UK ratifies landmark UN ocean protection treaty

Rebecca Speare-Cole, Press Association Sustainability Reporter

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.

However, environmental groups criticised ministers for moving at a “glacial pace” to ratify the agreement after it became internationally binding in January, having passed the required threshold of 60 countries.

As of Friday, more than 90 other countries have formally adopted the pact, including China, France, Japan and Brazil.

The agreement establishes a legal mechanism to create marine protected areas on the high seas for the first time, helping to conserve vulnerable habitats and species for future generations.

Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra said: “The ocean is one of our planet’s greatest shared resources, supporting livelihoods, food security and biodiversity.

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

“A healthy ocean is essential for food security and climate resilience in the UK and around the world. Today’s milestone demonstrates our commitment to protecting it for future generations.”

Environment minister Emma Hardy said: “I’ve always believed the ocean is one of our planet’s greatest treasures, supporting nature, communities and our climate.

“When I announced at the UN ocean conference last year that the UK would bring forward legislation to enable ratification of the BBNJ Agreement, I was determined that this commitment would lead to meaningful change.

“I’m proud that the UK has now ratified this landmark agreement.”

Ms Hardy added that the pact will also help deliver actions to meet the international goal to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

With the ocean as a key source of global food and oxygen as well as as critical regulator of the global climate, officials say the agreement will ensure the sustainable management of marine resources while supporting international action to tackle biodiversity loss.

It also establishes rules for the fair sharing of benefits derived from marine genetic resources, which have important potential applications in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and scientific research.

As well as supporting the delivery of the UN global biodiversity framework, which includes the “30by30” goal, the treaty reinforces the “UN convention on the law of the sea” as the foundation of international ocean governance.