New York, NY (September 20, 2023)– Today, the United States was among the first group of countries to sign the UN Ocean Treaty in New York, half a year after it was agreed upon. Dozens of other governments, such as Chile, the European Union, Sierra Leone, and Palau, are also expected to sign the treaty during the United Nations General Assembly today and tomorrow. If more than 60 countries sign the treaty at the UN today, it would be a strong indication of their continued ambition and dedication to multilateral cooperation.
Ocean sanctuaries, free from all destructive activities, are a critical solution to the ocean crisis. Less than 1% of the high seas are properly protected, so governments must act fast to use the Treaty to begin delivering protection at sea. At least 60 countries must ratify the treaty for it to take effect. The Greenpeace network is urging governments to ratify the treaty before the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025.
John Hocevar, Greenpeace USA’s oceans campaigner director, said: “The global movement to sign the Global Ocean Treaty on the first day of its opening for signature is truly inspiring. After opposing the treaty for years, the US ultimately played an important role in securing an agreement, joining hands with others in this pivotal moment that will shape the future of our oceans for generations to come. We commend the Biden Administration’s leadership and eagerly anticipate the day—which we hope will not be too far away—when the Treaty becomes enshrined in law through ratification, marking the beginning of a new era of recovery and prosperity for our oceans.”
Mads Christensen, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, said: “We welcome so many governments signing the UN Ocean Treaty. This sends a powerful signal to the world that governments will maintain momentum towards protecting 30% of the oceans by 2030, after the historic Treaty agreement back in March. But this signing is a purely symbolic moment; now politicians must bring the Treaty home and ensure it is ratified in record time.
“We have less than seven years to protect 30% of the oceans; there is no time to waste. The race to ratification has begun, and we urge countries to be ambitious, ratify the Treaty and make sure it enters into force in 2025.”
Norway is also expected to be one of the first countries to sign the Global Ocean Treaty. But at the same time, the Norwegian government has proposed opening up a huge area in the sensitive Arctic to deep sea mining. Greenpeace International staged a protest on bicycles by following the Norwegian Prime Minister’s route through New York City to the UN General Assembly, displaying billboards reading “Norway Stop Deep Sea Mining” [1].
Christensen continued: “If governments like Norway are serious about ocean protection, they need to forget about deep sea mining, that risks destroying vulnerable ecosystems in the Arctic as well as Norway’s reputation internationally. The oceans are already under immense pressure and need more protection, not more exploitation.”
Greenpeace International published a report last week setting out the political process to deliver protection. The report explores how cumulative pressures on the high seas are increasing and quantifies for the first time the growing fishing activity in areas marked for protection, using data from Global Fishing Watch.
A new petition has also been launched by Greenpeace International to call on governments to rapidly ratify the UN Ocean Treaty to create new ocean sanctuaries.
Alongside the report, Greenpeace International partnered with Jane Fonda, Camila Cabello, and Simon Pegg to produce an animated short film that follows the journey of three sea creatures as they escape the threats detailed in the report to find an ocean sanctuary.
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Notes to editors
[1] https://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJFV7ZIH
Photo and video, including the short animated film mentioned above, are available here.
Pictures from previous mobilizations for the ocean treaty are available here.
Contacts:
Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: [email protected]
Magali Rubino, Global media lead for Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign: [email protected] +33 7 78 41 78 78 (GMT+2)
Greenpeace International Press Desk: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)
