For decades, the high seas were governed by a comfortable illusion: that “freedom of the seas” was a neutral principle rather than a license for whoever had the ships, the satellites, and the patience for paperwork. That illusion has finally been interrupted. On Jan. 17, 2026, the High Seas Treaty—the United Nations Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)—entered into force, 120 days after the 60th ratification threshold was met on Sept. 19, 2025. What used to be an environmental aspiration has become binding law for its parties.

Lazaro, N. B. (2026, January 31). Why the High Seas Treaty matters. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A7.