- The High Seas Treaty, ratified by over 60 countries, will take effect in January 2026.
- The High Seas Treaty process began in 2004 when the UN General Assembly formed a working group to address gaps in UNCLOS (1982) regarding Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
- By 2011, countries agreed to negotiate four key areas: Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs), Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and capacity building with technology transfer.
- After four Intergovernmental Conferences between 2018 and 2023, a final agreement was reached in March 2023, and the treaty was formally adopted in June 2023 and ratified in September 2025. Read More
Challenges Linked to High Seas Treaty
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Origin and Evolution of Treaty
