Nations Reaffirm Support for International Treaties during General Assembly High-Level Week

States reaffirmed their support for the multilateral treaty framework by undertaking a total of thirty-six actions at the annual Treaty Event which ended today, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly’s eighty-first session.

For over a quarter century, the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has organized the annual Treaty Event, held over the course of four days during high-level week.  The Treaty Event provides an opportunity for States to join any of the more than 600 multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General.

One Head of State, one Head of Government, seventeen ministers and three other high-ranking officials, representing twenty-two States from across regions, participated in this year’s Treaty Event.

In the area of penal matters, the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime garnered thirteen signatures during the Treaty Event.  It is the first global framework designed to strengthen international cooperation against cybercrime.  The Convention addresses the challenges posed by criminals who threaten the safety of information and communications technologies.  To achieve this, it is designed to facilitate the sharing of electronic evidence and support justice, prevention, and victim protection while respecting human rights.

In the area of the law of the sea, 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) reached 101 ratifications during the Treaty Event, further strengthening the global framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The Agreement’s entry into force earlier this year marked a major milestone for the ocean, the people who depend on it, and multilateral cooperation.  Now, attention turns to implementation.  In January 2027, parties will meet in New York for the first Conference of the Parties — a meeting that will set the course for putting the Agreement into action and laying the institutional foundations for its effective implementation.

“At this event, we have seen Member States reaffirming a commitment to international law as a way to face together present and future global challenges,” said Elinor Hammarskjöld, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel.  “I was encouraged by the milestone achieved in ratification of the BBNJ Agreement and we are ready to support States parties during the upcoming first Conference of Parties next year,” she added.

The 2026 Treaty Event also featured actions by States in other areas including disarmament, human rights, the protection of the environment and consular relations.

Background

In September 2000, the Secretary-General of the United Nations invited world leaders attending the landmark Millennium Summit to take advantage of their presence at UN Headquarters to join a wide range of major multilateral treaties.  By signing multilateral conventions or depositing their instruments of ratification, accession or through other instruments establishing the consent to be bound, Member States contribute significantly to the advancement of the rule of law in international relations and the cause of peace.