Section 27 provides definitions for terms used in the BBNJ Act which are not defined elsewhere within the provisions of the Act.
	Section 27 subsection (1) defines "Article 12(3) identifier". Article 12(3) of the BBNJ Agreement provides that on receipt of the pre-collection notification "the Clearing-House Mechanism shall automatically generate a "BBNJ" standardized batch identifier". The precise nature of the ""BBNJ" standardized batch identifiers" is a matter that will need to be addressed in the design of the Clearing-House Mechanism which is currently being considered by the Preparatory Commission established by UN General Assembly Resolution 78/272 5 to prepare for entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement.
	Section 27 subsection (1) provides that the Secretary of State may make regulations to define digital sequence information in relation to MGR.
	Section 27 subsection (1) defines "utilisation" in relation to MGR of ABNJ or DSI on such MGR as "(a) the use of those resources or that information in carrying out relevant research and development, or (b) the commercialisation of relevant research and development carried out using those resources or that information". The definition in the Act of "relevant research and development" is intended to make it clear that the obligations in Part 2 of the Act apply to academic research where there is no intention to consider product development. This reflects the purpose of Part II of the BBNJ Agreement and reflects the fact that there is little evidence currently of research on MGR of ABNJ or DSI generated on such MGR being undertaken with a view to development of a product.
	Section 27 subsection (1) also defines "commercialisation" in relation to research and development and does so in a way intended to align the definition of "commercialisation" with that provided in the UK’s guidance 6 on UK Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations used for the UK’s implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The intention is to align the regime in the BBNJ Act so far as possible, recognising the differences in the international regimes, with the UK’s implementation of the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Section 27 subsection (1) also defines "relevant product" in relation to research and development. The product must have been developed through or as a result of utilisation in the UK. This mirrors the approach taken in the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.
	Section 27 subsection (1) defines "craft" as any "vessel, machine, structure or other item". This broad definition ensures that all vessels and machines currently used to undertake marine scientific research – including for example an autonomous underwater vehicle such as "Boaty McBoatface" – are captured as well as providing flexibility to capture future uses of new and novel equipment.
	Section 27 subsection (1) defines "UK craft" by reference to the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or any other craft that has a qualifying connection.
	Section 27 subsection (2) sets out the qualifying UK connection for the purposes of the definition of a UK craft. Section 27 subsection (2)(a) provides that a ship registered under the law of a Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory does not have a qualifying UK connection. Section 27 subsection (2)(b) provides that a craft does not have a qualifying UK connection if it is a ship that has the nationality of another State (with reference to Article 91 of UNCLOS) or if the craft has been deployed from a ship that has the nationality of another State. Section 27 subsection (2)(c) provides that a craft has a qualifying UK connection if it is (i) owned or operated by a UK person or (ii) being deployed from the UK or is being deployed from a ship within paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of UK craft in Section 27 subsection (1).
	Section 27 subsection (3) gives a power to the Secretary of State to make regulations to amend or otherwise modify the meaning of "qualifying UK connection".
	Section 27 subsection (4) provides that, for the purposes of interpreting references in the BBNJ Act to ABNJ, relevant maritime zones of any of the British Overseas Territories are to be treated as if they were an exclusive economic zone within the meaning of UNCLOS Article 55. This means that they would not fall within the definition of ABNJ for the purposes of interpreting such references in this Act.
	Section 27 subsection (5) provides that "relevant maritime zones" as referred to by Section 27 subsection (4) include exclusive fishing zones, ecological protection zones, and any other zone in relation to which the relevant territory asserts or exercises any rights or jurisdiction of the sort referred to in Article 56(1) of UNCLOS.
	Section 27 subsection (6) provides that regulations made under subsection (1) for the purposes of defining DSI are subject to the negative procedure.
	Section 27 subsection (7) provides that Regulations made under subsection (3) that amend section 27are subject to the affirmative procedure. Section 27 subsection (8) provides that any other Regulations made under subsection (3) are subject to the negative procedure.
Part 5 - General Section 27: Interpretation