Guest blog by Lisa Speer, Director of the International Ocean Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Anniversaries are meant to be celebrated, and today we mark a truly momentous one. One year ago, a new international treaty to protect and manage the High Seas – the international waters beyond the jurisdiction of individual countries – opened for signature at the United Nations (UN). The High Seas comprises roughly two-thirds of the world’s ocean area and covers nearly half the surface of the planet, so the High Seas Treaty presents humanity with a once-in-a-generation opportunity for biodiversity conservation on a global scale.
The new Treaty is not only a game changer for the ocean and its biodiversity, but also a victory for the concept that multilateralism can still deliver solutions to pressing global challenges. Participating in the decades-long effort to secure these twin victories for conservation and multilateralism was truly the privilege of a lifetime, and gives me hope for the future of our planet.
But, as the saying goes, the reward for hard work is more hard work, and there is plenty of that ahead. To realize its potential, the High Seas Treaty must first be ratified by at least 60 nations. So far, 92 countries have signed the Treaty, signaling their intent to ratify it, and eight have formally submitted instruments of ratification at the UN. A new wave of ratifications and signatures is expected next week when Heads of State and Ministers from around the world gather in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The quicker nations ratify the High Seas Treaty, the sooner we can turn its promise into action to shield our ocean from harmful activities, establish protected areas in international waters that allow marine life to recover and thrive, and address inequalities between nations around access to information, technology, tools and benefits from marine genetic resources.
The international community is rallying around the goal of securing 60 ratifications by the 3rd UN Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, France in June 2025. It’s an ambitious goal, but doable if countries make ratification a political priority. As we count down to June 2025, you can keep an eye on your country’s progress on this #RaceForRatification map.
Building political momentum
At the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), we have been working with the High Seas Alliance and other partners to accelerate political momentum toward achieving 60 ratifications by next June, as well as encouraging countries to start laying the groundwork for High Seas marine protected areas now.
Next week, a group of committed and ambitious leaders from the governments of Chile, Belgium, Costa Rica, France, the Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Palau, and the Philippines will host a high-level event in New York to promote High Ambition for the High Seas.
This event, supported by NRDC, Bloomberg Philanthropies Ocean Initiative, Mission Blue, and the High Seas Alliance will involve more than a dozen Heads of State and Ministers from around the world. It will celebrate new ratifications of the Treaty, along with the announcement of a new collaborative initiative led by Chile to advance the first generation of High Seas marine protected areas.
High Ambition for the High Seas is the latest in a series of events to accelerate political momentum toward 60 ratifications and initiate work on High Seas protected areas. Stay tuned, follow us on social media, and be part of this incredible journey to protect our ocean!