Malta has confirmed it will ratify the High Seas Treaty at the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice next month, joining global efforts to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ian Borg during a high-level seminar held in Malta on Thursday, themed “Towards the Third UN Ocean Conference: Policy, Science & Blue Economy – A Common Ambition for Malta and France.” The event was jointly organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the French Embassy in Malta, and the Maltese French Chamber of Commerce (MFCC).
“It is time to change course,” Borg said. “The ocean is a common good for humanity and essential to Europe’s sustainable, secure, and competitive future… We must be the generation that chose to act.”
The High Seas Treaty, formally called the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, seeks to fill a major gap in ocean protection. It establishes a legal framework to create marine protected areas, assess environmental impacts of high seas activities, and ensure equitable sharing of marine genetic resources. The treaty will come into force once 60 countries ratify it—so far, seven have ratified and 89 have signed.
Malta is currently finalising its ratification process, said Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry. “This reaffirms our commitment to being an active player in ocean governance,” he said, noting Malta’s 1967 UN initiative that recognised ocean resources beyond national borders as the “common heritage of mankind.”
MFCC President Joseph Bugeja highlighted the Mediterranean’s growing vulnerability, with sea surface temperatures rising 1.4°C since 1982, nearly double the global ocean average. He cited an “unprecedented” density of 730 marine litter items per km² in 2024, according to EMODnet data.
Yet the blue economy offers opportunity. “It already generates €590 billion and supports 4.8 million jobs across the EU, with France and Malta contributing a combined €46 billion,” Bugeja said.
French Ambassador Sandrine Lelong-Motta described the ocean as both an economic resource and a geopolitical concern. “We must balance exploration with precaution and build a sustainable blue economy driven by innovation, resilience, and the ecological transition,” she said.
The seminar also showcased initiatives such as Malta’s €25 million Blue Med Sustainable Ports project, aimed at cutting CO₂ emissions at berth, and France’s Offshore Wind Roadmap 2035, targeting 18GW of capacity—enough to power all Mediterranean coastal cities in both countries.
France’s Ambassador for the Oceans, Oliver Poivre d’Arvor, warned that Mediterranean climate change was accelerating: “In 15 to 20 years, tourists will stop coming in summer due to extreme heat.” He also criticised the United States for not committing to the treaty.
The Nice conference is expected to be a key moment for global ocean governance, with Malta positioning itself as a vocal advocate for sustainable marine policy and action.