United Nations High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)

The BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), adopted in June 2023 under UNCLOS, is the treaty governing marine biological diversity of the high seas, the roughly two-thirds of the ocean outside any national jurisdiction. It creates tools to establish high-seas marine protected areas, requires environmental impact assessment of activities, and sets rules for sharing marine genetic resources and building capacity. It enters into force after 60 ratifications.