As of January 17, the High Seas has operational rules for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of marine resources, opening a new phase in ocean governance.
The High Seas Treaty, officially Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (Bbnj), enters into force after reaching the necessary threshold of ratifications. Europe and its member states celebrate this achievement as a milestone in protecting marine ecosystems and regulating the sustainable use of ocean resources.
The Bbnj provides a regulatory framework for the shared management of international waters, which cover about 50 percent of the land surface and 95 percent of the volume of the oceans. The agreement establishes tools such as establishing marine protected areas, regulating the use of marine genetic resources, assessing the environmental impact of human activities , and supporting developing countries through technology transfer and capacity-building programs.
The role of the European Union
The European Union played a leading role in the negotiations and ratification. As co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Bbnj, which brings together 46 countries, the EU helped advance the multilateral diplomacy needed to get the agreement adopted in 2023. “A historic achievement of international law and ocean governance,” stressed the EU’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
With the entry into force of the treaty, preparatory discussions are already beginning for the first Conference of the Parties, scheduled to take place within a year. European support is not limited to diplomacy: through the Global Ocean Program, the EU is funding 40 million euros for capacity-building actions and technology transfer to developing countries, with a first phase already operational. It also contributes to the work of the Bbnj Secretariat hosted by the UN Division for Sea Affairs.
Ecosystem pressures and tools for protection
Protecting areas beyond national jurisdiction affects the seas and seafloor that harbor biodiversity and resources crucial to food security, scientific research, and essential ecosystem services. These environments are under increasing pressure: pollution, overexploitation, climate change, and biodiversity loss undermine their functionality.
The treaty introduces concrete tools to address these challenges in a coordinated way, increasing coherence among the activities of different organizations and stakeholders. The High Ambition Coalition accelerates ratification and implementation by promoting science-based measures and fostering international collaboration. Many countries, from Australia to Italy, Senegal to the Seychelles, have joined this shared approach.
A measurable agreement
The Treaty represents the first comprehensive global framework for protecting biodiversity in the High Seas and on the seabed beyond national jurisdiction. Its implementation is considered crucial to achieving the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for the protection of at least 30 percent of the oceans by 2030.
Unlike many international declarations, the Bbnj defines concrete tools and active programs: marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and technology transfer. Its effectiveness will be measured in its ability to coordinate the action of dozens of countries and the speed with which scientifically based decisions become practice. In this sense, the agreement enters into force as an operational tool, rather than a political symbol, and opens up concrete scenarios for the long-term sustainable management of ocean resources.
