High Seas Biodiversity Treaty

Overview

A new high seas biodiversity treaty was adopted by the United Nations on 19 June 2023. The treaty establishes a regime to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity in the high seas. The treaty addresses four main topics:

1. Marine genetic resources: The treaty regulates the use of marine organisms collected in the high seas.
2. Area­-based management tools: The treaty creates a framework to establish area-based management tools in the high seas, such as marine protected areas, to protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystems.
3. Environmental impact assessments: The treaty puts in place an environmental impact assessment process to avoid or reduce impacts on the marine environment from activities in the high seas.

4. Capacity building: The treaty requires Parties to provide capacity building and transfer marine technology to developing States.

The treaty aims to support cooperation with existing international bodies including regional fisheries management organisations, the International Maritime Organization and the International Seabed Authority. It would be applied in a way that respects the mandate of those other organisations.

We are seeking your views on whether Australia should ratify this treaty and what impact this would have.

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The high seas biodiversity treaty, also called the “Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction”