Washington, January 18, 2026 – The Europe Today: A historic international treaty aimed at safeguarding biodiversity in the high seas officially came into effect on Saturday, providing countries with a legally binding framework to address threats such as overfishing and to achieve the target of protecting 30% of the ocean environment by 2030, media reports said.
The United Nations treaty, formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, was finalized in March 2023 after 15 years of negotiations. It establishes a global network of “marine protected areas” in previously unregulated international waters, covering two-thirds of the world’s oceans and nearly half of the planet’s surface.
“It’s two-thirds of the ocean, (and) it’s half the surface of the planet that for the first time will have a comprehensive legal regime,” said Adam McCarthy, first assistant secretary at the Australian foreign ministry and co-chair of the treaty’s preparatory committee, during a media briefing.
The treaty entered into force after reaching the threshold of 60 national ratifications on September 19, 2025, with the number of ratifications now exceeding 80. Countries including China, Brazil, and Japan have joined the list, while Britain and Australia are expected to ratify soon. The United States, which signed the treaty under the previous administration, has yet to ratify it.
“Whilst we only needed 60 for it to enter into force, it is critical for its effectiveness that as many countries as possible ratify the treaty,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of environmental organizations. “We are aiming for all UN member states to ratify the treaty.”
Under the BBNJ agreement, countries are required to conduct environmental assessments for activities that may impact ocean ecosystems. The treaty also introduces mechanisms for equitable sharing of benefits from the “blue economy,” including marine genetic resources used in biotechnology and related industries.
Environmentalists note that over 190,000 protected areas would need to be established to meet the “30 by 30” target of bringing 30% of oceans under formal protection by 2030. Currently, only about 8% of oceans—approximately 29 million square kilometers (11.2 million square miles)—are protected.
However, the treaty does not address seabed mining, which some conservationists identify as a significant threat to marine environments. “BBNJ is very ambitious, but there are certain defined limits,” McCarthy said. “The question of mining in the substrate or seabed belongs to the International Seabed Authority. It is not within the scope of BBNJ.”
The implementation of the BBNJ treaty marks a major milestone in global marine conservation, offering nations a coordinated framework to preserve high seas biodiversity for future generations.
