Of Health Emergency: Deep Seabed Mining Contributions And Its Fear Of Overexploitation,’ Indonesian Journal Of International Law (Ijil) Issn: 2356-5527, vol. 2020 (2)
  • L. Almeida (2022). The International Law of Energy of Offshore Carbon Capture and Storage: The Rotterdam Nucleus Project case study. Environmental Law Review, 24(1), 10–26. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/14614529221080037

 

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCES
 

  • Legal Intern, Center of International Environmental Law (CIEL)
  • Environment Team Intern, Oak Foundation
  • Economic and Trade Law Intern, IISD

 

FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS AND AWARDS
 

  • Geneva Graduate Institute Scholarship (PhD), Hans Wilsdof Foundation Scholarship (Master IHEID, 2020-2022)

 

AFFILIATIONS
 

  • Member of the Working Group on Minerals of the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI)