In a milestone for ocean governance and conservation, the High Seas Treaty has cleared the final hurdle to become international law, which for the first time provides a legal pathway towards protecting vast areas of the global ocean beyond countries’ national jurisdictions.

Last week, Sierra Leone and Morocco ratified the treaty—formally known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (or BBNJ Agreement )—signaling their commitment to abide by its terms. Their actions, along with those of dozens of other nations, have pushed the pact past the 60-country threshold required to become a legally binding instrument, which will go into effect in January.

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