Svitlana Grynchuk: Ukraine supports the High Seas Treaty and is finalising legal procedures to join this international mechanism

The third United Nations Ocean Conference is currently underway in Nice, with representatives from over 120 countries, including Ukraine, participating. One of the main objectives of the event is to ensure the swift entry into force of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas Treaty.

As noted by Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Grynchuk, on her Facebook page, this Agreement is the third implementing agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Adopted in 2023, the High Seas Treaty aims to protect ocean ecosystems and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources in international waters. For the Agreement to enter into force, it must be ratified by over 60 countries. The deadline for countries to sign the Agreement is 20 September 2025. However, 50 countries had already submitted ratification documents just hours before the UN Conference opened in Nice, with 15 additional countries formally committing to join. Signatories include all EU member states, the United States, Canada, China, and India. Predictably, the aggressor country does not support the Agreement.

What is the High Seas Treaty about?

“This is the world’s first international document that unites countries’ efforts and establishes legal mechanisms to protect biodiversity and ecosystems across two-thirds of the world’s oceans, or half of the Earth’s surface. The Agreement provides for the creation of marine protected areas, the implementation of environmental impact assessment mechanisms for activities in the global ocean, regulation of equitable access to ocean genetic resources, and the development and sharing of relevant technologies and knowledge in scientific research,” Svitlana Grynchuk emphasised.

Why is participation in the Agreement important for Ukraine, despite lacking direct ocean access? The Minister outlined several key reasons:

• The Agreement serves as an additional tool to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, while fulfilling Ukraine’s prior international commitments, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (which includes the goal of protecting 30% of land and oceans by 2030) and the Paris Agreement in relation to Blue Carbon discussions.
• It reinforces Ukraine’s pro-European stance.
• It provides an opportunity to participate in and influence international decisions regarding marine biodiversity and to counter russia’s interests and ambitions, as russia currently opposes the Agreement.
• It draws global attention to the negative environmental impact of russia’s actions in Crimea and the Black Sea.
• It offers Ukraine opportunities to develop its scientific potential and provides additional benefits for industries such as chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

“The civilised world today is united in recognising that the state of marine ecosystems, climate stability, and food security are interconnected. Ukraine is not only part of this conscious international community but a fully-fledged participant. Therefore, work on joining this new international mechanism for biodiversity protection continues,” Svitlana Grynchuk wrote.