Malta to ratify high seas treaty at upcoming UN ocean conference in Nice

Malta has confirmed it will be among the countries ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty—also known as the High Seas Treaty—next month.

The ratification will happen at the third UN Ocean Conference that is taking place in Nice, France.

The High Seas Treaty addresses a long-standing gap in ocean protection by providing a legal framework for conserving and sustainably using marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. It introduces mechanisms to establish marine protected areas, conduct environmental impact assessments on the high seas, and promote equitable sharing of marine genetic resources—seen as vital to achieving the global target of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

The treaty will enter into force once 60 countries ratify it—a milestone expected to be achieved ahead of the Nice conference. To date, seven countries have ratified the treaty, with 89 having signed it.

Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg announced Malta’s commitment during a high-level seminar on the subject organised by the foreign ministry, the French embassy in Malta and the Maltese French Chamber of Commerce (MFCC).

“It is time to change course,” Borg said in his keynote address. He emphasised that the ocean is a common good for humanity and essential to Europe’s sustainable, secure, and competitive future.

He added: “There will be no green shift, no Paris goals achieved, and no zero-emission society if we fail to focus on knowledge and science. We must be the generation that chose to act.”

MFCC President Joseph Bugeja highlighted the Mediterranean’s mounting environmental pressures and the need for greater science-policy cooperation.

He noted that surface temperatures have risen 1.4°C since 1982—almost twice the global ocean average—causing shifts in fish stocks and coral die-offs.

(From left) Christopher Cutajar, permanent secretary at the foreign ministry, French ambassador to Malta Sandrine Lelong-Motta, and Joseph Bugeja, president of the Maltese French Chamber of Commerce

Bugeja said in 2024, at least 730 marine litter items per sq.km were recorded off the coasts, the highest density ever logged by EMODnet. Yet, he added, the blue economy generates €590 billion and supports 4.8 million jobs across the EU, with France and Malta contributing a combined €46 billion.

“These numbers remind us that prosperity and vulnerability travel the same currents,” Bugeja said.

French Ambassador to Malta Sandrine Lelong-Motta spoke of the shared maritime heritage between France and Malta and the ocean’s dual role as a source of livelihood and geopolitical concern.

“From tourism to shipping, from fisheries to maritime innovation, the sea offers extraordinary opportunities. Yet we are all acutely aware of its fragility. It is important that we balance exploration with precaution and build a sustainable blue economy driven by innovation, resilience, and the ecological transition,” she said.