For more than fifteen years, nations have pushed for a sweeping global agreement to safeguard the oceans. Yet reaching a single, unanimous commitment on a resource that belongs to everyone has remained elusive. This week, United Nations members gather to reopen the conversation with a clear objective: sign a durable pact that would stand as the first comprehensive ocean treaty on par with the Paris Agreement for the seas. The last three attempts to close the deal have faltered, and worries persist about competing interests that could derail progress or spark a rush for offshore resources.
These are the essential insights into the negotiations around the global ocean treaty and the main hurdles that have slowed a final signing thus far.
ocean protection
The push to shield the oceans has been on the international agenda for decades. In 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea declared the seabed and ocean floor a heritage of humanity, launching the first major effort to protect these ecosystems. In 2018 talks began to craft the world’s first global ocean agreement. The goal was a final pact by 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and sharp state disagreements delayed progress. Today, 168 United Nations members are set to meet from February 27 to March 3 to restart the discussion.
Canada, the United States, and other coastal states are watching closely as negotiations resume, weighing how a treaty might balance conservation with sustainable use and economic needs. The central question is how to align broad environmental aims with real-world maritime activities that touch fisheries, shipping, and energy.
offshore law
The core debate about a treaty centers on rules for human activity in the high seas, areas beyond any national jurisdiction. More than two thirds of the oceans, about 11 million square kilometers, fall into this zone. Since no country can impose its laws there, international cooperation mechanisms become the only viable way to govern their use. Experts and organizations advocate a strong, ambitious, and legally binding agreement that aims to protect 30 percent of the oceans by 2030.
Readers in Canada and the United States may notice that enforcement, monitoring, and dispute resolution will shape practical outcomes for fisheries management, seabed mining, and transit routes. The treaty’s success hinges on its ability to translate high ambitions into clear, verifiable standards that can be implemented across diverse legal systems and coastlines.
protected areas
The conservation effort remains uneven, with roughly only 10 percent of the world’s marine spaces protected. Most protections are along coastlines, and within the high seas just 1.4 percent enjoys protections. At the December 2022 Montreal summit, a global pledge emerged to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030, extending into marine environments. Expanding protected regions requires drawing a new global map of marine reserves and imposing restrictions on activities such as fishing, vessel traffic, and resource extraction. Not every nation is on board with these limits, but many see protected areas as essential to sustaining biodiversity and resilient fisheries.
genetic resources
Disputes often stall negotiations on genetic resources. Off the coast, exploration uncovers new species, microorganisms, and compounds used in cosmetics, medicines, and other industries. Some discoveries contribute to major treatments, including early COVID-19 therapies derived from oceanic organisms. The central questions are who owns these resources and who profits from their exploitation. Ownership and benefit sharing remain unresolved, complicating a path toward a comprehensive agreement.
The Oceans Treaty is expected to address this topic, currently in a jurisdictional gray zone. Some nations want profits from such discoveries to stay with the countries supporting exploration, while others advocate for broader distribution. The final pact will need to tackle who profits and how, but the exact mechanism remains uncertain.
environmental considerations
The treaty also prioritizes protecting marine ecosystems from climate-related impacts. Estimates indicate more than 45,000 marine species face threats from pollution, rising temperatures, and ocean acidification caused by human activity. The agreement aims to establish a mechanism for evaluating environmental impact and to specify who conducts studies, how they are carried out, and when, so steps can be taken to minimize harm from human activities in international waters.
The focus is on creating practical safeguards that align with the needs of coastal economies, indigenous communities, and major maritime industries across North America. A transparent framework for monitoring, reporting, and adaptive management will matter most as science evolves and new maritime challenges appear. The goal is to ensure sustainable use while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems for future generations.
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