Hailing a major step forward in the race to ratification, six European Member states, including Cyprus, Finland, Portugal, and Slovenia, alongside the European Union itself have formally welcomed the High Seas Treaty at the United Nations headquarters in New York this week.

The coordinated move – in which both Hungary and Latvia also join the likes of Spain and France to now ratify the treaty – brings the official number of High Seas Treaty ratifications to 28.

It marks a significant step towards the 60 ratifications needed for the Treaty to enter into force and become binding international law. While the EU, as a regional economic integration organisation, has also ratified the treaty, it does not count separately toward the tally.

“This boost in ratifications by the EU and its Member States is a powerful acceleration toward the Treaty’s entry into force – just days before a major international ocean conference in Nice, in France,” said Nathalie Rey, European Regional Coordinator for the High Seas Alliance.

“EU leadership is essential in confronting the biodiversity and climate crisis. This bold move sends a clear message that ocean protection is not optional – it’s a global priority. We urge the remaining EU countries and others to swiftly follow suit.”

The EU, along with many government and civil society organisations, have committed to securing the necessary 60 ratifications by the time of the third United Nations Ocean Conference in June this year. To date, along with the 28 ratifications, 115 countries have signed the Treaty, demonstrating their commitment to ratification.

The remaining EU countries are expected to ratify in the coming months, ideally ahead of the first Conference of Parties that will happen within a year of the Treaty’s entry into force.

Covering nearly half the planet, international waters – known as the High Seas – are woefully under-protected, with only 1.5% currently safeguarded within marine protected areas. The High Seas Treaty – formally titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) – was adopted in June 2023, marking an historic milestone in global ocean governance.

It paves the way for establishing High Seas marine protected areas, assessing the impact of potential harmful activities, advancing ocean equity by ensuring greater support for developing countries through capacity building, access to tools and technology, and sharing the benefits from marine genetic resources.

“This new global Ocean Treaty is a rare and vital opportunity – a ray of light in this fractured world,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance. “A healthy ocean underpins a stable future for all of us. We must embed ocean action into every diplomatic agenda, because no country can solve tis environmental crisis alone.

“We need to up the political pressure to reach 60 ratifications – and after that, keep building momentum to get as many countries onboard to give this Treaty real power.”

A special High Seas Treaty event has been scheduled for June 9 this year, during the UN Ocean Conference, where additional countries are expected to deposit their instruments of ratification.

Alexandra Cousteau, ocean advocate and president and co-founder of Oceans 2050 as well as senior advisor to Oceana, said: “Ratification of the high seas treaty by the EU and member states is a major milestone for ocean protection and a hopeful signal as we head into the UN Ocean Conference. It’s the kind of leadership we need right now.

 “As someone who grew up on and around the ocean, and who carries forward my family’s legacy of ocean advocacy, I know just how deeply our lives are connected to the health of the sea. To deliver on their commitment to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, governments must safeguard the shared high seas which cover roughly two thirds of our planet.

 “The time for promises is over. I urge governments to raise their ambition and take action that matches the true scale of the ocean crisis.”

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