After being ratified by Sierra Leone and Morocco at the end of September, the High Seas Treaty reached the figure of 60 countries required to become international law. The agreement establishes a legal framework for extending environmental protection to international water (areas beyond the jurisdiction of any country) through the creation of marine protected areas and restrictions on overfishing and mining in the high seas. Brazil has not yet ratified the treaty, although it is among the 126 signatories. In September, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate approved a bill (PDL 653/2025) that incorporates the treaty into Brazilian law; the text is now awaiting presidential approval. Adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2023, the treaty is expected to enter into legal force in January, after nearly 20 years of diplomatic negotiations. The area known as the high seas begins 200 miles (321 kilometers) from the coast and is considered common heritage of humankind. Regulation of this vast area has long been considered insufficient (Inside Climate News, September 27, Nature, October 3).
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