UN High Seas Treaty to Take Effect January 2026

The United Nations high seas treaty will take effect under international law in January 2026 after reaching the necessary number of ratifications. Adopted by member states in June 2023, the treaty establishes a legal framework to protect the seabed and marine life in international waters, which account for more than 60 percent of the global ocean.

Under the agreement, signatories must conduct environmental impact assessments for activities on the high seas. The treaty allows for the creation of marine protected areas through a three-quarters majority vote. A newly formed Conference of the Parties will act as the decision-making body to manage these reserves and oversee the distribution of monetary benefits from marine genetic resources between developing and wealthy nations.

The Conference of the Parties will work alongside the International Seabed Authority to implement these goals. Despite the new legal structure, the treaty does not specify the methods for monitoring or enforcing conservation measures in remote ocean regions.