Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty

June 20, 2023

A significant milestone was achieved as the United Nations adopted the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), popularly known as the High Seas Treaty. This groundbreaking international agreement aims to regulate activities and protect the environment in the vast areas of the high seas.

Treaty Overview

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, approved by all 193 member states of the United Nations, seeks to address the lack of international law governing the high seas. Prior to the treaty, merely 1% of the high seas had been protected. The treaty establishes comprehensive rules to prevent disputes over natural resources, shipping, and environmental concerns beyond any nation’s jurisdiction.

Marine Protected Areas and Environmental Assessment

One of the crucial provisions of the High Seas Treaty is the establishment of a framework for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These areas aim to counter biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation caused by climate change, pollution, overfishing, and other human activities. The treaty also mandates signatory countries to conduct thorough environmental assessments of proposed activities on the high seas, such as deep-sea mining, to evaluate their potential impacts.

The Path to Implementation

To come into effect, the treaty must be ratified individually by at least 60 U.N. member nations, including the approval of the U.S. Senate. The hope is to gather the required ratifications by the next U.N. Ocean Conference in 2025. However, Russia has expressed its disagreement with the treaty’s current form, calling it “unacceptable.” This underscores the need for continued dialogue and negotiation among nations to secure widespread support.

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