UK ratifies landmark UN ocean protection treaty - Blue Marine Foundation

By ratifying the BBNJ Agreement, the UK is turning international ambition into action and helping to protect vulnerable marine habitats and species.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has signed the document required for the UK to officially ratify a landmark United Nations ocean protection treaty, the Government has announced.

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement – or “High Seas Treaty” – aims to help safeguard delicate ecosystems across international waters, which make up nearly two-thirds of the world’s ocean.

It also supports co-operation on conservation and marine scientific research to protect species such as sharks, whales and sea turtles.

The Government said officials will formally deposit the signed document with the UN in New York on Friday, completing the final step of the process.

The UK first signed the treaty in June 2023 after it had been agreed upon by negotiators at the UN headquarters in New York.

It then triggered the parliamentary process to formally ratify it in September, with the necessary legislation receiving royal asset in February.

Officials said the country played a leading role in shaping the treaty over more than a decade of negotiations, and the country will now be able to play a full role in its implementation.