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high seas treaty
As UN Members Adopt Oceans Treaty, Campaigners Urge Countries to Quickly Ratify Deal
"It is now up to governments to seize this opportunity," said one campaigner, "and to turn all their ocean-related commitments into action by signing and ratifying the treaty as soon as possible."
Jun 19, 2023
Conservation advocates on Monday urged world governments to "keep up the momentum" and ratify the United Nations global oceans treaty as quickly as possible after U.N. members formally adopted the agreement in New York, bringing the world one step closer to achieving crucial protections for the high seas.
The treaty—formally called the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty—will protect ocean waters that lie beyond territorial borders, and has been called a key component of achieving the U.N.'s "30x30" goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.
The language of the agreement was agreed upon in March, and the formal adoption of the treaty was called "a win for all life on this planet" by Chris Thorne of Greenpeace's Protect the Oceans campaign.
"Now those same governments which agreed it must urgently ratify and begin delivering vast ocean sanctuaries on the high seas," said Thorne in a statement. "2030 looms large on the horizon, and the scale of our task is vast."
Greenpeace gave credit to grassroots campaigners who have worked for decades to pressure policymakers to protect the world's oceans and marine life.
\u201cThere\u2019s still work to do but for now let's take a moment to celebrate this historic moment\ud83c\udf89 And with you by our side we\u2019ll keep working to make sure we #ProtectTheOceans for generations to come!\n\n#ProtectTheOceans\u201d— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace International) 1687188904
The 30x30 goal was agreed upon last December as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and scientists say it is the minimum level of protection needed to maintain healthy oceans, which are home to hundreds of thousands of marine species and are crucial for maintaining biodiversity, the world's economies, and a key carbon sink.
The treaty text allows for the creation of "vast ocean sanctuaries, free from destructive human activities on the high seas," said Greenpeace, as well as requiring environmental impact assessments for human activities and equity in the sharing of benefits from marine resources.
Sixty governments need to ratify the BBNJ to ensure that it enters into force and becomes legally binding, and advocates want the ratification process to be completed within the next two years.
"Less than 1% of the high seas are protected," Thorne said. "We will work day and night to ensure this treaty is ratified in 2025, and ocean sanctuaries free from destructive human activities covering 30% of the oceans become a reality by the end of this decade."
The treaty will become international law 120 days after the 60th country ratifies it, and will provide the first legal framework to protect the world's oceans outside of territorial boundaries.
"We praise countries for moving one step closer towards putting this political accord into action in the water by formally adopting this landmark treaty today," said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. "Countries must now ratify it as quickly as possible to bring it into force so that we can protect our ocean, build our resilience to climate change and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of billions of people."
The new milestone on the road to a legally binding treaty came weeks after scientists warned that carbon emissions are pushing crucial Antarctic currents toward collapse, threatening the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to marine life, and as researchers warn of the "exponential growth of microplastics in the global ocean."
"With today's adoption of the BBNJ agreement, governments have taken a significant step towards protecting the ocean, building resilience to climate change, and proactively addressing and preventing transboundary pollution," said Fabienne McLellan, managing director of OceanCare. "It is now up to governments to seize this opportunity and to turn all their ocean-related commitments into action by signing and ratifying the treaty as soon as possible."
"This treaty can be the game-changer the ocean and we all desperately need," said McLellan. "The state of the ocean is dire, we simply cannot afford to fail."
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'The Biggest Conservation Victory Ever!' Global Treaty to Protect Oceans Reached
"This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics," said Greenpeace in response to an agreement to protect world's marine biodiversity.
Mar 05, 2023
Ocean conservationists expressed elation late Saturday after it was announced—following nearly two decades of consideration and effort—that delegates from around the world had agreed to language for a far-reaching global treaty aimed at protecting the biodiversity on the high seas and in the deep oceans of the world.
"This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics," declared Dr. Laura Meller, the oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic.
"We praise countries for seeking compromises, putting aside differences, and delivering a Treaty that will let us protect the oceans, build our resilience to climate change and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of billions of people," Meller added.
The final text of the Global Ocean Treaty, formally referred to as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty (BBNJ), was reached after a two-week round of talks that concluded with a 48-hour marathon push between delegations at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
"The High Seas Treaty opens the path for humankind to finally provide protection to marine life across our one ocean."
"This is huge," said Greenpeace in a social media post, calling the agreement "the biggest conservation victory ever!"
Rena Lee of Singapore, the U.N Ambassador for Oceans and president of the conference hosting the talks, received a standing ovation after announcing a final deal had been reached. "The shipped has reached the shore," Lee told the conference.
\u201cBBNJ President Rena Lee: "The ship has reached the shore."\n\nThe BBNJ Agreement is agreed.\u201d— Duncan Currie (@Duncan Currie) 1677984046
"Following a two-week-long rollercoaster ride of negotiations and super-hero efforts in the last 48 hours, governments reached agreement on key issues that will advance protection and better management of marine biodiversity in the High Seas," said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of over 40 ocean-focused NGOs that also includes the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Minna Epps, director of the Global Marine and Polar Programme at the IUCN, said the agreement represents a new opportunity.
"The High Seas Treaty opens the path for humankind to finally provide protection to marine life across our one ocean," Epps said in a statement. "Its adoption closes essential gaps in international law and offers a framework for governments to work together to protect global ocean health, climate resilience, and the socioeconomic wellbeing and food security of billions of people."
Protecting the world's high seas, which refers to areas of the oceans outside the jurisdiction of any country, is part of the larger push to protect planetary biodiversity and seen as key if nations want to keep their commitment to the UN-brokered Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—also known as the known as the 30x30 pledge—that aims protect 30 percent of the world's natural habitat by 2030.
"With currently just over 1% of the High Seas protected," said the High Seas Alliance in a statement, "the new Treaty will provide a pathway to establish marine protected areas in these waters." The group said the treaty will make acheiving the goals of the Kunming-Montreal agreement possible, but that "time is of the essence" for the world's biodiversity.
"The new Treaty will bring ocean governance into the 21st century," said the group, "including establishing modern requirements to assess and manage planned human activities that would affect marine life in the High Seas as well as ensuring greater transparency. This will greatly strengthen the effective area-based management of fishing, shipping, and other activities that have contributed to the overall decline in ocean health."
According to Greenpeace's assessment of the talks:
The High Ambition Coalition, which includes the EU, US and UK, and China were key players in brokering the deal. Both showed willingness to compromise in the final days of talks, and built coalitions instead of sowing division. Small Island States have shown leadership throughout the process, and the G77 group led the way in ensuring the Treaty can be put into practice in a fair and equitable way.
The fair sharing of monetary benefits from Marine Genetic Resources was a key sticking point. This was only resolved on the final day of talks. The section of the Treaty on Marine Protected Areas does away with broken consensus-based decision making which has failed to protect the oceans through existing regional bodies like the Antarctic Ocean Commission. While there are still major issues in the text, it is a workable Treaty that is a starting point for protecting 30% of the world’s oceans.
The group said it is now urgent for governments around the world to take the final step of ratifying the treaty.
"We can now finally move from talk to real change at sea. Countries must formally adopt the Treaty and ratify it as quickly as possible to bring it into force, and then deliver the fully protected ocean sanctuaries our planet needs," Meller said. "The clock is still ticking to deliver 30×30. We have half a decade left, and we can't be complacent."
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