UN ‘High Seas’ Treaty Achieves Ratification, Set to Protect Vast Ocean Areas
NEW YORK – A landmark treaty aimed at conserving marine biodiversity in international waters has officially cleared the ratification threshold, the United Nations announced Friday, paving the way for its entry into force on January 17, 2026. With the ratification of morocco and Sierra Leone, the agreement now has 61 parties.
Formally known as the Agreement under the United nations convention on the Law of the sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ agreement), the treaty was adopted by UN Member States in June 2023 after nearly two decades of negotiations.It will govern approximately two-thirds of the world’s ocean, areas lying beyond national boundaries.
“This is a historic achievement for the ocean and for multilateralism,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement.”In two years, States have turned commitment into action - proving what is possible when nations unite for the common good.”
The BBNJ agreement establishes legally binding rules for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, equitable sharing of benefits derived from marine genetic resources, the creation of marine protected areas, and enhanced scientific cooperation and capacity building.
UN Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen hailed the milestone, stating, “Our ocean is the foundation of our very existence. Today we took an crucial step forward to save our ocean,and to save our future.”
The treaty builds upon the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, often referred to as the “constitution for the oceans.” Once in effect,the BBNJ agreement will provide a crucial framework for achieving international biodiversity targets,including the commitment to protect 30 percent of land and sea areas by 2030,as outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Secretary-General Guterres urged remaining UN Member States to ratify the treaty without delay and called on partners to support its swift and full implementation, emphasizing that “the ocean’s health is humanity’s health.”
