One step closer to bringing the High Seas Treaty to life

At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, IUCN is taking part in key discussions regarding the operationalization of the High Seas Treaty. The first PrepCom session focuses on several agenda items, including governance issues, the Clearing-House Mechanism, and financial resources. Building on previous sessions and inter-sessional work, the aim of the conference is to set the stage for the eventual convening of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement.  

IUCN’s engagement at PrepCom1 aims to support and inform the early operationalization of the BBNJ Agreement, with particular attention to the scientific and technical body, the development of the Clearing-House Mechanism, and the effective sequencing of work across the four pillars of the Agreement.  

Guided by its members through Resolution 7.128 (Acting for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in the ocean beyond national jurisdiction), IUCN’s primary objective is to contribute to an ambitious and effective implementation framework that ensures the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.  

In a year where the ocean is at the centre of the international policy agenda, with the third UN Ocean Conference coming up in June and the revision of SDG14, IUCN calls on all UN Member States to swiftly ratify the BBNJ agreement and take a historic step towards the protection of our one global Ocean.