Figure for February 2026: after 20 years of negotiations, the UN Agreement on the protection of biodiversity in the high seas (BBNJ) has officially entered into force

On 17 January 2026, the UN Agreement on the protection of biodiversity in the high seas has officially entered into force, following nearly 20 years of negotiations. From the start, our country has been actively working towards an ambitious treaty.

Since 2006, the United Nations (UN) has been committed to providing a legally binding framework to protect biodiversity in the high seas. Those high seas are the part of the ocean that lies beyond any nation’s borders, and thus beyond territorial waters and the exclusive economic zones where coastal states can assert their rights. As the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea states, no individual country can claim rights over the high seas themselves.
 

Belgium, acclaimed Blue Leader

The actual negotiations to establish a legal framework were launched in 2017. From the start, Belgium has actively contributed to this. In 2019, Belgium was one of the initiators of the Blue Leaders, a group of countries pushing for the extensive protection of the oceans. During the coronavirus pandemic, we hosted several online dialogues to ensure that the attention does not wane.

Several Belgian agencies participated in the negotiations. Our FPS coordinated the Belgian position and focused especially on the more transversal aspects during the negotiations. For instance, finance and the legal aspects of disputes. The Marine Environment Service (FPS Environment) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences took on the more technical aspects related to the environment and marine biology, for example.
 

Secretariat in Brussels

Eventually, on 4 March 2023, the UN settled on an agreement enabling the protection of biodiversity in the high seas beyond any nation’s border: Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction or BBNJ. On 17 January 2026, the treaty officially entered into force, having been ratified by a sufficient number of countries. The total number of ratifying states, including Belgium and the European Union, currently stands at 85.

Among other things, Belgium has strongly campaigned to host an independent secretariat for the agreement. After all, a separate secretariat with its own budget entails more autonomy and clout. Therefore, our country immediately launched its candidacy to host the secretariat in Brussels.

Belgium continues its resolute commitment to the agreement, the North Sea, the ocean, and our planet’s future. In this vein, we will continue to push for the BBNJ agreement to be ratified soon and as broadly as possible.