On Dec. 24, 2017, the UN General Assembly voted to convene a multi-year process to develop a treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity, now referred to as the Treaty on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty), also known as the Treaty on the High Seas. Currently still in negotiation at the UN, the draft addresses four key areas: 1) marine genetic resources; 2) area-based management tools including marine protected areas; 3) environmental impact assessments and capacity building; and 4) transfer of marine technology. Why is an international treaty for the high seas crucial to biodiversity? The high seas are largely unexplored, vastly deep areas teeming with marine life and are known to be a murky and a complex topic to tackle. Only 10 percent are currently protected and, due to a lack of clear rules and effective enforcement as well as persistent government gaps, the high seas are notoriously difficult to manage often subject to legal questions.

Tolentino, A. Jr. (2022, June 11). High seas treaty on allocating fish across jurisdiction. The Manila Times, pp. A4-A5.