Oceans and the Law of the Sea

Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface and contain 97 percent of the world’s water. Humans have long embarked upon the oceans for trade, exploration, migration, and to find food. In the twentieth century, concerns over maritime drilling, depletion of fishing stocks and ocean pollution grew into the need to codify rules for the use of seas and ocean resources. This culminated in the adoption in 1982 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, one of the most comprehensive instruments of international law. But with a new appreciation for the complexity of life below water, a new consensus emerged that more action was required for sustainable use of oceans. In 2023 the “high seas” treaty was adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The treaty aims to care for and ensure the responsible use of the marine environment, maintain the integrity of ocean ecosystems, and conserve the inherent value of marine biological diversity.