Antigua and Barbuda on 12 March, ratified the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The country joins Belize, Barbados and Saint Lucia, as the latest CARICOM Member State to ratify the agreement which is among the family of treaties governing the High Seas.
The Governments of The Bahamas, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Grenada have signed but have not yet ratified the Treaty.
CARICOM was very active in the negotiation of the Treaty and will continue its engagements with a Preparatory Workshop scheduled to be held 2-4 April 2025. The workshop will precede the First Preparatory Commission to plan for the Entry into Force of the BBNJ Agreement and Convening of the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Agreement.
