*Originally published in 2025 and preserved as part of our archive project.Get E-International Relations delivered directly to your inbox, free of charge. As you sign up, consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our work.

Questions about who controls the high seas have always been a key concern in global governance. From the days of the Roman Empire when it was declared that the oceans were common to all humankind, to the early days of colonial naval dominance which was met by challenges from the likes of Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts in the Golden Age of Piracy, to todays complex system of Exclusive Economic Zones beyond which point the high seas are governed communally under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, efforts to have an international agreement exclusively focused on conserving the high seas as a natural environment rather than as a resource to be exploited, have been lacking. That’s why environmental activists were recently triumphant when the High Seas Treaty (the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction), received its 60th ratification by Morocco meaning it will now take effect from January. This is a landmark moment due to its potential to improve the conservation of marine ecosystems and reverse damage to ocean life. It can also set a wider precedent for the governance of globally important ecosystems worldwide and finally demonstrates that the UN still has power and relevance in the global policy space, especially when it comes to the worlds communally governed spaces.

To focus firstly on the impact on marine ecosystems, this treaty has set a new and much needed benchmark for........

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