EU Global Ocean Programme Technical Assistance Facility
Continue reading Join us for our second “Let’s Talk BBNJ” webinar
22 January, 2026
Featured News
20 January, 2026
Yesterday, we hosted a celebratory virtual reception to mark the High Seas Treaty entering into force on 17 January 2026: a truly historic moment for our shared ocean. If you missed it, you can watch the recording below.
Continue reading Celebrating the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty
19 January, 2026
19 January 2026: With the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty) on 17 January 2026, the international ocean conservation community faces a historic opportunity, and challenge, to turn this new groundbreaking Treaty into meaningful action for the protection and sustainable use of High Seas marine life.
To support this next phase, the High Seas Alliance is launching a new webinar series, “Let’s Talk BBNJ.” The series aims to create a collaborative and accessible platform for sharing knowledge, building capacity, and fostering expertise across the diverse community working to implement the Treaty.
Continue reading High Seas Alliance launches “Let’s Talk BBNJ”, a new webinar series
17 January, 2026
Arianna Beeray, Trinidad and Tobago
As a youth from a small island state, the High Seas represent both our vulnerability and our strength. They stabilize our climate, feed our people, and connect our world. Protecting them is protecting ourselves. With the Treaty entering into force, I hope it becomes a tool for true global cooperation, one that safeguards biodiversity, ensures fair access for developing states, and empowers young people to shape the ocean’s future.
Continue reading Youth Voices for the High Seas: A New Era Begins
16 January, 2026
New York, 17 January 2026. Today the High Seas Treaty, formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), has officially entered into force, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection and multilateral cooperation.
Covering nearly half the planet, the High Seas lie beyond national borders and form part of the global commons. The United Nations Treaty establishes, for the first time, a legal framework to protect biodiversity in these international waters and to ensure the benefits of their resources are shared fairly among nations.
12 January, 2026
By Parker Shane Manalaysay, Philippines
As we step into 2026, the year the High Seas Treaty officially enters into force, I find myself reflecting on what this milestone means for young people everywhere. This isn’t just a policy victory but a call to action. And moments like our recent event in Cebu remind me why youth engagement matters now more than ever. We are not only inheriting the ocean’s future but we are actively shaping it.
Continue reading Bringing the High Seas to Cebu: Inspiring the Next Wave of Ocean Leaders
29 December, 2025
The High Seas Alliance is deeply saddened to mark the passing of Kristina Gjerde, who died on 26 December 2025. A tireless advocate for the High Seas, with a background in law, Kristina understood that meaningful High Seas protection could only be realized through careful diplomacy, patience, collaboration and inclusive dialogue between governments, scientists, researchers, civil society and rights-holders.
17 December, 2025
The High Seas (BBNJ) Treaty will enter into force on 17 January 2026- a landmark achievement for global ocean protection and multilateral cooperation.
To mark this historic moment, the High Seas Alliance invites you to a Celebratory Virtual Reception on 19 January 2026 at 9:00 am EST. Join us for a dynamic, inspiring online event featuring high-level voices, personal reflections, and creative ocean celebrations. Together, we’ll honor decades of collective effort and build momentum towards universal ratification and strong implementation ahead of BBNJ CoP1.
17 December, 2025
A blog by Divan N. Joseph, High Seas Youth Ambassador
When I became a High Seas Youth Ambassador for Tanzania, my biggest motivation was to understand how much people in my community know about the ocean areas beyond national boundaries, the High Seas and why these waters matter for our future. Tanzania is a coastal country with a deep connection to the ocean through culture, livelihoods and identity. Yet, I often wondered whether the global conversation about protecting the High Seas had reached local communities, especially young people and those whose lives depend directly on the ocean. That simple curiosity inspired a community awareness study in Msasani Ward, Dar es Salaam, which ended up becoming a meaningful learning journey.
6 December, 2025
Ratified! Now What? Workshop
Preparing the Caribbean and Latin America for BBNJ Entry Into Force
On January 17, 2026, the Agreement under UNCLOS on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) will formally enter into force, transforming the governance of nearly half the planet’s surface. Once operational, the Agreement will impose legally binding obligations, structured reporting requirements, new scientific responsibilities, and new institutional arrangements.