Transmittal of the High Seas Treaty to the Senate

Today, President Biden transmitted the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas Treaty or BBNJ Agreement, to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification.

The high seas account for almost two-thirds of the global ocean. This Treaty protects high seas freedoms and promotes high seas scientific research and innovation, while establishing mechanisms for protecting high seas ecosystems. It also creates rules of the road which will incentivize companies to invest in research and development using high seas marine genetic resources.

The High Seas Treaty is the culmination of years of multilateral diplomacy to provide a long-awaited framework for international cooperation to conserve and sustainably use high seas marine biodiversity.

For more information, please visit the website of the Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. For press inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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