India Backs High Seas Treaty at UN Ocean Summit, Proposes 6-Point Conservation Plan

India is in the process of ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, or the High Seas Treaty, Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh shared at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) on June 11, reported HT.

“India has signed the BBNJ Agreement and is currently in the process of ratification. This step underscores our commitment to conserving marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction,” the minister said at the event in France’s Nice.

Formally known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, the High Seas Treaty is the first legally binding agreement meant for protecting marine biodiversity in international waters.

As cited by HT, India also proposed six strategic initiatives to conserve oceans, such as advancing marine research and science-based solutions for ocean policy and governance; expanding marine protected areas and supporting the BBNJ Agreement to preserve marine ecosystems; reducing marine pollution through effective wastewater management and the adoption of circular economy principles; enhancing coastal resilience by integrating ocean-based climate solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change; promoting environmentally friendly ocean renewable energy sources and empowering communities by incorporating indigenous knowledge; and integrating coastal communities into policy frameworks, to ensure inclusive and equitable ocean governance.

Deep Ocean Mission Push

He further added that recognising the importance of SDG-14, India has initiated several new initiatives, including the Deep Ocean Mission, a pilot project of Blue Economy.

“Marine pollution, particularly from plastic, remains a global challenge. Our efforts align with Ocean Action Panel 4, which focuses on preventing marine pollution from land-based sources. We have undertaken numerous awareness campaigns along the coast ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ — ‘A clean and safe sea’. This campaign aims to reduce the impact of marine debris on coastal biodiversity and inspires the community to adopt eco-friendly habits and become marine conservation advocates by engaging citizens across all age groups,” Singh added.

India also backed the ‘Nice Ocean Action Plan’, which focuses on actionable outcomes, innovative financing and inclusive partnerships to accelerate progress on SDG-14

So far, eighteen stories ratified the High Seas Treaty on June 10, bringing the total to 49- just 11 short of the 60 needed for the landmark ocean agreement to enter into force.

At the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, 18 countries formally ratified the agreement to protect the high seas.

According to Associated Press, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu,  Malta, Vietnam, Jamaica, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Fiji, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece and Jordan now join the 31 countries plus the European Union, which formally ratified the High Seas Treaty, officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Borders agreement (BBNJ), before the summit.