Grenada and Cambodia have become the 55th and 56th countries to ratify the High Ambition Coalition for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty. The sixtieth country to ratify will trigger a 120-day countdown, when the global agreement will enter into force and become international law.
Since its founding in 2011, the High Seas Alliance has been working towards protecting the 50% of the planet that is the High Seas; the global ocean beyond national jurisdiction. This area includes some of the most biologically important, least protected, and most critically threatened ecosystems in the world.
For most of the High Seas, there have been no legally binding mechanisms for establishing marine protected areas or a global coordination mechanism to assess the environmental impacts of activities in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction.
“The ratification of the BBNJ Treaty is a bold declaration of our unwavering recommitment to ocean governance and multilateralism,” said Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell. “Grenada recognises that the health of the high seas is directly tied to our sustainable development and the resilience of our people. This treaty provides a framework that will strengthen our national and regional capacity to protect marine biodiversity and unlock long-term benefits for generations to come.”
Ambassador Jerry Enoe, Grenada’s Special Envoy for Oceans and Strategic Advisor for Oceans and Blue Economy at the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), was quoted in NowGrenada as saying, “This Treaty is not just about environmental protection — it is about equity, opportunity, and survival for ocean-dependent nations. Grenada’s ratification sends a clear message: small island states will not sit on the sidelines when it comes to shaping the future of ocean governance. We will lead, we will innovate, and we will work collaboratively to ensure that the high seas are managed for the benefit of all, not just the few.”
During the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France in June, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet called on wealthier countries to ensure that both financial and non-financial benefits of the treaty are shared equitably with developing nations.
“We call on our partners to provide the necessary technical and financial support that will enable developing countries to build the capacity required for marine conservation and sustainable management of ocean resources,” he said.
“The ocean has no voice; it depends on us to act. What we choose to do today will decide whether the ocean continues to sustain us, or becomes a vast, silent wreck of our neglect.”
