Governance & Policy
High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement)
The 2023 UN agreement enabling marine protected areas and environmental impact assessment in international waters, in force from 2026.
Definition
The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in 2023 under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, governs biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction — the high seas covering nearly half the planet. It enables marine protected areas in international waters, requires environmental impact assessments for high-seas activities, and sets rules for sharing benefits from marine genetic resources. It entered into force in January 2026.
Quick reference
At a glance
- Subject
- Governance & Policy
- Editorial status
- Editorial draft
- Definition status
- Established
- Last updated
- 19 August 2026
- Also known as
- BBNJ · High Seas Treaty · UN Ocean Treaty · Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement
Overview
What it means
The two-thirds of the ocean outside national control now has a legal framework for conservation rather than a patchwork of sector rules.
How it is used
Governments designate high-seas protected areas; shipping, fishing and deep-sea industries anticipate assessment duties; scientists access benefit-sharing provisions.
Why it matters
It is the biggest expansion of ocean governance in decades and the delivery vehicle for protecting thirty percent of the ocean by 2030.
Review
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