World’s first High Seas Treaty enters into force

The agreement is designed to protect ocean life in international waters. 

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which imposes binding rules for the sustainable use and management of marine resources in the high seas, has entered into force on 17 January, according to a press release of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). 

The organisation described the agreement as the world’s first global treaty to protect ocean life in international waters.

According to the IMO, the framework covers marine genetic resources and benefit sharing, area-based management tools including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and capacity-building with the transfer of marine technology.

Ships trading across the world’s oceans must comply with environmental, safety and security rules throughout their voyage, IMO said. The organisation said it has developed more than 50 globally binding treaties and measures to support shipping’s sustainable use of the oceans, including MARPOL and the Ballast Water Management Convention.

IMO said adoption in June 2023 followed decades of negotiations and preparatory work. The organisation reported that more than 80 nations have ratified the agreement to date.

The treaty is 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.