Chapter 06 · Governance & regulationRegulation & International Instruments
Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)
Definition
Marine areas lying outside the jurisdiction of any state: the high seas (water column beyond national exclusive economic zones) and "the Area" (the seabed beyond national jurisdiction), as defined under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Together they cover around 60% of the global ocean.
References
Adoption 2023; entry into force 17 Jan 2026 after 60th ratification; four core elements; nearly half the planet.
ABNJ scope (high seas + the Area); ~60% of global ocean; treaty framework tools; 30×30 link.
60-ratification milestone (Sep 2025); entry into force date; ratification tracking.
Overview
What it means
ABNJ long suffered fragmented governance — separate regimes for shipping, fishing and seabed mining with large gaps.
The BBNJ Agreement (Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction), adopted 19 June 2023 after nearly two decades of talks, closes key gaps: it enables marine protected areas on the high seas, requires environmental impact assessments, governs marine genetic resources with benefit-sharing, and mandates capacity-building and technology transfer.
How it is used
The Agreement reached 60 ratifications in September 2025 and entered into force on 17 January 2026. It is central to the global "30×30" target of protecting 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, since ABNJ protection is impossible without it.
Why it matters
ABNJ is the largest habitat on Earth and one of the least protected — until now only about 1% of the high seas was protected. The BBNJ framework makes high-seas conservation legally possible for the first time, with direct consequences for fisheries, shipping, bioprospecting and deep-sea mining debates.