BBNJ Agreement Now a Legally Binding Agreement: Enforcement Effective January 17, 2026

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, 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, has officially been ratified!

On September 19, 2025, the BBNJ Treaty, also referred to as the High Seas Treaty, surpassed the required sixty (60) state ratifications to become a legally binding treaty.

United Nations Secretary-General of António Guterres welcomed the historic achievement and remarked, “As we confront the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, this agreement is a lifeline for the ocean and humanity.”

What this means…

• With 145 signatories and 61 Parties to the treaty, it aims to protect and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction or the high seas representing a major step forward in ocean governance.

• As the high seas cover two-thirds of the ocean, which is largely unregulated, the Treaty offers protection of the high seas.

• Promotes scientific cooperation as the treaty encourages equitable access to marine genetic resources thereby fostering international collaboration in marine research.

• Inclusive of rights-based obligations and the precautionary principle, the Treaty ensures that environmental decisions reflect long-term sustainability.

The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) Senior Research Officer, Dr. Kahlil Hassanali, served as a negotiator to the BBNJ Agreement for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), focusing particularly on environmental impact assessments. Dr. Hassanali has authored several peer-reviewed papers on the subject, as well as shared expertise on the agreement’s elements, geographic scope and its importance for Caribbean nations. His PhD dissertation, “Negotiating the BBNJ Agreement: exploring the Caribbean Community’s engagement from a blue economy perspective with special focus on environmental impact assessment provisions”, is a treatise of the matter.

Several Caribbean countries, such as Belize, Barbados and St. Lucia, signed and ratified the treaty. Negotiations between Trinidad & Tobago and The United Nations BBNJ continue regarding accession to the treaty.