Pictured: participants at the special treaty ratification event at the UN Ocean Conference on Monday 9 June.

 

Photo: High Seas Alliance

Environment

UN Ocean Conference sees surge in High Seas Treaty ratifications

18 further countries have deposited their ratifications at the event in Nice, France, with just 11 more needed to reach "critical threshold" for the treaty's entry into force.

Louisa Gairn

A further 18 countries have formally ratified the High Seas Treaty on the opening day of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, bringing the total number of ratifications to 49 - just 11 short of the 60 needed for the agreement to enter into force.

The agreement, officially known as the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), aims to improve conservation and governance of international waters, which make up nearly half the planet but remain largely unprotected.

At a special treaty event held during the conference, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, Fiji, Malta, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vietnam deposited their instruments of ratification. A further 18 countries signed the treaty, expressing their intent to ratify later on.

The surge in support marks the most significant progress since the treaty opened for ratification in September 2023, according to NGO coalition the High Seas Alliance.

“Today’s surge of ratifications for the High Seas Treaty is a tidal wave of hope and a huge cause for celebration,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance. “While many international agreements take years to enter into force, the action here in Nice today is a testament to the global momentum and urgency of action for the ocean.”

EU allocates €40 million to support ratification by partner countries

France, co-host of the conference with Costa Rica, has made treaty ratification a key diplomatic priority during the event, with French President Emmanuel Macron stating the the treaty was close to achieving the required number of ratifications, and predicting it could come into force in early 2026.

Speaking on the opening day of the conference, Macron argued for the importance of such global stewardship: “The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale," he said, adding, "If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling. [...] The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.”

Meanwhile, in her remarks on the first day of the Conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "Today, we are inches away from the 60 signatures for ratification". The EU formally ratified the BBNJ Agreement last month, together with six of its Member States, and in April proposed new legislation to integrate the treaty into EU law.

During the conference, von der Leyen also confirmed the EU is launching a €40 million Global Ocean Programme to support partner countries in ratifying and implementing the treaty.

The EU has also allocated nearly €1 million in support for the International Platform on Ocean Sustainability (IPOS), as well as tabling more than 50 voluntary commitments, worth nearly €1 billion, EU officials said in a news announcement.

On Monday, High Seas Alliance and its partners co-organized a separate High-Level event focused on the advances made in ratifying the treaty, “Celebrating High Seas Action”, including the relaunch of the High Ambition Coalition of governments for BBNJ, co-chaired by Palau, Seychelles and the European Union, which is aimed at accelerating Treaty ratification and implementation.