High Seas Treaty: Ambassador Olivier Poivre d'Arvor warns against "a form of laziness"

The climate is not looking good. Neither for ocean protection in general, nor for the international BBNJ Treaty, which aims to protect the high seas and marine biodiversity.

France's special envoy to the United Nations Ocean Conference, Ambassador Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, wanted to "sound the alarm, because states are being asked . National parliaments are finding good reasons not to ratify this BBNJ treaty in time." More directly, he castigates "a form of laziness," a lack of awareness, while 115 states signed the text in 2023. "Without ratification, no ocean governance is possible."

The countdown has clearly begun, with a window of opportunity at the Ocean Summit (UNOC 3), the target of all French negotiations. But we are far from the goal.

Only 21 countries have ratified the text, or are about to do so, while the signature of a minimum of 60 states is necessary for its entry into force. "We insist a lot on the fact that 21 ratifications is too few," continues Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, who regrets that some "are leaving a historic treaty in a drawer."

Pollution, illegal fishing... in 60% of the world's oceans

Throughout the UNOC, "an office will allow States to deposit their instruments of ratification, so we can count them directly." If the Nice agreement fails, France could ask the United Nations for "a special mission to [continue to seek] to obtain all 60 ratifications before the end of 2025."

In essence, the Treaty concerns the high seas, i.e. 60% of the ocean surface. In international waters, the pressure of human activities is increasing: pollution, fishing, including "a large part of illegal fishing and overfishing" , but also exploitation of the seabed.

Suddenly less diplomatic, the ambassador points out that "the United States, for its part, is quite active since, in international waters, it has a point of view which consists of launching into a completely illegal framework, for the exploitation of the deep seabed." France is arguing in favor of a moratorium on the subject, just as it has signed and ratified the Treaty on the High Seas.

Its implementation would mark "the founding act of a credible oceanic multilateralism" . And otherwise, "the sign of a major failure of blue diplomacy" .