India, France say global ocean treaty should come into effect at earliest

India and France on Wednesday said the high seas treaty, a global pact for conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, should come into effect at the earliest. During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered India's support to France for the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC-3), to be held in Nice in June.

UNOC-3 is an important milestone in international efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, they said.

"France and India recognise the importance of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of Natural Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) as one of the pillars of inclusive and holistic international ocean governance," according to a joint statement.


Having already signed the treaty, both nations said it should come into effect at the earliest.

The "high seas", also called "international waters", refer to areas beyond any country's national waters, exclusive economic zone, and jurisdiction. No single country controls these waters, and all nations have the right to use them for navigation, fishing, research and other activities without interference.

Although the high seas cover more than 60 per cent of the ocean, only 1.2 per cent is currently protected.

Countries adopted the high seas treaty or BBNJ Agreement in June 2023 to safeguard marine life. The treaty opened for signatures on September 20, 2023, allowing countries to express their intent to ratify and formally accept the agreement.

The treaty will take effect once 60 countries sign and ratify it.

India and France also reaffirmed their commitment to jointly addressing environmental crises and challenges, including climate change, and promoting sustainable lifestyles.

Both Modi and Macron reiterated their commitment to the principles of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, which aims to reform the international financing system to help vulnerable countries eradicate poverty and protect the planet.

The Paris Pact for People and the Planet, established at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact hosted by Macron in June 2023, seeks to renew the global financial system and increase efforts to close the sustainable development goals (SDG) financing gap.

The two leaders also praised the launch of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation, which aims to support climate- and SDG-focused projects in third countries across the Indo-Pacific region.

At the invitation of the United Arab Emirates and India, France also joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, launched at the UN climate conference in Egypt in 2022, to strengthen conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems worldwide.