Historic High Seas Treaty officially enters into force

The High Seas Treaty, the first legally binding international agreement to safeguard marine life in international waters, has now entered into force.

Officially known as the BBNJ Treaty (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), the treaty reached 60 ratifications last September and on 17 January became legally enforceable, hailed as a "historic milestone for global ocean protection and multilateral cooperation" by the High Seas Alliance.

The Treaty establishes for the first time a legal framework which protects biodiversity in the High Seas, the international waters that lie beyond national boundaries, described as the largest habitat on our planet, covering almost half of the planet and accounting for 95% of the ocean’s volume.

“The entry into force of the BBNJ agreement today stands as a monument to multilateralism and to the years of dedication, dialogue and cooperative action by countless committed people around the world,” said Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee, who served as President of the negotiations leading to Treaty's adoption in 2023.

"Global challenges, such as the climate and biodiversity crises, affect all of us. As such, global cooperation is not a choice, it is a necessity. This treaty embodies hope, resolve, and a shared commitment to a brighter future for the ocean and our planet,” Lee added.

According to the High Seas Alliance, the official entry into force of the BBNJ will enable the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, as well as providing tools to "set clear obligations on how to ensure ocean resources are used sustainably, capacity building and access to technology and tools is prioritised, and mechanisms are established to ensure fair benefit-sharing."

The High Seas Alliance, which was awarded The 2025 Earthshot Prize on behalf of a global coalition of over 70 organisations that campaigned to secure the agreement, said the Treaty "will play a crucial role in achieving global biodiversity and climate goals, including the target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030."

While some of the Treaty's legal force depends on setting up various institutions and mechanisms, several obligations are already in place. This includes the need for governments to publicly notify any activities that could affect the High Seas or seabed, with such activities also required to follow the Treaty's environmental impact accessment processes.

"Parties must also promote the Treaty’s objectives when participating in other bodies such as those that govern shipping, fisheries and seabed mining," according to the High Seas Alliance.

The Treaty text was finalised in March 2023 after a lengthy process of discussions and negotiations spanning more than twenty years. In order for it to become law, it required sixty country ratifications - a target which it reached on 19 September 2025, building on momentum from the UN Ocean Conference held earlier that summer. As of 14 January 2026, the number of ratifications has reached 82.

“The High Seas are full of life - from tiny plankton all the way up to the great whales that rely on them. We’re only just beginning to understand how important this vast, interconnected world is for the health of our entire planet. Whether it’s underwater mountains, deep-sea plains and trenches, the icy polar waters, or the open-ocean highways that migratory species travel, the High Seas are as vital as they are immense," said Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance. "With the High Seas Treaty now coming into force, we finally have the tools to safeguard this extraordinary part of our planet. Protecting it really does mean protecting our future.”

The BBNJ's first Conference of Parties (CoP), the Treaty’s decision-making body, is set to meet within a year. Now that the Treaty is in force, the High Seas Alliance is continuing to campaign for it to be implemented and upheld over the coming years. "A broader membership will make it more impactful. With 821 parties already on board, momentum is building and more countries are encouraged to join ahead of CoP1," the Alliance stated.

The High Seas Alliance also stressed it is encouraging countries to commence identifying potential High Seas areas for protection, with proposals to be presented at future CoPs.

“At this halfway point of this critical decade, one of the world’s most ambitious ocean initiatives is entering a new era of systemic change in ocean governance. This reflects a renewed commitment to our ocean, its wildlife, the millions of people that rely on its health, and the global goals set for 2030," said Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize.

"The High Seas Treaty shows us that meaningful progress is achieved through vision, perseverance and leadership. As we begin a new year, the Earthshot Prize is committed to backing this landmark treaty and ensuring it moves beyond words to become a practical and enforceable safeguard for our remarkable blue planet,” Knauf added.