74 countries have now ratified a landmark treaty to protect the high seas. The ratification by more than 60 states, the minimum required to turn the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (better known as the High Seas Treaty) into law, means it will enter into force on January 17, 2026.

It is a legally binding agreement to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in the high seas, the two-thirds of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. Legal frameworks can now be established for creating marine protected areas (MPAs), conducting environmental impact assessments, ensuring fair benefit-sharing from marine genetic resources, and supporting capacity-building for developing nations.

“The high seas are the world’s largest crime scene — they’re unmanaged, unenforced, and a regulatory legal structure is absolutely necessary,” said Johan Bergenas, senior vice president of oceans at the World Wildlife Fund.

Why has it become important to protect the high seas? The Ocean has come under growing pressure from mining, overfishing and geo-engineering interests, with climate change a compounding factor. But, it is home to immersive biodiversity and it plays a crucial part in Earth’s carbon cycle, which is essential for life and the balance of gases in the atmosphere.

"This treaty signifies an increasingly united movement to protecting the ocean as a shared resource. By joining national action-plans with a strong global treaty, the world can ensure an equitably resilient and thriving ocean for generations to come. Now the world must work together to translate this into an impactful management and governance framework.", says Former President James Alix Michel.