Briefings: Deep Dives into the provisions of the BBNJ Agreement

15 November, 2023

On 19 June 2023, the international community adopted the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty). The Agreement opened for State signature on 20 September 2023 and will remain open for signature for two years. It will enter into force 120 days after 60 State ratifications. Until then, signatories are obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of the Agreement.

This series of briefings explains the key provisions of the BBNJ Agreement:

The Provisional Application of the BBNJ Agreement

19 September, 2023

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) will enter into force 120 days after it has been ratified by 60 UN member States. Prior to its entry into force, a country or a regional economic integration organization may provide its consent to provisionally apply (“provisional application”) the provisions of the Agreement.

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High Seas Treaty – Factsheet

26 May, 2023

A momentous milestone for the ocean and global biodiversity

On 4 March 2023, after 5 years of negotiations, the world reached a significant milestone for the global ocean and efforts to stem global biodiversity decline when nations agreed a new High Seas Treaty to protect ocean life. The Treaty reached the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force in September 2025 and it entered into force in January 2026. The new Treaty will provide the legal framework to address many of the governance gaps that have plagued the ocean and provide a roadmap to conserve biodiversity areas that lie beyond national jurisdiction.

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Treaty Q&A

14 March, 2023

On 4 March 2023, after almost two decades of discussion, including five years of negotiations, the world’s governments finalized the text of a new United Nations (UN) Treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), under the UN Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). After the text was legally “scrubbed” and translated into the six official UN languages, the final Treaty text was formally adopted by Member States at the UN on 19 June 2023.

In September 2025, the Treaty reached the required 60 ratifications, triggering the 120-day countdown to its entry into force on 17 January 2026. The Treaty is now binding international law, and governments must continue ratifying and move swiftly into implementation to ensure it delivers lasting protection for the global ocean.

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The Hidden Natural Wonders of the World

18 November, 2021

Discover a few of the incredible biodiversity hotspots in the high seas that deserve priority protection and could become the first generation of High Seas MPAs under a new UN High Seas Treaty.

High Seas MPAs Briefing – English

The Thermal Dome – English | Spanish | French

The Lost City – English | Spanish | French

Sargasso Sea – English | Spanish | French

South Tasman Sea / Lord How Rise – English | Spanish | French

Walvis Ridge – English | Spanish | French

Salas y Gómez & Nazca Ridges – English | Spanish | French

Emperor Seamounts – English | Spanish | French

Saya de Malha – English | Spanish | French

High Seas MPAs