The biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, also referred to commonly as the High Seas Treaty, has moved closer to entering into force after 19 countries ratified the agreement during the United Nations Ocean Conference.
The High Seas Treaty is the result of a deal that was finalized in March 2023 after nearly 20 years of UN-facilitated talks. The treaty first opened for ratification in September 2023 and requires at least 60 countries to ratify the agreement in order to enter into force.
Once it reaches that threshold, the High Seas Treaty would place 30 percent of the world’s oceans in protected areas, add more money to marine conservation efforts, and put more stipulations on access to the world’s marine genetic resources.
As of June 2024, the treaty had only been ratified by seven countries, but according to the High Seas Alliance – which has pushed for the adoption of the High Seas Treaty – that number has steadily grown to the point 50 countries have now ratified the agreement.
“The journey toward a High Seas Treaty has been nearly as long as the great migrations of whales, sharks, and turtles, but the wave of new ratifications at the UN Ocean Conference shows we are in the final straight,” International Fund for Animal Welfare Senior Director of Policy Matthew Collis said in a release.
The High Seas Alliance – which has members from a wide array of other NGOs – was pushing for ratification of the treaty by the close of the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The conference ended 13 June with 10 ratifications left to go.
The High Seas Alliance said several countries have already announced their intentions to deposit ratification instruments at the UN soon, which could mean the treaty enters force within the coming weeks. The NGO said 20 more countries also added signatures to the treaty, bringing the total number of signatures to 136.
“We must keep our foot on the #RaceForRatification accelerator,” High Seas Alliance Director Rebecca Hubbard said. “The Treaty’s power lies in the number of countries that join, so while we celebrate this incredible progress, we urge all remaining nations to ratify without delay and help drive this treaty past the first 60 to make it a truly global force for ocean protection.”
Additional countries that ratified the agreement during the Ocean Conference were Albania, the Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, Fiji, Malta, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vietnam. The European Union also deposited its instrument of ratification in late May; however, according to the alliance, as a regional economic integration organization, the ratification does not count toward the 60-country total.
Countries that signed on to the treaty during the Ocean Conference were Andorra, Armenia, Burundi, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Montenegro, Niue, North Macedonia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Senegal Serbia, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Yemen.
Once the High Seas Treaty is ratified by 60 countries, it enters into force after 120 days.
