A landmark global treaty to protect the world’s oceans has officially cleared the threshold to become international law after Morocco ratified the agreement on Friday, the 60th nation to do so. The High Seas Treaty, two decades in the making, will come into force in January 2026, marking the first legally binding framework to safeguard biodiversity across international waters.
The treaty paves the way for vast swaths of the high seas—waters beyond national jurisdictions that make up two-thirds of the ocean—to be designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Until now, just 1% of these waters have been shielded from exploitation, leaving marine ecosystems vulnerable to overfishing, shipping pollution, and the accelerating impacts of climate change.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the milestone a testament to global cooperation, noting that “the agreement sets binding rules to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity.”
Conservation groups welcomed the breakthrough. Kirsten Schuijt of WWF International called it “a monumental achievement for ocean conservation,” while Greenpeace International’s Mads Christensen hailed it as “proof that countries can come together to protect our blue planet.”
The urgency is clear. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has found that nearly 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction, while warming seas and industrial exploitation continue to destabilize fragile ecosystems. Oceans are the planet’s largest ecosystem, provide up to 80% of the oxygen humans breathe, and contribute an estimated $2.5 trillion annually to the global economy.
Countries that have signed on to the treaty will now be able to propose new protected zones, subject to approval by fellow signatories. However, critics caution that enforcement may be uneven, as environmental impact assessments will be conducted by individual states, raising concerns about accountability.
Still, supporters argue the agreement represents a turning point. Adopted in 2023 and ratified in record time, the treaty carries the potential to help nations meet their pledge of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans—both territorial and high seas—by 2030.
“The era of exploitation and destruction must end,” Christensen said. “Our oceans can’t wait and neither can we.”
