- The result of 20 years of deliberation, joining the first global multilateral agreement aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction -

1. On October 31st (local time), the Republic of Korea signed the Agreement* on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

* 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

2. The BBNJ Agreement, finalized in March of this year after many years of negotiation and coordination, represents the third implementing agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, following the Seabed Agreement (1994) and the Fish Stocks Agreement (1995). The BBNJ Agreement opened for signature at the United Nations headquarters in late September, and Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, signed the Agreement, making the Republic of Korea the 83rd signatory state.

3. Recognizing the shared concern that marine biodiversity could be at risk due to inadequate management of areas beyond national jurisdiction, international discussions have continued for nearly two decades. These discussions began with the establishment of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group in 2004, followed by meetings of the Preparatory Committee and the Intergovernmental Conference.

4. Over the past two decades, the Republic of Korea actively engaged in discussions through a delegation consisting of relevant ministries and agencies, with a strong commitment to drafting the BBNJ Agreement. In February of this year, the Republic of Korea also joined the High Ambition Coalition, a coalition of states, including 52 countries, formed in 2022 under the initiative of the European Union to express strong determination to conclude the BBNJ Agreement without delay.

5. The BBNJ Agreement, reflecting various discussions that have progressed in the international community since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, represents an advanced international norm for the protection of the marine environment. With the Agreement's entry into force, its legal framework will enable countries to more effectively cooperate in response to the global crisis of deteriorating marine ecosystems in the high seas.

6. The BBNJ Agreement will enter into force after being ratified by 60 states. The government of Korea will actively pursue domestic procedures for ratification and refine relevant domestic legislation.