Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction

Party

China modified

• Ratification: 15-12-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Ecuador modified

• Ratification: 22-12-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 21-01-2026

Party

Brazil modified

• Ratification: 16-12-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  16-12-2025
  The Federative Republic of Brazil declares that the provisions of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) shall be applied and interpreted in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 (UNCLOS). Brazil understands that this Agreement does not alter the sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and powers of coastal States as defined by UNCLOS, especially with regard to Article 76, which defines the extent of the continental shelf. Recognizing that areas beyond national jurisdiction are the scope of application of the Agreement, and that the Agreement itself defines such areas as those where the high seas and the Area coincide, Brazil emphasizes that the implementation of Articles 5 to 8 of the Agreement, which establish general principles and approaches, must be guided by existing legal instruments and global, regional, sub-regional, and sectoral structures, ensuring that such measures do not undermine or weaken these mechanisms. Brazil reiterates that the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement must not undermine or compromise the legal regimes to which it is a party. In accordance with Article 70 of the Agreement, no reservations or exceptions shall be made to it, and any declaration made under Article 71 shall not modify or exclude the legal effects of the provisions of the Agreement for the party making such a declaration. Brazil reserves the right to adopt a sovereign position, at any time, regarding any declarations made by non-parties or by parties to the Agreement invoking Article 71 to exclude or modify the effect of the provisions of the Agreement. The absence of a response or formal position by Brazil shall not be interpreted as tacit consent or approval of such declarations. For the purposes of the Agreement, the Federative Republic of Brazil reaffirms the content of Part XV of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, with regard to dispute settlement.

Japan modified

• Ratification: 12-12-2025 (A)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes
• Objections: No

• added reservation
  12-12-2025
  Pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 1 and Article 70 of the Agreement, Japan makes the exception to exclude retroactive application as set out in the second sentence of Article 10, paragraph 1, therefore the provisions of the Agreement shall apply for Japan only to activities with respect to marine genetic resources and digital sequence information on marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction collected and generated after the entry into force of the Agreement for Japan.

Iceland modified

• Ratification: 17-12-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Kiribati modified

• Ratification: 09-12-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Palestine modified

• Ratification: 01-10-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Honduras modified

• Ratification: 26-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Botswana modified

• Ratification: 25-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Uruguay modified

• Ratification: 25-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Ireland modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  23-09-2025
  In accordance with Article 70 and Article 10, paragraph 1, of the Agreement, Ireland declares the exception to exclude retroactive application as set out in the second sentence of Article 10, paragraph 1, therefore the provisions of the Agreement shall apply for Ireland only to activities with respect to marine genetic resources and digital sequence information on marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction collected and generated after the entry into force of the Agreement for Ireland.

Djibouti modified

• Ratification: 24-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Gabon modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Gambia, The modified

• Ratification: 24-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Kenya modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Laos modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Madagascar modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Philippines modified

• Ratification: 23-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Mexico modified

• Ratification: 22-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  22-09-2025
  EXCEPTION Pursuant to articles 10, paragraph 1, and 70, the United Mexican States makes an exception such that the application of the provisions of this Agreement does not extend to activities with respect to marine genetic resources and digital sequence information on marine genetic resources of areas beyond national jurisdiction collected or generated before the entry into force of the Agreement for the United Mexican States. STATEMENT According to Article 70, no reservations or exceptions may be made to the Agreement, other than those expressly permitted by other articles thereof. A declaration or statement pursuant to Article 71 does not constitute a reservation or exception for the State making it. Consequently, the United Mexican States states that it does not consider itself bound by declarations or statements made or to be made by other States or regional economic integration organizations pursuant to Article 71 of the Agreement, which purport to exclude or modify the legal effect of the provisions of the Agreement in their application to that State or organization. The absence of any pronouncement regarding such declarations or statements shall not be construed as acceptance or rejection thereof. The United Mexican States reserves the right to take, at any time, a position on such declarations or statements.

Kyrgyzstan modified

• Ratification: 20-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Algeria added

• Signature: 19-09-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Brunei added

• Signature: 19-09-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Albania modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Antigua and Barbuda modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Bahamas modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Bangladesh modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Barbados modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Belgium modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Belize modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Cabo Verde modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Cambodia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Chile modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Costa Rica modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Côte d'Ivoire modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Croatia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Cuba modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Cyprus modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Democratic Republic of the Congo modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Denmark modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Dominica modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

EU (European Union) modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Federated States of Micronesia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Fiji modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Finland modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

France modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Greece modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Grenada modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Guinea-Bissau modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Hungary modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Indonesia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Jamaica modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Jordan modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Latvia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Liberia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Luxembourg modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Malawi modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Maldives modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Malta modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Marshall Islands modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Mauritania modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Mauritius modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Monaco modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Morocco modified

• Ratification: 19-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Norway modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Palau modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Panama modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Portugal modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Republic of Korea, the modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Romania modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Saint Kitts and Nevis modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Saint Lucia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines modified

• Ratification: 17-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Seychelles modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Sierra Leone modified

• Ratification: 19-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Singapore modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Slovenia modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Solomon Islands modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Spain modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Sri Lanka modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Timor-Leste modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Tuvalu modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Vanuatu modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Vietnam modified

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

General information

• Entry into force: 17-01-2026

Party

Sri Lanka modified

• Ratification: 16-09-2025 (R)