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The High Seas Treaty, formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ agreement), enters into force on January 17, 2026. The treaty establishes a legal framework to protect biodiversity and manage natural resources in the 'high seas'—ocean areas outside any single country's jurisdiction, which cover approximately half of the planet's surface.

This joint report from the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the committees' activities, membership updates, and recommendations ahead of the 33rd Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) in Asunción, Paraguay.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute provides a global progress update on 2,900 voluntary ocean action commitments and financial pledges from the Our Ocean Conference, focusing on the 2025–2026 period to improve accountability and transparency.