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

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)

Party

Malaysia added

• Signature: 03-09-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Paraguay added

• Signature: 10-09-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Cambodia modified

• Ratification: 06-09-2025 (R)

Grenada modified

• Ratification: 04-09-2025 (R)

Party

Moldova added

• Signature: 26-08-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Ukraine added

• Signature: 29-08-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Cabo Verde modified

• Ratification: 27-08-2025 (R)

Saint Kitts and Nevis modified

• Ratification: 29-08-2025 (R)

Party

Malta modified

• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  12-08-2025
  Pursuant to Articles 70 and 10(1) of the Agreement, the Government of the Republic of Malta declares the exception of the retroactive effects as set out in the second sentence of Article 10(1), therefore the provisions of this Agreement shall apply for the Republic of Malta 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 this Agreement for the Republic of Malta. Noting Article 5 of the BBNJ Agreement especially subpara (2) which refers to other relevant legal instruments and frameworks; and recalling the provisions of the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) under the UNEP Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (the UN Barcelona Convention) in relation to declaration, protection measures, planning and management of marine protected areas, Malta reaffirms that the SPA/BD Protocol remains the regional legal instrument governing the procedure for the establishment of MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction within the Mediterranean, where consensus among Contracting Parties is a necessary condition.

Party

Democratic Republic of the Congo modified

• Ratification: 05-08-2025 (R)

Luxembourg modified

• Ratification: 29-07-2025 (R)

Party

Pakistan modified

• Signature: 21-07-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes
• Objections: No

• added reservation
  21-07-2025
  a) 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 shall be applied and interpreted in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan understands that the Agreement is without prejudice to the sovereign rights, jurisdiction and powers of coastal States under the Convention. b) For the purposes of the Agreement, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reaffirms the declaration it made upon [signing] the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 with regard to part XV of the Convention, on the settlement of disputes. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan states that: The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall, at an appropriate time, make declarations provided for in articles 287 and 298 relating to the settlement of disputes. c) The Islamic Republic of Pakistan understands that the principle of the common heritage of humankind, as specified in Article 7, Paragraph (b) of the Agreement, applies to both the geographical spaces and the resources covered under the scope of this Agreement. The scope and legal effects of the freedom of marine scientific research outlined in Article 7, Paragraph (c) of this Agreement should be interpreted in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Islamic Republic of Pakistan believes that Article 241 of UNCLOS is crucial for this interpretation and that marine scientific research cannot be used to justify claims of ownership or proprietary rights over any part of the marine environment or its resources.

Party

Kyrgyzstan added

• Signature: 17-07-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Party

Suriname added

• Signature: 19-06-2025
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No