The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (‘BBNJ Agreement’), or High Seas Treaty, was signed in New York on Wednesday 20 September.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, signed it on behalf of the EU (see EUROPE 13215/10).
67 countries signed the treaty on the first day, including the United States, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Mexico, as well as the EU, according to the United Nations.
Each country still has to ratify the treaty under its own national procedure. It will enter into force 120 days after ratification by 60 countries.
“It is a historic day for the protection of the high seas”, said Oceans Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius. “But we need to keep working towards a swift ratification, with the hope that the treaty can enter into force by the June 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice”, he said.
Once ratified, the treaty will enable the creation of marine protected areas on the high seas worldwide, contributing to the goal of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)