Why in News?

The United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC), held in France, concluded with 56 out of the required 60 countries ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About 2025 UN Ocean Conference
• Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty
• Key Hurdles to the BBNJ Treaty
• Key Achievements of the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)

About 2025 UN Ocean Conference

• The third edition of UNOC (2025) focused on accelerating global action to protect oceans, especially international waters beyond national boundaries.
• It was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.
• Theme - “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.
• The Conference sought to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14 - Life Below Water), with three main priorities, to produce an ambitious Nice Ocean Action Plan:
  • Priority 1: Working towards completion of multilateral processes linked to the ocean
  • Priority 2: Mobilizing finance resources for the SDG14 and supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy
  • Priority 3: Strengthen and better disseminate knowledge linked to marine sciences to enhance policy-making

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty

• Adopted in 2023, BBNJ is an international agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) focused on conserving and sustainably using marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
• It aimed to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) to prevent overfishing and deep-sea mining in these global commons.
• Link to Global Biodiversity Goals
  • The conference supports the Convention on Biological Diversity, which targets protecting 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
  • UNOC focuses on implementing this by pushing countries to ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty.
• Treaty Ratification Status
  • Though 160 countries have signed the BBNJ Treaty (High Seas Treaty), only 56 have ratified it so far.
  • The treaty requires 60 ratifications to begin a 120-day countdown before it becomes legally binding.
• Treaty Objectives
  • Once enforced, the BBNJ treaty will:
    • Create marine protected areas beyond national jurisdiction.
    • Mandate environmental impact assessments for high-seas activities.
    • Regulate access to marine genetic resources.
    • Provide capacity-building support for developing countries.
• India's and U.S.'s Positions
• India has not ratified it yet but is “in the process.”
• The United States has also not ratified the treaty.
• Future Outlook
  • The UN anticipates 70 ratifications by September 2025.
  • Plans are in place to host the first BBNJ Conference of Parties (COP) — similar to climate COPs — in late 2026.

Key Hurdles to the BBNJ Treaty

• Disputes Over Benefit Sharing
  • The most contentious issue is how to share commercial benefits from marine genetic resources found in the high seas.
  • These areas lie beyond national jurisdiction, making it difficult to establish ownership or profit-sharing mechanisms.
• Lack of Consensus on Extraction
  • While extracting exotic marine life is technically challenging, there’s no clear global agreement on regulating such activities.
  • Environmental groups argue that without a ban or strict controls on extraction, the treaty’s conservation goals will be undermined.
• Risk to Ocean Ecosystems
  • Critics warn that continued or unregulated extraction poses a serious threat to ocean health and biodiversity, defeating the treaty’s purpose.

Key Achievements of the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC)

• Major Financial Commitments
  • The European Commission pledged €1 billion for ocean conservation, sustainable fishing, and marine science.
  • Germany announced a €100 million programme to clear old munitions from the Baltic and North Seas.
  • New Zealand committed $52 million to support ocean governance in the Pacific Islands.
    Italy allocated €6.5 million to improve marine surveillance and protection.
  • Canada contributed $9 million to the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance for climate resilience in vulnerable coastal regions.
• Expansion of Marine Protected Areas
  • French Polynesia pledged to establish the world’s largest marine protected area, covering its entire exclusive economic zone (~5 million sq. km).
  • Spain committed to creating five new marine protected areas, aiming to protect 25% of its marine territory.
• New Global Coalitions and Initiatives
  • The High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean was launched by 37 countries, led by Panama and Canada, to combat ocean noise pollution.
  • A UN agency collective initiated the One Ocean Finance process to mobilize funding from blue economy sectors.