Germany ratifies treaty to protect the high seas
Berlin joins an international framework for biodiversity beyond national waters.
Germany has ratified the UN treaty on biodiversity on the high seas. Environment Minister Carsten Schneider deposited the instrument of ratification with the United Nations in New York.
The treaty is officially known as the BBNJ Agreement: Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction. It applies to marine areas beyond national jurisdiction, including large parts of the open ocean and the international seabed. Germany says ratification will enable it to make a stronger contribution to protecting ecosystems for which no owner or national manager is responsible.
Following Germany’s move, 94 parties had ratified the agreement, according to the German Environment Ministry, including China, several island states, many EU countries and the European Union. The UN Secretariat describes the treaty as a legally binding framework that entered into force on 17 January 2026.
The agreement regulates several areas. It provides a framework for the fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources, enables area-based protection measures and sets out procedures for environmental impact assessments. It also contains arrangements for capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology.
Ratification does not mean that new protected areas at sea have been designated immediately. Further decisions, scientific evidence and international cooperation are needed for that. The treaty does, however, provide a legal route for discussing and implementing such measures in areas beyond national borders.
According to Germany, the first meeting of the parties to the treaty, known as the Ozean-COP, is scheduled for January 2027 in New York. Countries will have to work there on procedures, financing, scientific assessment and how decisions are monitored.
The high seas are important for biodiversity, food supplies, shipping and the climate. The UN emphasises that roughly two-thirds of the ocean lies beyond national borders. At the same time, enforcement remains difficult: no single state governs the entire open ocean, and existing rules for fishing, shipping and mining must be coordinated.
Germany’s move is therefore primarily an institutional development. The treaty will not immediately change the state of the ocean, but it makes new forms of protection legally possible. Its success will depend on countries’ willingness to turn rules into concrete areas, assessments and oversight.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Germany has ratified the BBNJ Agreement.
- The agreement is legally binding on the parties and entered into force in January 2026.
- The treaty enables, among other things, protected areas and environmental impact assessments beyond national waters.
- Concrete implementation requires further international decisions.
Left
Arguments The high seas are a shared ecosystem that must not be left to commercial exploitation. Strong protection and fair access to knowledge and genetic resources are necessary.
Values Environmental justice, international solidarity and the protection of public goods.
Consequences Stronger protection may restrict economic activities, but prevents vulnerable countries and future generations from paying the price.
Centre
Arguments The agreement offers an institutional compromise: use of the ocean remains possible, but is subject to joint assessment and protection.
Values The international rule of law, practicality and a balance between use and conservation.
Consequences Gradual implementation may increase support, although there is a risk that procedures will become slow.
Right
Arguments Protection is important, but rules must not unnecessarily obstruct shipping, fishing, resource extraction and national economic interests. Decisions must be scientific and open to scrutiny.
Values Economic freedom, legal certainty and national responsibility.
Consequences Overly extensive protected zones could affect jobs and supplies; clear rules could instead provide investment certainty.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The treaty’s status and content have been confirmed by the UN and the German ministry. The article distinguishes between the existing legal effect and future implementation decisions.
- confirmed Germany deposited the instrument of ratification with the United Nations. — This is stated in the German ministerial announcement. source
- confirmed The BBNJ Agreement entered into force on 17 January 2026. — The official UN treaty page gives this date. source
- confirmed The treaty covers genetic resources, protected areas and environmental impact assessments, among other things. — These elements appear in the official UN explanation. source
- confirmed The first meeting of the parties to the treaty is scheduled for January 2027. — The German announcement names January 2027 in New York. source
Editor's note
Germany’s ratification, the treaty’s content and its entry into force have been confirmed. The German count of 94 parties comes from the ministry; the consequences for specific protected areas remain in the future.Sources
- Besserer Schutz für das größte Ökosystem der Welt: Deutschland tritt UN-Hochseeschutzabkommen bei — Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit
- BBNJ Agreement — United Nations
- Oceans and the Law of the Sea — United Nations
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „hoge zee”
- de Volkskrant — „hoge zee”
- NU.nl — „hoge zee”