In January 2026, the world reached a turning point for the ocean. The High Seas Treaty became international law, establishing for the first time a comprehensive global legal framework to protect biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, nearly half of the planet.
This milestone is the result of decades of perseverance by governments, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, youth, and ocean champions around the world. It shows what is possible when multilateralism rises to meet shared planetary crises.
But entry into force is not the finish line. It’s the starting point.
As the third BBNJ Preparatory Commission (PrepCom 3) convenes next week at UN Headquarters in New York City, attention turns to how this historic Agreement will be put into practice.
The High Seas Treaty offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to safeguard some of the planet’s most vital and vulnerable ecosystems, at a time when the ocean is warming, acidifying, and losing resilience at an alarming rate. Its success will be measured by how quickly it leads to tangible outcomes: effective governance, functional institutions, and concrete conservation action, including progress toward representative and well-connected networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the High Seas.
Delivering on this promise requires systems that work in practice, clear rules, science-based and equitable decision-making, and institutions designed to turn ambition into action.
From preparation to delivery: a call to action at PrepCom 3
PrepCom 3 is the final meeting of the Preparatory Commission and a critical step toward the first Conference of the Parties (COP1). Governments must arrive ready to engage fully, compromise and advance strong, ambitious recommendations that enable COP1 to take clear and timely decisions.
This means supporting recommendations that ensure:
- Transparent, equitable, inclusive, and timely decision-making, so the Treaty can function effectively from the outset
- Robust, science-based institutions and processes, grounded in scientific integrity, traditional knowledge, and the precautionary principle
- Clear pathways toward implementation, including progress on High Seas MPAs and strong environmental safeguards
- Predictable, sustainable, and sufficient financing, enabling equitable participation and effective implementation by all Parties
- Meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and other key stakeholders, recognising their knowledge, expertise, and leadership
- Clear obligations, reporting, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms, to build trust and ensure delivery
At the same time, governments that have not yet ratified the Treaty must do so without delay. Only Parties will shape the decisions taken at COP1, decisions that will influence how the Treaty operates, and how effectively it protects the High Seas, for decades to come.
This is why the global push for #60ToGlobal matters. Universal ratification is not just about representation; it strengthens decision-making, builds legitimacy, and reflects the shared responsibility of all nations to protect the global ocean. A Treaty shaped by many voices is a stronger Treaty.
BBNJ PrepCom 3 is a pivotal moment to ensure the Treaty is ready to move forward without delay.
What exactly is on the table at PrepCom 3?
PrepCom 3 must review and agree draft text proposals across several foundational elements that will be considered by CoP1 and shape how the Treaty operates in practice. Some of the key issues under discussion include:
- Rules of procedure (ROPs): establishing clear, fair, and transparent decision-making processes
- Subsidiary bodies, in particular the Scientific and Technical Body: ensuring they are set-up in a timely manner, fit for purpose, science-based, and able to support effective implementation
- Clearing-House Mechanism (Cl-HM): ensuring basic functions are in place that allow States to fulfill their obligations, while rapidly operationalizing an accessible, functional platform to share data, capacity-building opportunities, and implementation support
- Observer participation and inclusion: guaranteeing meaningful participation of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other stakeholders
- Finance: advancing predictable, sustainable, and sufficient funding arrangements to enable equitable participation and implementation
- Cooperation with relevant legal instruments and frameworks and relevant global, regional, subregional and sectoral bodies (IFB): Setting principle for how Treaty bodies will cooperate and coordinate with other arrangements
Progress on these issues is essential to ensure COP1 can take decisive action and that the Treaty moves swiftly from legal text to real-world ocean protection.
Take action ahead of the third BBNJ PrepCom
Take action for the High Seas! Everyone has a role to play in building momentum toward #60ToGlobal. You can help strengthen the Treaty by urging your government to ratify now. Visit our website to send a message to your country’s decision-makers and call for swift ratification of the High Seas Treaty. Every new country joining makes the Treaty stronger, more legitimate, and more effective, and brings us closer to real protection for the global ocean.
The High Seas Alliance team will be on the ground throughout PrepCom 3, engaging with governments, partners, and stakeholders as discussions move toward implementing the Treaty. Follow our Treaty Tracker for timely updates on key developments, emerging decisions, and what they mean for the future of High Seas protection.
For deeper insight into the issues under discussion, explore our PrepCom Deep Dives, a series of policy briefs unpacking the key decisions PrepCom 3 must deliver.