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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAmong the newly added sites are France\u2019s first-ever alpine biosphere reserve, Slovenia\u2019s Adriatic coastal wetlands, the world\u2019s largest tropical forest mangroves in Brazil, and ecosystems in the Democratic Republic of Congo that host endangered species such as forest elephants and bonobos. Other designations include landscapes in Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean, where biodiversity is closely linked to sustainable local livelihoods. UNESCO emphasized that these new sites highlight the interconnectedness of protecting biodiversity while also supporting cultural traditions, ecotourism, and food security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the UN has welcomed the ratification of the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), first adopted in 2023. As reported by Jurist, 69 states have now ratified the treaty, which enters into force in January 2026 after achieving the required threshold of 60 ratifications. The agreement will provide a legal framework for protecting ocean life in areas beyond national jurisdiction. It requires environmental impact assessments for activities in international waters, promotes sustainable scientific research, and emphasises sharing benefits from marine genetic resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a twin breakthrough for environmental conservation, UNESCO has designated 26 new biosphere reserves covering fragile ecosystems worldwide, while the United Nations\u2019 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) has been ratified by enough countries to become law next year. UNESCO has added 26 new biosphere reserves to its network, encompassing rich and vulnerable ecosystems such as …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":134433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329","service":"facebook","timestamp":1759041933,"status":"error"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","footnotes":""},"categories":[9102],"tags":[15054,15055,15056],"class_list":["post-134432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-global-push-for-ocean-protection","tag-high-seas-treaty-ratification","tag-unesco-designated-biosphere-reserves"],"yoast_head":"\n