Historic High Seas Treaty enters into force

New York, 17 January 2026

Today the High Seas Treaty, formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), has officially entered into force, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection and multilateral cooperation.

Covering nearly half the planet, the High Seas lie beyond national borders and form part of the global commons. The United Nations Treaty establishes, for the first time, a legal framework to protect biodiversity in these international waters and to ensure the benefits of their resources are shared fairly among nations.

With entry into force, the Treaty now provides the tools to create marine protected areas (MPAs) on the High Seas, set clear obligations on how to ensure ocean resources are used sustainably, capacity building and access to technology and tools is prioritised, and mechanisms are established to ensure fair benefit-sharing. This will play a crucial role in achieving global biodiversity and climate goals, including the target to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030.

Following two decades of discussions and negotiations, the Treaty text was finalised in March 2023. Sixty country ratifications were required for it to enter into force – a milestone that was reached on 19 September 2025. Today, 120 days later, the Treaty officially becomes international law, and its first Conference of Parties (CoP), the Treaty’s decision-making body, is set to meet within a year.

Several legal obligations apply from today. While some of them are dependent on the set up of the Treaty’s institutions and mechanisms, there are some actionable examples from day one, including any planned activity under a Party’s control that could affect the High Seas or seabed must follow the Treaty’s environmental impact assessment processes, and governments need to publicly notify such activities. Parties must also promote the Treaty’s objectives when participating in other bodies such as those that govern shipping, fisheries and seabed mining.

Ultimately the Treaty’s true power will depend on how it is collectively implemented and upheld in the years ahead. A broader membership will make it more impactful. With 81 parties already on board, momentum is building and more countries are encouraged to join ahead of CoP1.

Meanwhile, the Treaty’s institutional architecture- its bodies and decision-making processes- is currently being shaped through the UN Preparatory Commission, which must deliver strong proposals for adoption at CoP1 so the Treaty can start functioning as soon as possible. Countries are also encouraged to begin identifying important High Seas sites that require protection, so proposals can be brought forward at future CoPs.