It took more than two decades of tireless hard work, but for those involved in the process, it was all worth it. On March 4, 2023, diplomats from almost two hundred governments agreed on the United Nations Treaty of the High Seas to protect the ocean, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and prevent biodiversity loss.

Better known as the “High Seas Treaty” or “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty,” the moment has been hailed by many, including Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at the European Commission, as “a historic moment for our Oceans…With the agreement on the UN High Seas Treaty, we take a crucial step forward to preserve the marine life and biodiversity that are essential for us and the generations to come.”

Putting biodiversity front and center

 Once formally adopted, the High Seas Treaty will become a legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international agreement that lays out the obligations and rights of countries undertaking any activity at sea. When brought into force in 1994, UNCLOS came with provisions for protecting, conserving, and managing the marine environment and marine life. However, those provisions have been criticised for being insufficient, particularly for marine life and habitats in the high seas, the part of the ocean that lies outside any country’s jurisdiction. The High Seas Treaty aims to readdress this balance.

The Treaty paves the way for several new mechanisms. A dedicated international high seas authority with an intergovernmental Conference of Parties as its executive, and a scientific and technical committee, will be established to enact the Treaty. It focuses on numerous principles and provisions, particularly those relating to the collection and sharing of marine genetic resources, environmental impact assessments, capacity-building and technology transfer, and the designation of marine protected areas and other area-based tools to protect high seas marine life and habitats.

Once adopted, the Treaty will not automatically result in marine protected areas. Rather, countries must work together to implement them. Even when all mechanisms are in place, one crucial question will remain. Where should marine protected areas be created in the high seas, so they are most effective? To answer this question, we need seabed mapping.
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Read the full story How Seabed Mapping Can Help Guide High-Seas Conservation at Seabed 2030.

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