 "UN high seas treaty comes into effect, pushing to protect 30% of global oceans by 2030")
A landmark global treaty to protect biodiversity in international waters entered into force on Saturday. It creates a legally binding framework to tackle threats such as overfishing. The agreement also supports the global goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
The UN treaty, formally known as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), was finalised in March 2023 following 15 years of negotiations. It enables the creation of a global network of marine protected areas across vast stretches of ocean that lie beyond national jurisdictions and were previously largely unregulated.
“It’s two-thirds of the ocean, (and) it’s half the surface of the planet that for the first time will have a comprehensive legal regime,” said Adam McCarthy, first assistant secretary at the Australian foreign ministry and a co-chair of the treaty’s preparatory committee, speaking at a media briefing.
Ratifications cross key threshold
The treaty reached the required threshold of 60 national ratifications on September 19 last year, with its formal entry into force within 120 days. Since then, the number of ratifications has risen to more than 80, with China, Brazil and Japan joining the list.
Others, including Britain and Australia, are expected to follow soon. The United States signed the treaty during the previous administration but has not yet ratified it.
“Whilst we only needed 60 for it to enter into force, obviously it’s really critical for its implementation and for it to be as effective as possible for us to achieve global or universal ratification of the treaty,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of environmental groups. “We’re really aiming for all UN member states to ratify the treaty.”
Environmental safeguards and shared ocean resources
Under the agreement, countries are required to conduct environmental assessments of activities that could impact ocean ecosystems. The treaty also establishes mechanisms for sharing the benefits of the “blue economy”, including marine genetic resources used in sectors such as biotechnology.
Environmental groups estimate that more than 190,000 protected areas would need to be established to achieve the “30 by 30” target of placing 30% of the world’s oceans under formal protection by 2030. At present, only about 8% — or 29 million square kilometres (11.2 million square miles) — is protected.
Quick Reads
View AllLimits to the treaty’s scope
Despite its ambitions, the treaty does not address all threats to the marine environment. Some conservationists point to the growing push to extract mineral resources from the ocean floor as one of the most significant challenges facing marine ecosystems.
“BBNJ is very ambitious but there are certain defined limits,” McCarthy said.
“The question of mining in the substrate or in the seabed simply belongs to the ISA (International Seabed Authority). It’s not something where the BBNJ gets a role.”
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