Overview

• More than 50 countries have now ratified the High Seas Treaty and are on track to secure the final endorsements needed for its entry into force by September.
• Ninety-five states pledged to limit primary plastic production and to report on their plastic output, imports and exports ahead of planned negotiations in Geneva.
• Thirty-seven nations, including Germany, called for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining while pressing for a binding regulatory framework at the International Seabed Authority’s July session.
• Germany committed to expanding marine protection efforts by funding removal of munitions from the North and Baltic Seas and investing in coastal habitat restoration.
• Delegates approved the ‘Mission Neptune’ research programme to publish annual ocean health reports, although environmental groups say gaps remain on fossil fuel phase-outs and harmful fishing subsidies.