The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, Moosa Zameer deposited the Instrument of Ratification for the 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) and the Instrument of Accession for the Minamata Convention on Mercury on behalf of the Maldives, at an event held at the UN Headquarters in New York today.
The President of the Maldives, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu, decided to seek parliamentary approval to join the Minamata Convention on Mercury on 11 December 2023. The Maldives signed the BBNJ Agreement on 3 September 2024. The People’s Majlis approved the ratification of both the Agreement and the Convention on 13 May 2024.
Following this event, the Maldives has become the 8th country to ratify the BBNJ Agreement and the 150th country to accede to the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The Government of the Maldives is committed to ensuring the protection and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources, as well as to the protection of lives, livelihoods, public health and the environment from the release of toxic heavy metals such as mercury.The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in the UN General Assembly in 2013, is open for signature until 20 September 2025. The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted by the international community in 2013 under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
