By Mohseen Riaz-Ud-Dean (PhD), Environmental Finance Specialist for the Pacific Region and Ashna Kumar, Communications Associate
The global ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty marks a decisive moment in international cooperation and ocean governance. Referred to as the High Seas Treaty, the agreement establishes a legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in areas of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction.
Covering nearly two-thirds of our planet’s ocean space, the high seas have long remained vulnerable to fragmented governance, overexploitation, and accelerating climate pressures.
For the Pacific, this treaty is more than a milestone in multilateral diplomacy – it is a profound opportunity. Our region has consistently championed stronger, more equitable rules for the ocean, recognising that the health of the Blue Pacific drives our economies, shapes our identities, and sustains our people.
As the treaty moves from negotiation to implementation, the Pacific stands ready to guide a new era of stewardship rooted in science, solidarity, and the principles of custodianship that Pacific peoples have upheld for generations.
Why It Matters for the Blue Pacific
Pacific Island Countries are among the most ocean-reliant nations in the world. The BBNJ Treaty aligns closely with the region’s immediate priorities and long-term aspirations.
The treaty fills longstanding gaps in the governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction that are ecologically connected to Pacific exclusive economic zones. By enabling countries to help shape rules for high-seas marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, and benefit-sharing, the treaty strengthens the Pacific’s voice in decisions that directly affect the health and productivity of its ocean ecosystems.
Pacific fisheries, coral reefs, migratory species, and deep sea ecosystems face increasing threats from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation. The BBNJ framework offers practical tools to safeguard biodiversity that transcends borders.
For Pacific communities that depend on the ocean for food security, cultural continuity, and economic development, this protection is essential.
Many Pacific Island developing states face limited access to marine technology, deep sea research platforms, genomic analysis expertise, and consistent financing for ocean science. The treaty’s emphasis on capacity building and technology transfer could significantly reduce this inequity. It creates pathways for Pacific scientists, institutions, and youth to engage more fully in global marine research and innovation.
Connecting the BBNJ Treaty with UNDP’s BIOFIN Initiative
UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) is already supporting Pacific countries to close the financing gaps that hinder biodiversity protection. As nations begin implementing BBNJ commitments, such as establishing new conservation areas or conducting high seas environmental assessments, reliable, long-term financing becomes even more critical.
By pairing BIOFIN’s financial strategies with the BBNJ’s governance framework, Pacific countries can unlock innovative investments to safeguard marine biodiversity, ensuring that conservation efforts are not only ambitious, but durable, adequately funded, and nationally owned.
It will strengthen the rationale, urgency, and strategic importance of biodiversity finance planning in the Pacific Island Countries helping protect the ocean that supports the economies, cultures, and climate resilience.
The Next Decade: A Vision for the Next 5-10 Years
Over the next five to 10 years, the world will witness the true test of the High Seas Treaty. For the Pacific, this period may bring unprecedented opportunities.
Countries will move from legal ratification to practical implementation shaping guidelines for high seas protected areas, harmonising environmental impact assessment processes, and participating in global benefit-sharing arrangements for marine genetic resources. Regional cooperation, a hallmark of Pacific leadership, will be vital in ensuring that the treaty reflects the priorities and values of the Blue Pacific.
The treaty’s implementation could reinforce climate resilience by protecting biodiversity corridors, safeguarding blue carbon ecosystems, and ensuring the sustainability of vital fisheries.
The coming years will determine whether the High Seas Treaty delivers meaningful change. Success will not be defined solely by global milestones, but by how effectively countries translate commitments into action, finance into impact, and governance into protection.
For the Pacific, this is both a test and an opportunity to ensure that implementation reflects the values, priorities, and leadership of the Blue Pacific.
In our next blog, we examine how the High Seas (BBNJ) Treaty can become more than a legal instrument and agreement- emerging as a powerful catalyst for unlocking innovative marine finance for the Blue Pacific. For Pacific BIOFIN countries, the treaty presents a timely opportunity to harness global momentum and mobilise the scale of investment needed to secure ocean conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in the years ahead.
