According to the United Nations official website, the United Nations Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity has been ratified by 61 countries, reaching the threshold for entry into force and will officially enter into force in January 2026.
According to the UN, the agreement, officially known as the "Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," aims to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity.
The agreement establishes four major regimes: marine genetic resources, area-based management tools, environmental impact assessments, capacity building, and transfer of marine technology. It covers areas beyond national jurisdiction, representing approximately two-thirds of the world's oceans, on the high seas. Once in force, it will provide a global framework for achieving biodiversity targets, including the commitment outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.
After nearly 20 years of negotiations, the Agreement was adopted by UN member states in June 2023. It will be open for signature by all States and regional economic integration organizations from September 20, 2023, to September 20, 2025, and will enter into force 120 days after the deposit of the 60th instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance, or accession. With Morocco and Sierra Leone becoming the 60th and 61st ratifiers on the 19th, the Agreement reached the threshold of at least 60 ratifications for entry into force.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson, issued a statement on the 20th, welcoming the upcoming entry into force of the Agreement, calling it a "historic achievement for oceans and multilateralism." He called on all UN member states to join the Agreement and support its swift and full implementation.
