On World Oceans Day (June 08), director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) urged countries worldwide “to strive for a fully functional High Seas Biodiversity Treaty”
Action theme for World Oceans Day 2024 was ‘Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate’.
High Seas Biodiversity Treaty:
It is an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on conservation andsustainable use of marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
Formally adopted by Intergovernmental Conference on Marine BBNJ in 2023 and will become international law only when it is signed and ratified by at least 60 countries.
Till date, Only 7 countries have ratified the treaty.
India has neither signed nor ratified the treaty.
High Seas:
High seas are defined by international law as all parts of the ocean that aren't included in exclusive economic zone, territorial sea, or internal waters of a country, or in archipelagic waters of an archipelagic country. High seas and associated resources are not directly owned or regulated by any country.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
