The French President emphasized Emmanuel MacronThe United Nations Treaty for the Protection of the High Seas, which was adopted in 2023, will formally enter the implementation of the implementation from January 1, 2026, after obtaining enough of the necessary international ratification.
Macron said that more than 60 countries have already ratified the treaty or deposited the tools of its ratification to the United Nations, which allows the activation of the technical time framework necessary to start the treaty of the treaty, pointing to the speed of the political and diplomatic path made by the treaty compared to previous international agreements.
The new treaty aims to develop an international legal framework to protect maritime ecosystems located outside the limits of national sovereignty, known as the “high seas”, which constitute more than 60% of the world’s oceans.
18 countries have been assigned to the treaty on Monday, bringing the total number of countries that have been assigned to 49 countries and the European Union, before other countries joined later.
This increasing support, which came during the United Nations Oceanic Conference in Nice, France, enhances the momentum that may become a historical shift in how the world managed the open oceans.
The Secretary -General of the United Nations said Antonio Guterres, “The entry into force of the treaty has become within our reach, and I invite all other countries to join them quickly … we have no time to waste.”
What is the treaty of the high seas?
The Upper Seas Treaty is officially known as the “Biodiversity Agreement outside the scope of the national jurisdiction”, and it is the first legally binding agreement focused on protecting marine biological diversity in international waters. This water, located outside the jurisdiction of any country, is approximately two thirds of the oceans and almost half the surface of the planet.
There has been, so far, a comprehensive legal framework for the creation of protected naval areas or the imposition of the high seas.
The high seas are exposed to increasing pressure due to overfishing, climate change and the risk of mining in the depths of the seas. Environmental defenders warn that without appropriate protection, marine ecosystems in international waters will face unimaginable damage.
“So far, the high seas have been like a wild West. Now we have an opportunity to put appropriate protection measures,” said Megan Randles, Global Political Ocean Affairs Ocean Affairs.
The treaty is also necessary to achieve the global goal “30 plus 30” – an international pledge to protect 30% of the land, seas and oceans of the planet by 2030.
How does the treaty work?
The treaty establishes a legal mechanism that enables countries to create marine areas protected in the high seas, including rules for destructive activities, such as mining in the depths of the seas and geological engineering. It also guarantees a framework for technology exchange, financing mechanisms, and scientific cooperation between countries.
The decisive thing here is that decisions under the treaty will be made by all parties in their joint conferences, not unilateral decisions.
With the approval of 60 countries on the treaty, a 120 -day descending count begins before they entered into force. This would allow the ability to start identifying protected areas on the high seas and activating control mechanisms.
Guterres said that the pace of progress was “a record number”, noting that the United Nations Agreement for the Law of the Sea lasted 12 years until it entered into force, while the new Pacific Treaty seems to be ready to do this in just two years. “I see momentum and enthusiasm that was difficult to exist in the past,” he added.
What after ratification?
The first parties conference (COP1) will be held within one year of the treaty entry into force. This meeting will pave the way for implementation, including decisions on governance and financing and the establishment of major bodies to assess the proposals for protecting the marine environment.
For its part, environmental organizations are striving to overcome the required number of ratification, which is 60 certificates, and to achieve this quickly. The more the number of credible countries, the greater the strength and representation of the application of the treaty.
There is also a final date, as the countries that are believed by the first parties conference are alone qualified to vote on the decisive decisions that define the mechanism of the treaty.
“The arrival of 60 certification is a tremendous achievement, but for the treaty to be as effective as possible, we need the participation of countries from all over the world in its implementation, so the next step will be to move from 60 ratification to global ratification,” said Rebecca Hubard’s High Director Director, Rebecca Hobard.