The United Nations celebrated a monumental step forward in marine conservation this Thursday, as 69 nations officially ratified the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). First adopted on June 19, 2023, this landmark treaty targets the safeguarding of marine biodiversity in areas outside national borders, a crucial advancement for global environmental health.

The BBNJ Agreement is hailed as a historic step by UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the context of climate change. They emphasize that the agreement's ratification is not just a win for environmental protection but also for human rights, underlining the intrinsic connection between a healthy ocean and the well-being of people worldwide.

This comprehensive agreement sets a framework for nations to balance the sustainable use of ocean resources with the need for conservation. It encourages scientific research and the sharing of data, which is vital for understanding and protecting underexplored marine areas. Furthermore, the treaty integrates the precautionary principle, ensuring that any planned activities in international waters are subject to environmental impact assessments to mitigate risks to marine ecosystems.

The BBNJ Agreement, which is the third implementing agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, will officially come into effect in January 2026, 120 days after the sixtieth ratification was deposited. This agreement is a critical component of the global response to the escalating crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and is pivotal for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the ambitious '30 by 30' conservation target set by the High Seas Treaty.

In conjunction with the ratification of the BBNJ, the UN also acknowledged the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which came into effect on the same day. This agreement is expected to play a significant role in curtailing harmful fisheries subsidies that are depleting global fish stocks.

The ongoing challenges of seabed mining, plastic pollution, and oil spills continue to threaten marine biodiversity and human rights, underscoring the pressing need for robust international legal frameworks to regulate human activities at sea. The rights and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and coastal communities, who rely heavily on healthy marine ecosystems, are especially vulnerable.

The ratification of the BBNJ Agreement represents a beacon of hope and a definitive action towards a sustainable and equitable use of ocean resources, ensuring the protection of our planet’s last uncharted wilderness for future generations.