High Seas Treaty

High Seas Treaty: Recently, at the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice (France), India announced that it is in the process of ratifying the High Seas Treaty, officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

• About High Seas Treaty: It is a legally binding international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

o Objective: Aims to ensure long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the high seas).

o Key Features: Promotes international cooperation and equitable benefit-sharing of marine resources.

ü Follows an ecosystem-based, precautionary and inclusive approach, integrating traditional knowledge and scientific research.

ü Introduces area-based management tools (like Marine Protected Areas) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements.

ü Supports achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water).

• About High Seas: As per the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas, high seas refer to all parts of the ocean beyond the jurisdiction of any single country. They lie beyond a nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline.