NEW YORK, May 3, 2024 – Nigeria has officially signed the Treaty on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), marking a significant step towards global marine conservation efforts. The signing ceremony took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu I. Lamuwa, representing the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Nigerian Government.
The BBNJ Agreement, adopted on June 19, 2023, by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, has been open for signature since September 20, 2023. The agreement serves as the third implementing agreement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The BBNJ Agreement addresses four key issues:
- Marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits;
- Measures such as area-based management tools, including Marine protected areas;
- Environmental impact assessments; and
- Capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
Nigeria, having played an active role in the negotiations and the eventual adoption of the Treaty, is the 90th country to sign the Treaty. Efforts are underway to ratify it as soon as possible.
The BBNJ Agreement is open for signature by all States and regional economic integration organizations from September 20, 2023, to September 20, 2025. It will enter into force 120 days after the date of deposition of the sixtieth instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance, or accession. As of today, 90 countries have signed, with Nigeria being the ninetieth on the list. Four countries, including Belize, Palau, Seychelles, and Chile, have ratified the agreement.
