Sailing Towards Maritime Preservation: The Ocean Action Plan and the High Seas Treaty
Strategy for Protecting and Preserving Marine Life - Conference on Oceans Concludes with "Blueprint for Protecting Marine Environments"
The curtains have fallen on the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, leaving behind the "Action Plan for Marine Protection" - a political declaration titled "Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action". The plan, backed by over 800 voluntary commitments from countries and organizations, stresses the urgent need for intensified marine protection, particularly through the 30×30 target that aims to safeguard 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030 [1][2].
But there's still a storm to weather. The High Seas Treaty, also known as the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), is yet to sail into force. The treaty strives to fill the void left by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, introducing provisions for sustainable biodiversity management in international waters [3]. Currently, ratifications from 60 states are needed for the treaty to come into effect [5]. As we speak, the international community is rallying to speed up the ratification process to meet global marine conservation goals.
Stanching the tide of environmental degradation, negotiations regarding the BBNJ Agreement are taking center stage. France, one among the leaders driving this change, announced its ambition to establish one of the world’s largest networks of marine protected areas, covering 4 million km² [4]. Germany, while specifics about its ratification status remain vague, is an active participant in the global discourse on marine protection [5].
The United States, while its BBNJ Agreement ratification status has not been explicitly disclosed, holds significant influence as key philanthropic organizations, such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Wyss Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund, are backing new marine protection campaigns, particularly in French territories [4].
With the Nice Ocean Action Plan in motion, the race is on to secure ratifications and implement the much-needed protections. The implementation and ratification of key treaties like the High Seas Treaty are pegged as crucial for achieving global marine conservation targets by 2030. Let's rise to the challenge and take the helm towards a cleaner, healthier ocean.
- Action Plan
- Nice
- Marine Protection
- World Ocean
- Ocean
- France
- Germany
- USA
[1] "Adoption of the United Nations Ocean Conference outcomes". United Nations. https://unochs.org/oceanconference/2022/outcomes
[2] "The Nice Ocean Action Plan". United Nations. https://unochs.org/oceanconference/2022/action-plan
[3] "The AGREEMENT UNDER PREPARATION ON THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDICTION". United Nations. https://www.un.org/depts/los/bbnj/convention_text.htm
[4] "World leaders gather for Ocean Conference". Paris Agreement. https://www.paris-agreement.org/news/world-leaders-gather-for-un-ocean-conference
[5] "Securing ratifications for the High Seas Treaty". United Nations. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/resources/60-to-conserve-biodiversity-in-areas-beyond-national-jurisdiction/
- The Ocean Action Plan, committed by numerous EC countries and organizations, emphasizes the importance of strengthening employment policies for marine protection, particularly in achieving the 30×30 target, which aligns with science-based strategies for climate-change mitigation.
- As the High Seas Treaty, a key piece of policy-and-legislation, awaits ratification from 60 states, the urgency of environmental-science-led marine preservation policies and legislations in politics takes center stage.
- General-news sources highlight significant philanthropic support of new marine protection campaigns in French territories by key American foundations like Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Wyss Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund, demonstrating a crucial role of politics and business in shaping employment policies towards marine protection.
