Nations ratify the world's first treaty to protect international waters

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Morocco’s ratification makes it the 60th nation to sign the High Seas Treaty, triggering the world’s first legal framework protecting international waters.

The treaty covers nearly two-thirds of the ocean, but major powers including China, Russia and Japan have yet to ratify the agreement.

SEATTLE — A major agreement to protect marine diversity in the high seas was struck Friday when Morocco became the 60th nation to sign on, paving the way for the treaty to take effect next year.

The High Seas Treaty is the first legal framework aimed at protecting biodiversity in international waters, those that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country. International waters account fo