Finally – Switzerland to Sign the UN High Seas Treaty
- The Swiss Federal Council decided in today’s meeting to sign the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ-Agreement) and submit it to Parliament for ratification.
- With this decision, Switzerland joins over 100 countries that have already signed the Agreement.
- OceanCare welcomes this step and expects swift ratification by Switzerland so that the Agreement adopted by the UN in June 2023 can enter into force.
After almost two decades of intensive negotiations, governments agreed on March 4, 2023, on the text of the High Seas Treaty – a breakthrough in marine protection and a significant success for multilateralism. On September 20, 2023, the Agreement (also known as the BBNJ Agreement) was opened for signature during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. A total of 106 countries have already signed, and 15 countries have ratified it so far. The Agreement will enter into force once 60 countries have ratified it.
Fabienne McLellan, Managing Director of OceanCare, explained:
“The Swiss government’s decision to sign the BBNJ Agreement and to initiate the ratification process is a step long overdue. We have no time to lose in protecting the high seas – now it’s important that Switzerland moves quickly towards ratification.”
By agreeing to sign the Agreement, Switzerland commits to an active role in international marine and climate protection in accordance with its Maritime Strategy from June 2023. The signature itself is only a declaration of intent to initiate the national ratification process and signals willingness to eventually be bound by the provisions of the Agreement.
The Agreement provides for, among other things, the introduction of robust environmental impact assessments for human activities on the high seas, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas in international waters, and the regulation of the use of marine genetic resources. It is therefore an important contribution to the protection and preservation of the Ocean and its ecosystems.
Johannes Müller, Ocean Policy Expert at OceanCare, added:
“Switzerland has been an important and constructive voice during the negotiations, contributing to the development of the Agreement. We now hope that ratification will follow swiftly, and that Switzerland will actively participate in the work of the Preparatory Commission to ensure its entry into force.”
The Ocean is our greatest ally in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis. Besides being crucial for our survival, oxygen production, and climate regulation, it is also a great repository of biological diversity. Today however, the high seas are threatened more than ever before – for example through marine pollution from underwater noise or plastic, as well as through the impacts of climate change.
Publications
- Press Release Swiss Federal Council (15/01/2025): Erhaltung der Biodiversität in der Hochsee: Bundesrat stimmt Abkommen zu
- OceanCare (05/03/2023): High Seas Treaty: New Treaty agreed to protect half the planet but formal adoption still required