Policies You Should Know About: Global Oceans Treaty

Tatenda Dlali
Jul 4
3 min read

Abstract underwater scene with fish, two jellyfish, turtle, and corals in dark blue water. Text "P" in the lower right corner. — Illustration by Koninika Bhattacharyya

In February 2025, Malawi became the first landlocked and the third African country to ratify the Global Oceans Treaty. This was a significant move as it demonstrated the importance of the oceans to places even beyond coastal regions. At the time the treaty had 112 signatures and 18 ratifications.

Oceans absorb 90% of the Earth’s excess heat, and as it gets warmer, oceans expand. Warming has resulted in melting glaciers, such as the ones that caused the 2022 floods in Pakistan, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification that threaten marine life and the balance of marine and global ecosystems.

It has also led to rising sea-levels, which daily and imminently threaten the lives of people on small islands and coastal cities.

Formally named the “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” (BBNJ Agreement), the treaty is the first first legally binding agreement related to the global seas to be established in over 20 years, and aims to conserve at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

This is an immense improvement from the 1% of ocean protected by existing legislation. What makes this treaty special is that, according to the World Economic Forum, it aims to “protect marine life beyond national jurisdiction”.

According to the European Commission, the BBNJ also governs the “sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits acquired from marine resources, capacity building, the transfer of marine technologies to developing countries, and a voluntary fund to support developing countries in their efforts to achieve SDG 14 ‘Life Below Water’”.

As of 9 June 2025 the treaty has 134 signatures marking intention to ratify and 50 ratifications. After ratification by 60 countries, the Agreement will enter into force and the Treaty will be made international law and implemented at a global scale.

The protection of marine life and environments is an emergency for many reasons and the ratification of the BBNJ is the first step in ensuring the preservation, not just of marine life, but all life on Earth.

Tatenda Dlali (she/her) is a student of Environmental Science and Associate Editor (Climate) at Political Pandora, where she leads the Climate Department. Her research focuses on conservation ecology, the intersections of gender, migration, and climate change, and decolonizing the climate justice movement.

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Keywords: Global Oceans Treaty 2025, BBNJ Agreement, High Seas Treaty, Ocean Conservation Treaty, UN Marine Biodiversity Treaty, Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Oceans, Oceans Climate Change Impact, Ocean Protection International Law, Treaty to Protect Marine Life, Law of the Sea Biodiversity, Malawi Ratifies Global Oceans Treaty, Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, BBNJ Ratification Progress 2025, Climate Change and Ocean Health, Sea Level Rise and Island Nations, Oceans and Sustainable Development Goals, Marine Technology Transfer to Developing Countries, UN Treaty on Marine Resource Sharing, Protecting 30% of Oceans by 2030, Voluntary Fund for SDG 14 Support.