Overview
- As of June 9, 49 countries have ratified the High Seas Treaty, leaving 11 more ratifications needed to reach the 60 required to trigger its 120-day entry-into-force countdown.
- The treaty will enable the creation of marine protected areas in international waters and establish frameworks for environmental impact assessments, technology sharing and scientific collaboration.
- The UN Ocean Conference in Nice secured 18 new ratifications this week, bringing fresh momentum to efforts to safeguard two-thirds of the planet’s oceans.
- President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged an international moratorium on deep-sea mining and noted that key states such as the United States have yet to commit.
- Implementation will depend on setting up governance bodies, funding mechanisms and cross-border cooperation to help achieve the global target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.