A landmark U.N. agreement to protect marine biodiversity in the high seas has secured the final ratifications needed to enter into force, a major milestone for global ocean conservation.
Following the deposit of ratification instruments by four nations — Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, and Morocco — the High Seas Treaty reached the milestone of 60 nations on Friday, triggering its entry into force. The treaty will become legally effective on Jan. 17, 2026.
Formally known as the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, or BBNJ, it's the first legally binding international agreement to safeguard marine life in international waters.
This vast area covers two-thirds of the world's ocean and accounts for nearly half of Earth’s surface, playing a key role in global climate regulation and biodiversity. The waters are vulnerable to threats such as overfishing, climate change, and deep-sea mining.
The treaty is needed to achieve the global climate and biodiversity goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which commits nations to protecting and conserving at least 30% of the world's land and sea areas by 2030.
"The ocean is the world’s largest crime scene rife with exploitative practices including illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing," said Johan Bergenas, a senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund.
"Now the hard work begins of designating smart marine protected areas, identifying financing and plans to manage critically important marine ecosystems, enforcing the laws, and deterring bad behavior on the world’s oceans," he said.
The treaty provides new tools to address biodiversity loss and ocean degradation by enabling the creation of marine protected areas and mandating environmental impact assessments for planned human activities.
It also aims to boost equity for developing countries by increasing access to knowledge and technology, building capacity, and ensuring the fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.
A long road to enforcement
Still, the pact’s strength is uncertain as some of the world’s biggest players — the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan — have yet to ratify. The U.S. and China have signed, signaling their intent to align with the treaty’s objectives, but without creating legal obligations, while Japan and Russia have been active in preparatory talks.
"For the first time, we have the legal foundation to safeguard marine diversity in waters that belong to everyone and no one at the same time," Oceana’s chief scientist Katie Matthews said. "What matters now is turning paper into protection. Nations must move quickly from ratification to real-world implementation."
Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance, added that the true strength of the treaty lies in universal participation. "Achieving 60 ratifications is not the finish line—it’s just the starting block," she said.
The path forward
Adopted in June 2023 after nearly two decades of discussion, the treaty opened for signature on Sept. 20, 2023. Since then, 61 nations have ratified it, and 142 countries plus the European Union have signed, signaling their intent to ratify.
The first Conference of the Parties is expected to convene within a year of the treaty's entry into force. Only countries that ratify before then will have voting rights. Preparatory work is already underway at the U.N. to establish the institutions and processes needed to ensure the treaty’s ambition and long-term effectiveness.
Governments and others are also laying the groundwork for developing proposals to create marine protected areas. Leneka Rhoden, Caribbean regional coordinator for the High Seas Alliance of more than 50 NGOs and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, called the treaty's ratification "more than a diplomatic milestone for the Global South, where communities already suffer impacts of climate change and ocean degradation.
"We depend directly on healthy marine ecosystems for food security, livelihoods, and cultural identity," she said. "Equity must guide every step, from financing and capacity building to technology transfer and transparent decision-making."
