Manila, Sept. 17 -- The Senate on Wednesday unanimously concurred, with 22 affirmative votes, in the ratification of the landmark 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).

The accord, also known as the "High Seas Treaty," is the first legally binding framework to safeguard marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and the third implementing agreement under the 1982 UNCLOS. It was adopted by the international community in 2023 after nearly two decades of negotiations.

Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and sponsor of the measure, said ...