UK Ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (aka High Seas Treaty).

On 10th July 2026 the UK Government formally ratified the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement (also referred to as the High Seas Treaty), which was adopted by UN member states in 2023. In doing so the UK joined a growing number of countries that have ratified this key international Agreement to help to protect the oceans. The Agreement will strengthen the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and creates a legal mechanism to create marine protected areas on the high seas, helping to conserve vulnerable habitats and species for future generations across two thirds of the world’s oceans. The UK played a leading role in helping to shake the Agreement and was one of the first countries to sign it back in 2023; the formal ratification is the culmination of that commitment and was enabled by necessary legislation, including the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026 which received Royal Assent in February 2026. For more information click here.