A landmark treaty to protect the high seas has reached a key threshold of 60 governments signing it into law, securing its entry into force as Morocco became the latest country to ratify it ahead of the UN General Assembly this coming week.
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) pact, known as the High Seas Treaty, was first agreed in 2023 and is seen as a crucial instrument to achieve a global goal of protecting 30% of land and sea ecosystems by 2030, known as 30×30.
The treaty lays the ground for the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, which cover two-thirds of the world’s oceans. Scientists say that MPAs could allow the ocean to recover its capacity for storing planet-heating carbon dioxide, and also serve as sanctuaries for threatened species.
The treaty also requires economic activities on the high seas – such as planned deep sea mining for transition minerals – to present environmental impact assessments.
Campaigners celebrated the treaty’s entry into force and described it as a “historic” moment for ocean protection. So far 143 states have signed the treaty and 60 have ratified it. Palau became the first nation to ratify it back in January 2024. Four countries – Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone and Morocco – ratified it this week.
“This historic moment is the culmination of years of dedication and global diplomacy by governments and stakeholders,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of campaign groups following the treaty process.
Hubbard added that the 60 ratifications are not the finish line but a starting block for the treaty to grow. At next week’s UN General Assembly in New York, heads of state are expected to present their progress on reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity.
Race against time
Currently, only around 1% of the high seas are under some kind of protection, with most of that area near the South Pole. Analysis by Greenpeace International suggests that to meet the 30×30 goal, countries would have to put under protection a total area bigger than Canada each year for the next five years.
“The era of exploitation and destruction must end, and the Global Ocean Treaty is the tool to make that happen. But we must not get complacent. Scientists are clear that we need to protect at least 30% of our ocean by 2030, and time is running out,” said Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International.
Officially the treaty will enter into force in 120 days. The first ocean conference of the parties (COP) is likely to take place in 2026. Signatories that have not ratified the the treaty by the first COP will not get a seat at the negotiating table.
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“Governments around the world must use this time now to ensure the first historic Ocean COP becomes a turning point, and start to develop plans for the first-ever sanctuaries under the treaty,” Christensen said.
Among the top industrial fishing countries that have the greatest impact on the high seas, only Korea and Spain have ratified the agreement so far. China has signed but not ratified it, while Japan and Taiwan have not signed the high seas treaty.
“The treaty’s true strength lies in universal participation. While we must celebrate this incredible progress, we urge all remaining nations to join this historic agreement and help us go from 60 to global ahead of the first COP,” Hubbard said.
