{"id":413192,"date":"2026-01-16T13:23:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/413192\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T13:23:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:23:07","slug":"game-changing-international-marine-protection-treaty-comes-into-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/413192\/","title":{"rendered":"Game-changing international marine protection treaty comes into force"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officially known as the\u00a0Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction<\/a> (BBNJ) Agreement, the legally binding UN treaty covers the ocean zones that lie beyond national waters (the \u201chigh seas\u201d) and the international seabed area.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These regions make up over two-thirds of the ocean\u2019s surface,\u00a0representing over 90 per cent of Earth\u2019s habitat by volume. This is because the ocean is deep, and most living space on Earth is underwater.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the key things to know:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The BBNJ is designed to transform the \u201chigh seas\u201d and international seabed into an environment to be managed sustainably for the benefit of all humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is also the first legally binding ocean instrument to provide for inclusive ocean governance, with provisions on the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and on gender balance.<\/p>\n

It is hoped that, once it is fully implemented, the Agreement will make a vital contribution to addressing the so-called \u201ctriple planetary crisis\u201d of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.<\/p>\n

Speaking to UN News, Tanzanian diplomat Mzee Ali Haji, who led his country\u2019s negotiation team during BBNJ discussions, said that the agreement marks a major step in the protection of international waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Marine<\/p>\n

\u00a9 The Ocean Story\/Vincent Kneefel<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone should bear in mind that there is now control of the activity in the high seas. For instance, when you pollute, you are responsible for your acts\u201d.<\/p>\n

The BBNJ strengthens the current international legal framework: it builds on the\u00a0UN Convention on the Law of the Sea<\/a> \u2013 in effect the \u201cconstitution for the oceans\u201d \u2013 which has set the rules for maritime and seabed exploitation and marine protection since it came into force in 1994.<\/p>\n

The agreement addresses gaps in the Convention, includes more detail on how to manage biodiversity and aligns ocean governance with modern challenges like climate change and the 2030\u00a0Agenda for Sustainable Development<\/a> (the UN-brokered blueprint for solving the world\u2019s most intractable challenges).<\/p>\n

What does \u2018entry into force\u2019 mean?<\/p>\n

After the entry into force, it becomes legally binding for the 81 nations that have ratified it so far, meaning that they agree to incorporate it into their national legislation.<\/p>\n

The treaty specifies that it enters into force this Saturday: 120 days after it was ratified \u2013 accepted as legally by binding \u2013 by at least 60 countries.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s signed up, and who hasn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

Many major economies have ratified the BBNJ, notably China, Germany, Japan, France and Brazil.\u00a0<\/p>\n

China has a particularly important impact on industries connected to the ocean (such as shipbuilding, aquaculture, fisheries and offshore oil and gas), exporting some $155 billion of\u00a0ocean-related goods<\/a> in 2023, according to UN trade agency figures.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The holdouts include the United States, India, the UK and Russia.<\/p>\n

The US, the world\u2019s biggest economy, is one of the top five ranked ocean-related goods exporters ($61 billion). Although the country adopted the treaty in 2023, it is not yet ratified, and the Senate has not acted on it.<\/p>\n

India, one of the top developing-economy exporters ($19 billion), adopted the treaty in 2024 but domestic legislation on ratification is still pending. While the UK did introduce legislation on the matter in 2025, parliament is still to ratify it.<\/p>\n

Russia remains one of the minority of nations that has neither adopted nor ratified the treaty,\u00a0citing<\/a> its wish to preserve existing governance frameworks, and ensure that freedom of navigation and shipping in international waters is guaranteed.<\/p>\n

Is this a big setback for the treaty?<\/p>\n

Despite the reluctance of some major economies to commit fully by ratifying, Mr. Haji is positive about the impact that the BBNJ, in its current state, will have.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cDeveloping countries and small island countries need support,\u201d he says. \u201cWe expect that, in the future, they will accept this agreement, because it will help them. The protection of the high seas is the responsibility of all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happens next?<\/p>\n

The door remains open for more countries to ratify, which will make it more effective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you negotiate something, you can’t get 100 percent people to ratify it or to accept it in one term,\u201d says Mr. Haji. \u201cSome just observe and then, when they see the advantages, they join. I believe that, in the future others will join\u201d.<\/p>\n

Apart from universal participation, the key to making the BBNJ work will be implementation \u2013 in other words, acting against those who break the rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the text of the agreement, the first meeting to monitor progress on both these fronts will take place no later than one year after the Agreement\u2019s entry into force.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Officially known as the\u00a0Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the legally binding UN treaty covers the ocean zones…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":413193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[49,48,295,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-413192","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-environment","11":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}