The international community is preparing for the Nice Conference in a scenario marked by the slow ratification of the High Seas Treaty, ocean protection, and the debate on deep-sea mining.
The future of global marine biodiversity is at a turning point. While the international community turns its attention to the upcoming United Nations Conference on the Oceans to be held in Nice, France, in June 2025, the year 2026 emerges as the definitive deadline to transform diplomatic promises into binding actions.
However, the gap between conservation aspirations and the current political reality raises doubts about the short-term effectiveness of ocean protection.
The challenge of ratifying the High Seas Treaty
One of the fundamental pillars for the health of the marine ecosystem is the Biodiversity Agreement beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), commonly known as the High Seas Treaty.
Although its adoption in 2023 was celebrated as a historic milestone, its actual implementation depends on at least 60 nations formally ratifying it.
To date, the pace of adherence is worryingly slow. Experts warn that if this number is not reached before the meeting in Nice, the goal of protecting 30% of international waters by 2030 (the “30×30” target) will become practically unattainable. The process requires unprecedented political momentum during 2025 for the treaty to fully come into force in 2026.
Deep-sea mining and the future of ocean floors
In parallel, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) faces increasing pressure at its negotiation headquarters in Jamaica. The debate centers on the possible opening of the marine abysses to industrial mining.
While a bloc of countries and companies advocates for the extraction of critical minerals for the energy transition, a growing group of nations and environmental organizations demand a preventive moratorium.
The year 2026 will be decisive in determining whether extractive regulations are established or if the precautionary principle prevails to avoid irreversible damage to ecosystems that have not yet been fully explored by science.
Plastics and pollution: The final frontier
Another open front is the creation of a legally binding global treaty to curb plastic pollution. The negotiations, which have advanced amid tensions over the interests of the petrochemical industry and sustainability demands, seek to establish a control framework that encompasses the entire life cycle of plastic.
The final agreements reached at the end of 2024 and during 2025 are expected to lay the foundations for a new ocean protection regulation that will be operational from 2026.
In conclusion, the road to Nice is not just a protocol event but a race against time to consolidate the legal security of international waters. The effectiveness of ocean governance in the next decade will depend on the political and legal decisions crystallized in this critical period.
