On January 17, 2026, the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (“BBNJ Agreement”) entered into force [3], becoming legally binding for the states that have ratified it.

The Agreement [4] was adopted on June 19, 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Its entry into force was triggered once it received 60 ratifications and the 120-day countdown elapsed. Morocco was the 60th state to ratify the Agreement on September 19, 2025, starting the 120-day period leading to the entry into force.

The BBNJ Agreement [5] creates a global framework to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which comprise roughly two-thirds of the ocean. It is also the third implementing agreement to UNCLOS.