BBNJ Agreement to enter into force January 2026

France announced that the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) will enter into force on 17 January 2026 following the deposit of instruments of ratification by 68 States; President Emmanuel Macron convened representatives on 23 September 2025 at the 80th UN General Assembly in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

• Main action: France convened representatives of the 68 States that have deposited ratifications to mark entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement on 17 January 2026; President Macron, accompanied by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, credited rapid French diplomacy for achieving ratification within two years of adoption.

  • Meeting details:
    • Date: 23 September 2025
    • Location: 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, New York
    • Time: not specified
    • Agenda/subject: Convene ratifying States to confirm entry into force and mark the lead-up to the first Ocean COP in 2026.

• Background and implementation details: The treaty was adopted in New York in June 2023, springing from diplomatic mobilization begun at the One Ocean Summit (Brest, February 2022) and advanced at the United Nations Ocean Conference (Nice, June 2025); French ministers Jean-Noël Barrot and Agnès Pannier-Runacher publicly credited the French diplomatic service for persuading States to ratify rapidly, and France will promote implementation and further mobilization at the Ocean Board’s annual meeting (New York, this week).