A ceremony organised by the Government of France to mark the accession of 60 countries to 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) was held in New York on the 25th, with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders. 

Representing Sri Lanka, a State Party to the Agreement, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also attended the event, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

Sri Lanka became the 58th State Party to the Agreement on 16 September 2025, thereby formally acceding to the Convention.

Following two decades of negotiations, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (commonly referred to as the BBNJ Agreement) has now been signed by 60 countries, enabling its entry into force, the PMD said.

Covering two-thirds of the world’s oceans, the Agreement seeks to protect and sustainably use marine biodiversity, as well as to ensure the fair sharing of benefits derived from such biodiversity in areas lying beyond national jurisdiction. The Agreement is scheduled to enter into force on 17 January 2026.

--PMD--