Overview

• Over 50 countries ratified the BBNJ treaty in Nice, setting in motion a 120-day countdown after the 60th ratification and paving the way for the first dedicated ocean COP expected by late 2026.
• Fourteen nations announced new or expanded marine protected areas, boosting global ocean coverage from 8.4% to just over 10%.
• The coalition backing a moratorium on deep-sea mining grew from 32 to 37 countries yet remained insufficient to block the International Seabed Authority’s pending mining code.
• The final Nice declaration omitted any reference to phasing out fossil fuels, drawing criticism from environmental NGOs and vulnerable island leaders for overlooking key drivers of ocean acidification.
• The conference launched “Mission Neptune,” committing $80 billion over 15 years to map and monitor ocean ecosystems through a global data-sharing alliance.