BBNJ Treaty Nears Historic Entry Into Force as UN Ocean Conference Closes in Nice

The Third UN Ocean Conference wrapped its closing plenary with a burst of multilateral momentum: a landmark declaration adopted by consensus, a high seas biodiversity treaty now just 10 ratifications from entering into force, and a pair of new co-hosts — Chile and the Republic of Korea — confirmed for the next conference in 2028. But the session also exposed fault lines, with Russia formally rejecting a key provision on the treaty and Panama delivering a pointed critique of the conference's ambition on deep-sea mining, plastic pollution, and civil society access.

• BBNJ high seas treaty reaches 51 ratifications after 19 treaty actions in Nice — only 10 more needed to enter into force
• Conference adopts "Our Ocean, Our Future, United for Urgent Action" declaration by consensus; Russia distances itself from BBNJ provision
• Chile and the Republic of Korea to co-host UNOC4 in 2028, the last ocean conference before the 2030 SDG deadline
• 37 countries now back a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, up sharply from previous conferences
• 96 countries sign NICE Action Call on ocean pollution; plastic treaty negotiations resume in August in Geneva
• $100 billion, 10-year fund pledge for least developed and developing countries alongside maritime decarbonization commitments
• Panama pushes for stronger action on deep-sea mining, underwater noise, plastic production, and civil society access