A landmark treaty to protect the high seas has reached a key threshold of 60 governments signing it into law, securing its entry into force as Morocco became the latest country to ratify it ahead of the UN General Assembly this coming week.
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) pact, known as the High Seas Treaty, was first agreed in 2023 and is seen as a crucial instrument to achieve a global goal of protecting 30% of land and sea ecosystems by 2030, known as 30×30.
The treaty lays the ground for the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters, which cover two-thirds of the world’s oceans. Scientists say that MPAs could allow the ocean to recover its capacity for storing planet-heating carbon dioxide, and also serve as sanctuaries for threatened species.
The treaty also requires economic activities on the high seas – such as planned deep sea mining for transition minerals – to present environmental impact assessments.
Campaigners celebrated the treaty’s entry into force and described it as a “historic” moment for ocean protection. So far 143 states have signed the treaty and 60 have ratified it. Palau became the first nation to ratify it back in January 2024. Four countries – Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone and Morocco – ratified it this week.
“This historic moment is the culmination of years of dedication and global diplomacy by governments and stakeholders,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of campaign groups following the treaty process.
Hubbard added that the 60 ratifications are not the finish line but a starting block for the treaty to grow. At next week’s UN General Assembly in New York, heads of state are expected to present their progress on reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity.
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Race against time
Currently, only around 1% of the high seas are under some kind of protection, with most of that area near the South Pole. Analysis by Greenpeace International suggests that to meet the 30×30 goal, countries would have to put under protection a total area bigger than Canada each year for the next five years.
“The era of exploitation and destruction must end, and the Global Ocean Treaty is the tool to make that happen. But we must not get complacent. Scientists are clear that we need to protect at least 30% of our ocean by 2030, and time is running out,” said Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International.
Officially the treaty will enter into force in 120 days. The first ocean conference of the parties (COP) is likely to take place in 2026. Signatories that have not ratified the the treaty by the first COP will not get a seat at the negotiating table.
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“Governments around the world must use this time now to ensure the first historic Ocean COP becomes a turning point, and start to develop plans for the first-ever sanctuaries under the treaty,” Christensen said.
Among the top industrial fishing countries that have the greatest impact on the high seas, only Korea and Spain have ratified the agreement so far. China has signed but not ratified it, while Japan and Taiwan have not signed the high seas treaty.
“The treaty’s true strength lies in universal participation. While we must celebrate this incredible progress, we urge all remaining nations to join this historic agreement and help us go from 60 to global ahead of the first COP,” Hubbard said.
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Treaty to protect deep ocean reaches key threshold for entry into force
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COP31 electrification push a welcome first step by Presidency, but insufficient without ending fossil fuels: Greenpeace
Bonn, Germany, Tuesday 9 June 2026 — Greenpeace has welcomed the COP31 Presidency’s electrification initiative — a 35% by 2035 target as part of the Action Agenda launch — as a positive step forward, but said it must be coupled with a rapid phase out of fossil fuels as part of a just transition to renewable energy to keep the 1.5°C limit within reach.
While electrifying households, industry and other major sectors with renewable energy is a key component of ending fossil fuel use, a focus alone on growing renewables and expanding electrification will not be enough without a managed, proactive wind-down of fossil fuel production as well.
Speaking from Bonn, Dr Simon Bradshaw, COP31 Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific said: “Minister Bowen and his Turkish counterpart Minister Kurum must maintain the global momentum towards a phase out of fossil fuels and ensure that a just transition is at the heart of the COP31 agenda.
“As Minister Bowen said, we are in the middle of a global fossil fuel crisis. Ending the fossil fuel chokehold is the only path towards greater peace and security and the only way to keep 1.5°C within reach. This means no new fossil fuel approvals and a managed phase out of fossil fuel production.
“Renewable electrification is also the path to universal energy access, better health and reducing inequality, but only if the solutions are accessible to all. This new electrification push should have equity at its heart and maximise the opportunities to leave all communities stronger.
“Nowhere are the benefits of renewable electrification clearer than in the Pacific. For some countries, fuel import costs are equivalent to 25% of GDP. The region has been hit particularly hard by the current global fossil fuel crisis, with multiple Pacific countries declaring a state of emergency over concerns for fuel and power supply.
“The Pacific is already facing the brunt of a climate crisis and now faces the compounding injustice of an energy crisis brought on by fossil fuel dependence. It did not create either of these crises, but is among the most exposed to both. The Pacific is leading the global push beyond fossil fuels, with the aim of becoming the world’s first fossil fuel free region.”
“As COP31 President of Negotiations, it’s time for Australia to also lead by example. This means an immediate halt to new fossil fuel projects — including Woodside’s reckless Browse gas project — and developing a national roadmap away from fossil fuel production.”
The past decade has seen strong progress in the roll-out of renewable energy and in 2026 unprecedented momentum is being built towards the phase out of fossil fuels, after 57 committed countries came together in Santa Marta in April and the global energy shock brought on by the war on Iran exposed the inherent risk of fossil fuel reliance.
Coinciding with the Bonn Climate Change Conference, Greenpeace International has released a report outlining the rapid growth in renewables since the Paris Agreement [1] and calling for an accelerated fair, fast and funded just transition through deliberate political choices and strong policy frameworks.[2]
Berkan Ozyer, Director of Greenpeace Türkiye, said: “It is a deep contradiction that Türkiye, as COP31 host, is championing a vision of electrification in the global arena while continuing to keep 37 active coal power plants running and leaving the door open for new projects at home.
“While dependence on fossil fuels condemns us to expensive energy and a reliance on global supply chains, our massive wind and solar potential is the true key to Turkish independence. Real climate leadership means winning the electrification race, not just by talking about clean energy, but by setting a bold and just coal phase-out date as part of a transition away from all fossil fuels.”
ENDS
Notes
[1] Read the Greenpeace Energy [R]evolution+10 report
[2] A Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels: Policy Briefing
Photos in the Greenpeace Media Library
Media contact
Kate O’Callaghan on +61 406 231 892 (Whatsapp/Signal) or kate.ocallaghan@greenpeace.org
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