Ocean Crisis Declared: United Nations Summit Proposes Measures to Preserve Oceans
**Landmark High Seas Treaty Nears Enforcement as Countries Rally for Ocean Protection**
The High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, is on the brink of entering into force as of mid-2025. The treaty, which aims to protect and conserve biodiversity in the high seas, requires ratification by at least 60 countries to become international law. As of June 2025, 50 countries, including the EU, have ratified the treaty, with only 10 more ratifications needed for it to be enforced.
The treaty is significant because it establishes a global legal framework to protect and conserve biodiversity in the high seas, which make up about two-thirds of the ocean. It mandates the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) and requires management plans for these zones, aligning with the Global Biodiversity Framework's goal to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.
The impact of the treaty is expected to be profound, marking a historic shift in ocean governance by enabling coordinated international protection against threats such as overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction in the high seas. It underscores multilateral cooperation and places biodiversity and ocean health at the core of decision-making for the vast parts of the ocean not currently managed under national laws.
At the third United Nations Conference on the Oceans, held in June 2025 in Nice, France, momentum for the treaty was boosted as 19 countries ratified the High Seas Treaty, raising the total to 50 of the 60 needed. French President Emmanuel Macron called for an urgent global moratorium on deep-sea mining during the conference, a call that was echoed by four additional countries, bringing the total to 37.
France also pressed strongly for addressing the entire lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal. However, negotiations for the Global Plastic Treaty stalled in December, but 95 countries reaffirmed their support during the summit in Nice. The next attempt to move forward with the Global Plastic Treaty will be in Geneva, in August.
In addition to the High Seas Treaty, other positive developments were announced at the conference. Eleven countries, including Indonesia, Panama, and Tanzania, signed a commitment to identify and protect climate-resilient reefs and integrate them into their national conservation plans.
Despite these advancements, there is still much work to be done. The global goal is to designate 30% of the ocean as marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030, but only 8% of the ocean is currently designated as MPAs, and only 2.8% has effective protection. Marine protected areas, without enforcement, can become "paper parks."
In a warming planet and a suffocating ocean, declarations are no longer enough, and the next wave must be of action. The effective implementation of the High Seas Treaty will depend on political will, international surveillance, and robust funding. As the world continues to rally for ocean protection, the hope is that the High Seas Treaty will be a catalyst for a new era of ocean conservation and sustainable development.
- The High Seas Treaty, once enforced, will not only focus on biodiversity protection but also address health-and-wellness concerns, as it requires management plans for marine protected areas to consider aspects like fitness-and-exercise and nutrition.
- With climate change being a pressing global issue, the High Seas Treaty's mandate to protect and conserve biodiversity in the high seas aligns with the goals of environmental-science, as climate-resilient reefs will be identified and integrated into national conservation plans, further safeguarding the environment.
- The High Seas Treaty, in its effort to address threats such as overfishing and pollution, addresses not only ocean health but also the well-being of the communities reliant on these resources. This calls for a holistic approach in health-and-wellness, climate-change, and environmental-science research and policy-making to ensure sustainable development.
