On 19 June 2023 the Treaty of the High Seas was adopted by consensus during the United Nations meeting in New York. This treaty is key to protect the ocean, promote equity and fairness, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and prevent biodiversity loss in the high seas. It has been a priority for the European Union and its Member States, that have led negotiations at global level through the BBNJ High Ambition CoalitionEN•••.
The adoption of this treaty, also known as “BBNJ” (biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction), is an historic achievement marking the successful end of more than a decade of multilateral work. This agreement is also a welcome addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework under which all activities in the ocean take place.
The treaty will enter into force when 60 parties ratify it. The European Union has committed to support the treaty’s ratification and early implementation through the EU Global Ocean Programme of €40 million and has invited members of the High Ambition Coalition to do the same within their capabilities
What the treaty will bring – in a nutshell
- The BBNJ Treaty sets up a procedure to establish large-scale marine protected areas in the high seas. This facilitates the achievement of the target to effectively conserve and manage 30% of land and sea by 2030, which was agreed in December 2022 within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- It establishes the sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources and foresees capacity building and the transfer of marine technology between the parties.
- It contains clear rules to conduct environmental impact assessments, with the right checks and balances, before running activities in the high seas.
The high ambition coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) was launched at the One Ocean SummitEN••• in Brest, on 11th of February 2022. The coalition gathers parties which are committed, at the highest political level, to achieve an ambitious outcome of the negotiations on a Treaty of the High Seas (“the implementing agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction”), under the auspices of the United Nations.
In March 2023, global negotiations concluded on the landmark Treaty of the High Seas.
Fuente: Comisión Europea