Space Industry and Business News
WATER WORLD
EU and six member states ratify UN treaty on high seas
EU and six member states ratify UN treaty on high seas
by AFP Staff Writers
United Nations, United States (AFP) May 28, 2025

The European Union and six of its member states ratified the treaty to protect the high seas Wednesday, bringing it closer but still far short of the number needed for it to come into force.

Ratification of the treaty's text -- first adopted in June 2023 after years of negotiations -- was a "historic step towards protecting the world's oceans and preserving the delicate balance of our planet's ecosystem," said Costas Kadis, the EU oceans commissioner.

He called on all countries to follow suit.

Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia along with the EU submitted their instruments of ratification to the United Nations, the European mission to the UN said in a statement.

France and Spain had already done so earlier this year.

That brings the number of ratifications to 29 -- still far short of the 60 required for the treaty to enter into force.

The NGO coalition High Seas Alliance hailed the ratifications as a "major step forward."

But treaty supporters "need to up the political pressure to reach 60 ratifications," director Rebecca Hubbard said in a statement.

France is hosting a UN conference on the oceans June 9-13 in Nice, and its "number one" priority is to obtain the ratifications needed, Jerome Bonnafont, the French ambassador to the United Nations, said this week.

A ceremony is scheduled for June 9 in Nice in a bid to approach that threshold.

The landmark treaty aims to protect marine ecosystems vital to humanity, threatened by multiple forms of pollution, in international waters covering almost half the planet.

In particular, it provides for the creation of marine protected areas where certain activities could be restricted.

This could include fishing or mining, which also depend on other international organizations.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WATER WORLD
Ocean darkening has increased across over 20% of Earth's seas
London, UK (SPX) May 28, 2025
More than 75 million square kilometers of the global ocean have experienced a significant decline in light penetration over the past two decades, according to research led by the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. This widespread phenomenon, known as ocean darkening, is impacting both coastal and open waters. Ocean darkening involves a reduction in the photic zone-the sunlit layer of the sea that supports 90% of marine life. Using satellite observations and numerical modeling, ... read more

WATER WORLD
Gold and precious metals traced to Earth's core in Hawaiian lava

Glasgow Lab to Test Space-Bound 3D-Printed Materials for Safety

Copper supply strains could hinder both global development and green energy goals

World first 3D printed soft robots walk off the printer fully formed

WATER WORLD
Skynet 6A military satellite advances with successful module integration

Enveil Secures DIU Contract to Advance Hybrid Space Architecture Data Capabilities

Retired four-star US admiral convicted on corruption charges

Space Laser Communication Terminal Prototypes Enter Phase 2 for Advanced On-Orbit Crosslink Compatibility

WATER WORLD
WATER WORLD
Satellites Enhance Navigation Safety on the Mersey with Cutting-Edge Tidal Mapping

Sierra Space Reaches Key Milestone in Space Force R-GPS Program

Children as young as five can navigate a 'tiny town'

Digging Gets Smarter with Trimble's Siteworks Upgrade for Excavators

WATER WORLD
FAMU-FSU researchers design cryogenic hydrogen storage and delivery system for next-generation aircraft

Australian chopper crash caused by pilot disorientation: report

Chinese weapons get rare battle test in India-Pakistan fighting

Crew killed in Egyptian military training jet crash

WATER WORLD
Quantum sensing reveals energy loss patterns in soft magnetic materials

A faster, more reliable method for simulating the plasmas used to make computer chips

Xiaomi launches new advanced in-house mobile chip

China slams US 'bullying' over new warnings on Huawei chips

WATER WORLD
Nanchang satellite drives environmental protection and low altitude innovation

Rocket Lab Completes Third Successful iQPS Mission with More Launches Scheduled for 2025

Microsoft AI weather forecast faster, cheaper, truer: study

From GPS to weather forecasts: the hidden ways Australia relies on foreign satellites

WATER WORLD
India races to contain oil spill after container ship sinks

UK lab promises air-con revolution without polluting gases

Polar bear biopsies to shed light on Arctic pollutants

The US towns that took on 'forever chemical' giants -- and won

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.