A major international agreement to protect marine biodiversity beyond national borders has officially crossed the threshold for ratification. With Morocco and Sierra Leone joining as the 60th and 61st signatories, the UN’s “High Seas Treaty” will enter into force on 17 January 2026.

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), the treaty was adopted in June 2023 after nearly 20 years of negotiations.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres hailed the development as a “historic achievement for the ocean and for multilateralism,” emphasizing its role in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The treaty establishes legally binding measures to conserve marine ecosystems, equitably share genetic resources, create protected zones, and boost scientific collaboration.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen echoed the sentiment, calling the ocean “the foundation of our very existence” and celebrating the treaty as a vital step toward safeguarding humanity’s future.

The BBNJ agreement supports global biodiversity goals, including the Kunming-Montreal pledge to protect 30% of land and sea areas by 2030. Guterres urged remaining UN Member States to ratify the treaty and called for swift implementation, stating, “The ocean’s health is humanity’s health”.