International Waters Are Getting the Protection They Need

A coalition of 76 countries and the European Union have taken a crucial step to protect marine biodiversity in international waters – historically ungoverned and unprotected – by signing the High Sea Treaty as part of the global goal to protect 30% of the planet’s oceans by 2030.

“It’s huge to see that so many countries actually did sign on the first opportunity to do that because it creates momentum for it entering into force,” says Jessica Battle, senior global ocean governance and policy expert of the World Wide Fund for Nature. “But now we need to make sure that countries are actually ratifying the agreement into their national legislation then — and quickly.”

In March 2023, U.N. members reached a consensus regarding various issues about the high seas governance – known as the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement – including how to share its resources, conduct environmental impact assessments, and establish marine protected areas. In June 2023, nations formally adopted the treaty. The next step is for each nation to ratify it – approving it according to their own internal procedures and then notifying the other parties that they are bound to the treaty. Once 60 countries ratify the treaty, it will come into force after 120 days. To fulfill the commitment of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed in December 2022 to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, this treaty is crucial since less than 10% of the planet’s oceans are currently protected.