First the climate, now the oceans. The high seas will soon have their own Conference of the Parties (COP). The new body will be tasked with implementing the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which is set to enter into force in early 2026, after a legally required 120-day period.

On Friday, September 19, the United Nations received the final two state ratifications needed for the agreement, known as the High Seas Treaty, to take effect, as it required formal acceptance by 60 countries. Morocco and Sierra Leone were the latest to join.

This comes as the end of a lengthy process: The agreement was finalized in 2023, after it had been negotiated over the course of two decades. Its quick entry into force, despite a turbulent international context, particularly due to the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords, represents a victory for environmental multilateralism and a success for President Emmanuel Macron. French diplomatic efforts contributed to accelerating the pace of ratifications, though the president had hoped the 60-ratification threshold would be met as early as June, during the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.

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