Environmental organisations and ocean conservation advocates in the United Kingdom have intensified calls on the UK government to complete parliamentary ratification of the High Seas Treaty ahead of the first Ocean Conference of Parties, or Ocean COP summit, expected later this year.

Although the UK was among the original signatories of the United Nations Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, the necessary legislation to ratify the treaty has yet to be approved and deposited with the United Nations.

The treaty, which entered into force on January seventeenth after reaching the threshold of ratification by at least sixty states, establishes the first legally binding framework for protecting marine biodiversity in international waters, enabling the creation of marine protected areas and setting obligations for sustainable use of ocean resources.

Critics of the delay — including a coalition of nearly twenty UK environmental charities — warn that failure to secure ratification through the UK Parliament at least thirty days before Ocean COP could jeopardise Britain’s ability to participate fully in the summit’s decision-making processes and diminish its influence on the governance of the high seas.

They pointed to the fact that more than eighty countries, including major maritime powers such as China, France and Brazil, have now ratified the agreement and will be positioned to shape its implementation and associated ocean governance forums.

Advocates argue that completing the ratification process promptly would demonstrate British leadership on global biodiversity and climate goals and reaffirm the country’s longstanding support for multilateral environmental action.

The UK government has reiterated its commitment to ratifying the treaty through the standard parliamentary process and highlighted ongoing progress in both houses of Parliament.

Legislation to enable ratification was introduced last year, and the bill is currently advancing toward further readings.

Supporters of swift action note that participating fully in the Ocean COP summit, where parties to the treaty will convene to establish rules and cooperating mechanisms for marine protected areas beyond national jurisdiction, would align with the UK’s broader commitments to protect thirty per cent of the world’s oceans by two thousand thirty as part of global biodiversity targets.

The coming weeks are seen as critical for securing parliamentary approval and ensuring that the United Kingdom does not miss a key moment in shaping the future of international ocean governance.