♦ India signed an international agreement to protect marine biodiversity on the high seas at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signed the pact formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement on 25 September 2024. 

♦ The agreement under the Law of the Seas Treaty seeks to ensure that marine life is conserved and used in a sustainable manner on the high seas, which is beyond nations' territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone that could extend up to 200 nautical miles or 370 km from the shores.

♦ The area the agreement covers is about two-thirds of all the oceans.

♦ Under the agreement, countries cannot claim sovereign rights over marine resources on the high seas and it ensures equitable sharing of benefits from those resources.

♦ The Union Cabinet approved India's participation in the agreement in July 2024.