The Global Oceans Treaty
The Global Oceans Treaty is a landmark international agreement aimed at protecting marine life on the High Seas–vast international waters where no single country has jurisdiction. These areas are crucial to sustaining life on the planet.
The high seas cover…
43%
of the Earth’s surface
64%
of our oceans
95%
of habitable space
Oceans under threat
Historically, the remote High Seas were spared much of the environmental damage driven by human activity seen in more accessible coastal waters. But, as coastal resources have dwindled and regulations increased, industries have turned to the high seas, exploiting these largely unprotected waters that have little oversight and few legal constraints. This unchecked exploitation has led to the same environmental devastation seen on land and near coast areas —excessive extraction, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Today our oceans face severe, escalating threats, with wide-reaching consequences for the planet and humanity including:
- Climate Change Impacts: Our oceans are our best ally in the fight against climate change. But record-high ocean temperatures, acidification, and deoxygenation are disrupting marine ecosystems and weakening their climate-regulating abilities. Rising ocean temperatures intensify coral bleaching, which devastates reefs essential for biodiversity and economic activities such as tourism, and fishing. As warming oceans increase the frequency and severity of hurricanes, the loss of coral reefs also removes natural barriers against storm surges, and coastal flooding, putting communities and economies at greater risk.
- Industrial Fishing: Industrial High Seas fishing, dominated by destructive longliners–vast lines often over 62 miles long with thousands of baited hooks–targets ecologically sensitive areas. The resulting bycatch, unintended catches including endangered turtles, albatrosses, sharks, manta rays, and dolphins, depletes species across the ocean and contributes to ecosystem collapse.
- Pollution: Plastic pollution, toxins, and chemicals flow into the oceans, accumulating in marine food webs and affecting biodiversity.
- Deep Sea Mining: The International Seabed Authority, the regulatory authority overseeing the development of the rules for this industry while also being responsible for protecting the deep sea as the common heritage of humanity, has granted 31 deep sea mining exploration contracts so far, covering a total of over 1.5 million km2 of the world’s seabed–an area four times the size of Germany. Seventeen of these contracts cover exploration in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area that lies between Hawaii and Mexico, placing many Pacific Island communities at the forefront of this harmful industry and moreover threatening little-understood untouched ecosystems that are critical for sustaining life on earth with irreversible damage.
A historic agreement
In March 2023, the United Nations made history by adopting the Global Oceans Treaty, formally known as the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The treaty is a powerful tool for achieving the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 (known as 30×30), which scientists say is necessary to allow marine life to recover and thrive.
The treaty introduces four essential provisions to protect biodiversity on the High Seas against current and emerging threats:
- Marine Genetic Resources: Establishes guidelines for access and sharing of marine genetic resources, ensuring fair distribution of benefits.
- Area-Based Management Tools: Enables the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to shield sensitive and vital ocean habitats from harmful activities.
- Environmental Impact Assessments: Requires thorough assessments of potential impacts before any new industrial activities can proceed, helping to prevent ecological damage.
- Capacity Building and Technology Transfer: Assists countries in developing the skills and technology needed to manage and protect marine biodiversity effectively.
The Global Oceans Treaty is more than just an agreement
It’s a crucial step toward protecting our oceans and the communities that rely on them. The treaty’s provision for marine sanctuaries is a historic breakthrough. It creates the first mechanism for establishing protected areas in international waters, paving the way for a global network of sanctuaries. This network is essential to preserving the resilience and diversity of our oceans, ensuring they remain vibrant and life-sustaining for future generations.
But governments have been slow to act and time is running out. With every year of delay, stacking pressures on the oceans grow, making urgent protection essential not only for marine life but also for the billions of people who rely on healthy oceans for food, livelihoods, and coastal protection.
A strong and urgent political response is needed: governments must ratify the treaty by the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 to meet this target.
Learn more about…
Deep sea mining
