A landmark international treaty designed to safeguard life in the high seas has officially come into force, marking a turning point in global efforts to protect the vast ocean spaces that lie beyond national borders.
The United Nations agreement, known as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, establishes for the first time a comprehensive and legally binding framework to confront growing threats such as overfishing and habitat destruction, while driving an ambitious target to place 30 per cent of the world’s oceans under protection by 2030.
Finalised in March 2023 after 15 years of complex negotiations, the treaty opens the way for a global network of marine protected areas across immense stretches of international waters that were previously largely unregulated.
The agreement reached the required threshold of 60 national ratifications last September, triggering its formal entry into force within 120 days. Since then, support has continued to grow, with more than 80 countries now on board, including China, Brazil and Japan. Others, such as Britain and Australia, are expected to ratify shortly. The United States signed the treaty under the previous administration but has yet to complete ratification.
Under the treaty, nations will be required to conduct environmental impact assessments for activities that could harm ocean ecosystems. It also establishes mechanisms to share the benefits of the growing blue economy, including access to marine genetic resources used in biotechnology and other industries.
Conservation groups estimate that more than 190,000 protected areas must be created to meet the 30 by 30 target. At present, only about 8 per cent of the world’s oceans, roughly 29 million square kilometres, enjoy formal protection.
While the treaty is widely hailed as a breakthrough, some environmentalists note that it does not address deep-sea mining, which remains under the authority of the International Seabed Authority, leaving one of the most pressing threats to marine ecosystems outside its scope.
Even so, the treaty’s entry into force signals an unprecedented commitment by the international community to protect the high seas, offering fresh hope for the future health of the planet’s oceans.