Vietnam presented its document of ratification for the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, at the ‘Special Treaty Event’ organized by the United Nations (UN) on Monday in Nice, France.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L, 4th, front row) and other delegates pose for a photo at the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), held from June 9 to 13, 2025, in Nice, France. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The event, aimed at promoting the signing and ratification of the High Seas Treaty, was held as part of the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), which opened the same day and will run until Friday.

This is the third treaty negotiated and signed within the framework of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, reaffirming the convention’s role as the overarching legal framework governing all ocean-related activities.

During the Special Treaty Event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son presented Vietnam’s ratification document to UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Elinor Jane Britt Hammarskjöld, officially confirming the Vietnamese government’s approval of the High Seas Treaty.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined global leaders at the event alongside representatives from 35 countries that have signed or deposited their instruments of ratification or approval of the treaty.

Vietnam was among the first nations to sign the treaty on the opening day in 2023 and swiftly completed its domestic procedures to become a party.

The presence of PM Chinh and a high-level delegation at the event underscores the Vietnamese government’s tangible support for the global vision of peaceful, prosperous, and sustainably managed oceans.

At UNOC 3, the international community expressed optimism that at least 60 countries would soon complete ratification, triggering the treaty’s entry into force within the year.

The treaty will enter into effect 120 days after the sixtieth instrument of ratification or approval has been deposited.

The BBNJ Agreement marks a historic milestone in international efforts to protect the marine environment and advance the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Areas beyond national jurisdiction cover over 60 percent of the ocean’s surface and are rich in biodiversity, including rare genetic resources that hold significant economic and scientific value, especially for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

(Source: Vinh Tho - Thanh Hien/Tuoi Tre News)