Parliament approves the BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty) for ratification

This Tuesday, in plenary session, the National Assembly unanimously approved the BBNJ Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

The diploma was presented to Parliament by the Minister of the Sea, Jorge Santos, who emphasised the importance of the so-called BBNJ agreement, also known as the Treaty of the High Seas, within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

During his speech, the Minister recalled that in 2023 the international community reached a historic agreement after almost two decades of negotiations. The BBNJ is considered an unprecedented milestone in the International Law of the Sea, recognising the oceans as the common heritage of humanity and establishing concrete measures for the equitable, inclusive and sustainable protection of biodiversity on the high seas.

“This is an unprecedented legal, scientific and environmental breakthrough in the International Law of the Sea,” he stressed, for whom the BBNJ Agreement responds to an urgent need to preserve the marine ecosystems located in the high seas and the so-called “Area”, regions that represent almost half of the planet's surface and are vital for climate balance, food security and the very resilience of marine life. The high seas are home to migratory species that are essential for Cape Verde's fisheries, and directly influence oceanographic phenomena that shape our coastal ecosystems.

Addressing the parliamentarians, the Minister for the Sea emphasised that the approval of this agreement for ratification by the President of the Republic is extremely important for Cape Verde, given that it is an island state, located in the middle of the Atlantic, whose identity, economy and security are deeply linked to the ocean, noting that Cape Verde's Exclusive Economic Zone is vast, rich in biodiversity and resources, but also vulnerable to unregulated exploitation, climate change and marine pollution.

With the ratification of the Agreement, Cape Verde will be able to actively participate in multilateral decisions on marine conservation in areas beyond its jurisdiction, strengthening its role in the protection of marine habitats and the sustainable use of marine genetic resources.

The BBNJ Agreement is based on four fundamental pillars, namely the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from marine genetic resources; the creation of zones

marine protected areas and other management instruments by area; mandatory environmental impact assessments; and capacity building and the transfer of marine technology.

Cape Verde will be able to derive concrete benefits from this agreement, namely through access to financial and technological resources, which will enable the genetic mapping of species associated with sensitive ecosystems, such as seamounts and other areas of high ecological and scientific value. The data collected during oceanographic campaigns carried out by the OceanXplorer and METEOR vessels, with the participation of Cape Verdean scientists, could be part of the international benefit-sharing system provided for in the Agreement.

For the Minister of the Sea, the approval of this instrument reaffirms Cape Verde's commitment to inclusive, modern and responsible global ocean governance, allowing the country to take an active role in defining international policies on marine biodiversity. Cape Verde will now be represented at the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies, contributing its vision as a resilient island nation committed to sustainable international cooperation.

After approval by the National Assembly, the Agreement now goes to the President of the Republic for ratification, marking another significant step towards consolidating Cape Verde's role as an active partner in protecting the oceans at a global level.

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