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Raising awareness among Brazilians on the importance of the High Seas

1 October, 2024
“Brazil has signed the High Seas Treaty but has not yet ratified it. Sign our petition calling on the Brazilian Government to ratify the High Seas Treaty Now! The more signatures we gather, the greater our capacity for mobilization” – Sonia Violante Ptasznik, High Seas Youth Ambassador in Brazil.

By Sonia Violante Ptasznik

As a High Seas Youth Ambassador, one of my primary goals is to raise awareness among Brazilians on the importance of the High Seas and the direct impact our actions have on this critical ecosystem. To this end, one of my current initiatives involves the creation of a large-scale artistic mural designed to showcase the magnificence of marine biodiversity and highlight the vast richness of our ocean. Through this artwork, we emphasize the need to protect and advocate for the future of the High Seas.

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HIGH SEAS TREATY: RACE FOR RATIFICATION PICKS UP PACE AT UNGA 79! 102 SIGNATORIES AND 13 RATIFICATIONS

27 September, 2024

By Nathalie Rey, strategic advisor for the High Seas Alliance.

As the 2024 UN General Assembly (UNGA) Leaders’ Week draws to a close in New York, Nathalie Rey reflects on the growing political momentum towards ratifying the High Seas Treaty.

What an incredible week it’s been for the ocean! A year since it opened to signatures at the UN General Assembly in September 2023, support for the new High Seas Treaty reached a significant milestone. At the time of publication, 102 nations have joined the Race for Ratification by signing the Treaty, and 13 countries have ratified it (check the latest numbers on the Ratification Tracker).

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High Seas Alliance applauds the Maldives and Singapore on becoming the first Asian nations to ratify the High Seas Treaty

25 September, 2024

New York, 25 September 2024: The High Seas Alliance congratulated the Maldives and Singapore for becoming the first Asian nations to officially ratify the new High Seas Treaty1, thereby joining Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, Monaco, Mauritius, the Federal States of Micronesia, and Cuba as leaders in the Race for Ratification2. 

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Prioritize ocean protection: World leaders call on all nations to urgently ratify the High Seas Treaty

24 September, 2024

Chile unveils new high-level initiative – BBNJ First Movers – to promote the establishment of the first generation of High Seas marine protected areas

New York, 24 September 2024: A year since the historic High Seas Treaty1 formally opened to UN Member State2 signatures and the Race for Ratification3 began, leaders from around the world called on countries to prioritize ocean protections by accelerating efforts to ratify the High Seas Treaty so that it can enter into force in 2025.

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Marking a Milestone: One Year Since the High Seas Treaty Opened for Signature

20 September, 2024

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. 

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High Seas discussions: raising the voices of Pacific youth

9 September, 2024

Francine Valmaria Elisaia, High Seas Youth Ambassador for the Pacific, reports on her work at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Tonga to ensure that Pacific youth and Pacific voices are included in discussions and decisions about the High Seas.

As the first High Seas Youth Ambassador from and representing the Pacific region, my goal at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Tongatapu, Tonga, on 26-30 August was to deliver a clear message: it is crucial to include Pacific youth and Pacific voices in discussions and decisions about the High Seas. I aimed to ensure that our perspectives are not only heard but also truly reflected in decision-making processes.

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Once upon a time on the High Seas: telling the story of this vast mysterious place

2 July, 2024

For the past eight months, BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions – the content studio from BBC Studios – has been working closely with the team at High Seas Alliance, along with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition,  Natural Resources Defense Council and Oceans North to produce a multimedia article for the new online Blue Horizons series, which the BBC launched on 12 June 2024. 

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Countdown to ratify the High Seas Treaty begins

19 June, 2024

Nations prepare for its entry into force

This Press Release is available in English, French and Spanish.

New York, 19 June 2024: A year since the historic High Seas Treaty¹ to protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) was formally adopted by UN Member States² on 19 June 2023, the High Seas Alliance started the one-year countdown to reach the goal of securing the 60 ratifications needed for the Treaty to enter into force by the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in June 2025, France. 

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