We are calling on the Philippine government, and other nations, to take bold and visionary action to protect our shared ocean for present and future generations.

We petition the Philippine government to propose the Asia High Seas (aka South China Sea) as the Asia Marine Peace Park, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty).

Legal Foundation

The BBNJ Treaty entered into force on 17 January 2026, establishing the first legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in the two-thirds of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction.

Articles 18-21 of the BBNJ Treaty provide State Parties with the authority to propose MPAs in the high seas through Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs). These create enforceable conservation zones that protect critical ecosystems, spawning grounds, and endangered species.

The Philippines, as a State Party to both the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the BBNJ Treaty, has the legal standing and international duty to propose ABMTs in the high seas.

Ecological Imperative

The Asia High Seas encompass some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth:

• The Coral Triangle, hosting 76% of all known coral species and supporting the livelihoods of over 100 million people across Southeast Asia;
• Critical spawning grounds for tuna, mackerel, sardines, and other commercially important species that sustain regional food security;
• Migration routes for endangered marine megafauna including whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks;
• Deep-sea ecosystems vital to global climate regulation as ocean waters absorb 30% of global CO2 emissions and produce 50% of the oxygen we breathe.

Without protection, these waters face accelerating threats from overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, plastic pollution, climate change, and potential deep-sea mining.

The BBNJ Treaty is the primary legal mechanism to achieve the global commitment to protect 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 (the "30x30" target reaffirmed in UNGA Resolution A/RES/80/110). Without MPAs in the high seas, this target is unattainable.

Diplomatic Opportunity

For decades, the Asia High Seas has been framed as a site of territorial conflict. This initiative reframes it as a site of shared stewardship and regional cooperation.

By proposing the Asia Marine Peace Park, the Philippines demonstrates that science-based ocean conservation can transcend sovereignty disputes. Regional cooperation for environmental protection benefits all nations equally.

Peace Parks are protected areas established across international boundaries to promote cooperation, and have successfully de-escalated tensions worldwide:

• Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (USA-Canada, 1932)
• Red Sea Marine Peace Park (Jordan-Israel, 1994)
• Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (South Africa-Mozambique-Zimbabwe, 2002)

The Asia Marine Peace Park builds on this precedent. It offers a model of environmental diplomacy for the ocean decade. The Southeast Asian region can lead the world in proving that even in contested waters, cooperation is possible when we center what unites us: our dependence on a living ocean.

This initiative will be a living legacy. While holding positions of passing power, we can protect the ocean for generations yet unborn who have the right to inherit a thriving planet.

Petitionary Request

We respectfully request the Philippine Government:

1. Formally endorse the establishment of Marine Reservations for Future Generations as a national policy priority in line with foreign policy commitments under the BBNJ Treaty, UNCLOS, and the 30x30 ocean protection target;
2. Initiate preparation of a comprehensive BBNJ Marine Protected Area proposal for the Asia High Seas using the BBNJ framework, such as but not limited to:
   1. Scientific assessments of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and conservation priorities;
   2. Legal analysis defining geographic boundaries based on the 2016 Arbitral Award and international law;
   3. Stakeholder consultations with fisherfolk communities, scientists, civil society, and ASEAN neighbors;
   4. Management and enforcement frameworks ensuring long-term MPA effectiveness.
3.  Establish a multi-stakeholder taskforce with relevant government agencies, scientists, legal experts, youth representatives, and coastal community advocates to guide proposal development and ensure inclusive, transparent processes;
4. Engage partners at the regional level through ASEAN mechanisms and bilateral diplomacy to build a united ASEAN bloc and co-sponsorship for the Asia Marine Peace Park proposal;
5. Submit a proposal to the Conference of the Parties of the BBNJ Treaty at the earliest opportunity.

Movement Beyond the Petition

This petition represents a growing movement of Filipino SEA-Tizens (Sea and Earth Allies), ASEAN youth, marine scientists, legal experts, fisherfolk communities, and concerned global citizens who believe we do not have to own the ocean to protect it.

The Asia High Seas belong to no one, and everyone. They belong to the future.