NEW YORK (Enmaeya News) — September 24, 2025
The United Nations’ treaty to protect marine biodiversity in the high seas has reached the 60 ratifications required to enter into force, paving the way for implementation in January 2026.
The global agreement, known as the High Seas Treaty, aims to protect oceans worldwide and reverse damage to marine life. Morocco and Sierra Leone recently joined the list of countries that ratified the treaty, bringing it closer to becoming international law.
In 2023, countries signed the treaty, committing to designate 30% of high seas waters as marine protected areas. The treaty could only take effect once more than 60 countries formally ratified it, legally binding them to its provisions.
The agreement sets rules to preserve marine biodiversity, ensure sustainable use, share benefits from marine genetic resources fairly, create protected areas, and promote scientific cooperation and capacity building.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the treaty “covers more than two-thirds of the oceans” and establishes legally binding rules to conserve marine life and use it sustainably.
Kirsten Schuett, director general of the World Wildlife Fund, called it “a positive driver for cooperation across waters and international agreements” and “a turning point for two-thirds of the world’s oceans that lie outside national jurisdiction.”
Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, said, “This is a historic moment. The era of exploitation and destruction must end. Our oceans cannot wait, and neither can we.”
A New Phase for Ocean Protection
Decades of overfishing, pollution from shipping, rising ocean temperatures, and increasing acidity caused by climate change and pollution have damaged underwater life, including coral reefs. These reefs support marine biodiversity and act as natural barriers protecting coastlines from waves.
The High Seas Treaty covers two-thirds of the world’s oceans beyond national boundaries, including the seabed and its subsoil. Currently, only 1% of the high seas are protected, leaving marine life exposed to overexploitation.
Once the treaty takes effect, countries will propose areas for protection, which will then be voted on by the treaty’s signatories. The treaty’s decision-making body—either the Conference of the Parties or main UN environmental bodies—will work with regional and global organizations, such as the International Seabed Authority, to implement the agreement.
Critics note that countries will conduct their own environmental impact assessments and make final decisions, though other nations can raise concerns with monitoring bodies. The treaty does not create its own enforcement authority but relies on each country to regulate ships and companies under its jurisdiction.
Nearly 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Oceans are the heart of Earth’s climate system and essential for all life. They are the planet’s largest ecosystem, contributing an estimated $2.5 trillion to the global economy. They produce up to 80% of the oxygen we breathe and help regulate the planet’s temperature by absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from human activities.
Experts say protecting oceans through a legally binding treaty is a major step in fighting climate change and safeguarding the planet’s health.
