Remaining nations urged to join ahead of the first Conference of the Parties, likely to be at the end of 2026

News that the global treaty to protect marine biodiversity – 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) – is set to come into effect on 17 January 2026, following its 60th ratification, has been welcomed by environmental NGO coalition High Seas Alliance (HSA).