NICE – On Monday, 18 nations approved the High Seas Treaty, bringing the total number of ratifications to 49, just 11 shy of the 60 required for the agreement to take effect. This increase in endorsements, which took place at the U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, France, is driving momentum toward potentially transforming how the international community manages the open ocean.

Here’s what the treaty is, why it matters and what happens next.

What is the High Seas Treaty

Known officially as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, the High Seas Treaty represents the first legally binding accord dedicated to safeguarding marine biodiversity in international waters. These areas, not governed by any single nation, comprise nearly two-thirds of the ocean and cover almost half of the Earth’s surface.

Until now, there has been no comprehensive legal framework to create marine protected areas or enforce conservation on the high seas.

Why is it needed

Despite their distant location, the high seas are increasingly threatened by overfishing, climate change, and the risk of deep-sea mining. Environmental advocates emphasize that without adequate protections, marine ecosystems in these waters could suffer irreversible damage.

“Until now, it has been the wild west on the high seas,” said Megan Randles, global political lead for oceans at Greenpeace. “Now we have a chance to properly put protections in place.”

The treaty is also essential to achieving the global “30×30” target — an international pledge to protect 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030.

How the treaty works

The treaty creates a legal process for countries to establish marine protected areas in the high seas, including rules for destructive activities like deep-sea mining and geo-engineering. It also establishes a framework for technology-sharing, funding mechanisms and scientific collaboration among countries.

Crucially, decisions under the treaty will be made multilaterally through conferences of parties (COPs) rather than by individual countries acting alone.

What happens when it reaches 60 ratifications

Once 60 countries ratify the treaty, a 120-day countdown begins before it officially enters into force. That would unlock the ability to begin designating protected areas in the high seas and put oversight mechanisms into motion.

As of Monday evening, 49 countries and the EU had ratified, meaning 11 more are needed to trigger that countdown.

What comes after ratification

The first Conference of the Parties (COP1) must take place within one year of the treaty’s entry into force. That meeting will lay the groundwork for implementation, including decisions on governance, financing and the creation of key bodies to evaluate marine protection proposals.

Environmental groups are pushing to surpass the required 60 ratifications, and to do so quickly – the more countries that ratify, the stronger and more representative the treaty’s implementation will be. There’s also a deadline: only countries that ratify by COP1 will be eligible to vote on critical decisions that determine how the treaty will operate.

“To reach 60 ratifications would be an absolutely enormous achievement, but for the treaty to be as effective as possible, we need countries from all over the world to engage in its implementation,” said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. “So the next step will be to go from 60 to global.”

The surge in support on Monday has raised hopes that 2025 could mark a turning point for high seas protection.

“We’re on the brink of making high seas history,” Hubbard said.

___

Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment