We are calling on governments worldwide to take bold and visionary action to protect our shared ocean for present and future generations.

We petition the State Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty) to propose Marine Reservations for Future Generations in the Asia-Pacific high seas. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) secure the ocean's life-support systems for all who depend on them, now, and in the generations to come.

 

Legal Foundation

The BBNJ Treaty entered into force on January 17, 2026. It established 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.

Every government that has ratified this treaty now has the legal standing and international duty to propose MPAs in the high seas.

 

Ecological Imperative

The ocean's ecosystems need to be conserved across borders and territorial seas as a global resource that nations are obliged to protect. Our oceans are interconnected as one global ocean, linked by the Earth's circulation system. 

The Asia-Pacific 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.

The impacts of climate change threaten our life-support systems provided by Earth's oceans. It has been 15 years since the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that climate impacts jeopardize the wellbeing of humans and all life. Only 10% of the Earth's oceans have conservation and legal protection measures.

Without protection, these waters face accelerating threats from overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, plastic pollution, ocean acidification, 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, parts of the Asia-Pacific high seas have been framed as sites of territorial conflict. This initiative reframes them as sites of shared stewardship and international cooperation.

By proposing Marine Reservations for Future Generations, governments can demonstrate that science-based ocean conservation can transcend political disputes. Regional and global cooperation for environmental protection benefit all nations equally.

Peace Parks are protected areas established across international boundaries to promote cooperation. They have been used to 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)

Marine Reservations for Future Generations builds on this precedent. It offers a model of environmental diplomacy for the Ocean Decade. We can prove 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 global governments to:

1. Formally endorse the establishment of Marine Reservations for Future Generations as a national and regional policy priority, consistent with commitments under the BBNJ Treaty, UNCLOS, and the 30x30 ocean protection target;
2. Initiate preparation of a comprehensive BBNJ MPA proposal for the Asia-Pacific high seas, such as but not limited to:
   1. Scientific assessments of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and conservation priorities;
   2. Legal analysis defining geographic boundaries based on international law;
   3. Stakeholder consultations with fisherfolk communities, scientists, youth, and civil society;
   4. Management and enforcement frameworks ensuring long-term MPA effectiveness.
3.  Establish multi-stakeholder taskforces with government agencies, scientists, legal experts, youth representatives, and environmental advocates to guide inclusive, transparent proposal development;
4. Engage in regional and international cooperation through ASEAN, Pacific Islands Forum, bilateral diplomacy, and multilateral partnerships to build consensus and co-sponsorship for Asia-Pacific Marine Reservations;
5. Submit proposals to the Conference of the Parties of the BBNJ Treaty at the earliest opportunity, demonstrating global leadership in operationalizing this historic agreement.

 

Movement Beyond Borders

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

The Asia-Pacific high seas belong to no one, and everyone. They belong to the future.