On Friday 19 September 2025, the landmark agreement to protect areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction reached the required 60 ratifications, thus securing its entry into force. After nearly two decades of negotiations and adoption in 2023, the threshold of 60 countries was reached on 19 September 2025 that will see the “BBNJ Agreement” or the “High Seas Treaty” enter into force on 17 January 2026. This international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relates to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. The agreement is seen by the signatories as vital to support the 30x30 pledge made by countries at the UN biodiversity conference in December 2022, to protect a third of the sea (and land) by 2030 and provides a mechanism to protect areas of the high seas. The agreement addresses: The conservation and sustainable use of marine BBNJ Marine genetic resources, including questions on benefit-sharing (MGR) Area Based Management Tools (ABMT), including marine protected areas Environmental impact assessments (EIA) Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TMT). The approved text consolidates the role of the IMO in regulation of international shipping –and the stringent environmental, safety and security rules already applied to international shipping including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by ships (MARPOL) and others. The agreement also includes text to confirm that it does not undermine relevant legal instruments and frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies. Specifically, regarding Area Based Management Tools (ABMTs) the agreement promotes the adoption of relevant measures through such instruments, frameworks and bodies. Regarding environment impact assessments (EIAs) these would be assessed in accordance with the requirements of other relevant legal instruments or frame