The United Nations’ High Seas Treaty took effect Jan. 17, creating a legal framework to regulate and protect vast ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United Nations’ High Seas Treaty formally entered into force on Jan. 17, marking a major milestone in international ocean governance as countries begin implementing a new legal framework covering waters beyond national borders.
The treaty applies to the high seas, which account for nearly half of the Earth’s surface and roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans. It is designed to establish common rules for conserving marine biodiversity in international waters and to set standards for how ocean resources are used and shared among nations.
As of Jan. 17, 145 countries have signed the agreement, while 83 have ratified it, triggering its entry into force. The United States has signed the treaty but has not ratified it.
The agreement, adopted in 2023 after years of negotiations, was overseen by Singapore’s ambassador for international law, Rena Lee, who served as president of the talks that led to the treaty’s final text.
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“Global cooperation is not a choice, it is a necessity. This treaty embodies hope, resolve, and a shared commitment to a brighter future for the ocean and our planet,” Lee said in a statement released by the High Seas Alliance.
The treaty establishes mechanisms for creating marine protected areas, sets obligations for the sustainable use of ocean resources, and outlines principles for the fair sharing of benefits derived from the high seas. One of its stated objectives is to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
Several legal requirements for member states take effect immediately. Among them is the obligation to conduct environmental impact assessments that meet treaty standards. Governments must publicly announce any planned activity under their control that could significantly affect the high seas or seabed areas.
Participating countries are also required to align their actions with conservation measures in other international ocean governance frameworks, including those regulating shipping routes, fisheries, and seabed mining.
Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, said the treaty creates new tools for addressing long-standing gaps in ocean protection. The alliance, founded in 2011, includes more than 70 nongovernmental organizations.
“We’re only just beginning to understand how important this vast, interconnected world is for the health of our entire planet,” Hubbard said. “Whether it’s underwater mountains, deep-sea plains and trenches, the icy polar waters, or the open-ocean highways that migratory species travel, the high seas are as vital as they are immense.”
The institutional structure of the treaty is still being finalized. Its governing bodies and decision-making processes are currently under development by a United Nations Preparatory Commission. Formal proposals are expected to be adopted at a UN climate-related conference scheduled for Nov. 9–20 in Antalya, Turkey.
Until then, countries are being encouraged to begin identifying areas of the high seas that may require protection and to prepare proposals for consideration once the treaty’s institutions are fully operational.
“The high seas are full of life—from tiny plankton all the way up to the great whales that rely on them,” Hubbard said. “With the high seas treaty now coming into force, we finally have the tools to safeguard this extraordinary part of our planet.”
Supporters of the agreement say its long-term impact will depend on how consistently it is implemented and enforced, as well as on whether additional countries choose to ratify and participate in the new global framework.