Environmental campaigners have issued a stark warning that the United Kingdom faces being excluded from a pivotal global oceans summit because of parliamentary delays in formally ratifying a landmark United Nations treaty.
Parliamentary Progress at a 'Glacial Pace'
The UN High Seas Treaty, officially titled the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, officially enters into force this Saturday. This moment follows two decades of complex international negotiations.
However, while the UK government has signed the agreement, the crucial domestic legislation required to ratify it—the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill—is moving through Parliament at what critics call a "glacial pace." Introduced in September last year, the bill must still complete its parliamentary stages and be formally deposited with the UN.
In a strongly-worded letter to the Foreign Secretary, leaders from 18 UK environmental charities have condemned the slow progress. "Disappointingly, while the world celebrates, the UK is still not among the 81 countries that have signed the treaty into law," the letter states, noting that nations including China, France, Japan, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil have already done so.
Race Against the Clock for Ocean Cop
The campaigners are urging the government to fast-track the bill to ensure the UK can participate in the first-ever Conference of the Parties (COP) under the new treaty, known as Ocean Cop, which is anticipated to be held as early as August this year.
"We urge the government to complete it at least 30 days before the first Ocean Cop... in order to guarantee the UK’s attendance there," the letter insists. "It would be a failure of leadership to miss it." The bill is scheduled for its third reading in the House of Lords on Monday.
A Turning Point for Global Ocean Protection
The high seas, which cover nearly half the planet's surface, have historically existed in a legal grey area, lying beyond any single nation's jurisdiction and lacking a framework to protect their rich biodiversity.
Dr Lance Morgan, Chief Executive of the Marine Conservation Institute, hailed the treaty's activation: "The entry into force of the high seas treaty marks a long-awaited turning point for ocean governance... Now, the global community has both the mandate and the responsibility to act." The pact establishes, for the first time, mechanisms to create marine protected areas in international waters and sets clear rules for sustainable use of ocean resources.
To mark this historic moment, a vibrant new mural will be unveiled this weekend in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. The artwork, painted on the seafront Bathing Hut cafe and measuring twice the length of a double-decker bus, is part of a global Greenpeace campaign involving artists, Indigenous communities, and activists across 13 countries.
When contacted for comment, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: "The UK government is committed to make this into law, using the standard democratic parliamentary process. This treaty was signed under the last government and this government is committed to ratifying this quickly."
