NEW YORK, JANUARY 23 – Palau has become the first nation to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty on Monday by depositing its ratification with the United Nations, in a further sign of Pacific Small Island Developing States’ continuing leadership on ocean protection.
“As the first country to officially ratify the UN Ocean Treaty, Palau has jumped into the lead in the race to ratification. They’ve already shown leadership in opposing deep sea mining in the Pacific Ocean, and have now set the bar for what it means to be an ocean champion”, said Laura Meller, Project Leader of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign.
The historic UN Ocean Treaty is the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Adopted in June 2023 and signed by 84 countries in September 2023, it will only enter into force once it is ratified by at least 60.
Last week, the Chilean Senate approved the ratification of the UN Ocean Treaty unanimously. Ratification by Palau, which was also one of the first countries to support a global moratorium on deep sea mining, paves the way forward in bringing the historic Treaty to life. Greenpeace urges governments to ratify the treaty by the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025, and at the same time to create new marine protected areas. (@OnuItalia)
