About this Research Topic
We are now in the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Focus on a sustainable future for human-Ocean relations is therefore becoming a rapidly growing area of research. The agreement on the UN High Seas Treaty reached by 193 nations in March 2023 after almost 20 years of talks constitutes a milestone in the conservation and managed use in ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction, which cover nearly two thirds of the Ocean. As nations now move towards ratification and implementation of the Treaty, a number of challenges lie ahead for ensuring that it lives up to its potential and all stakeholders comply with its provisions. The treaty encompasses a wide range of issues related to the conservation, management, and sustainable use of marine resources across the high seas. It constitutes a key element in meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2030 goal of conserving 30% of the Ocean, and will need to effectively ensure fair Access and Benefit Sharing for the use of marine genetic resources in areas beyond the control of individual governments. Furthermore, unlike coastal waters, the High Seas are largely out of sight and out of mind for the vast majority of people, who have limited experiential relationships with these waters. This Research Topic will therefore examine ways to foster participation by all stakeholders towards effective implementation of the treaty. Furthermore, the collection will explore the role of existing or potential monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) mechanisms in ensuring participation and compliance, with a focus on identifying the most effective mechanisms for enhancing compliance with the treaty at both national and regional levels.
The UN High Seas Treaty is as much about conservation as it is about sustainable use of marine resources. As such, ocean citizenship values and ocean literacy by diverse stakeholders are vital to effectively implement the treaty. This Research Topic initiative led by Dr. Sebastian Ferse, Specialty Chief Editor of the Marine Governance specialty section of Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, alongside Dr. (TBC), aims to explore various initiatives to improve ocean citizenship and literacy in the context of the UN High Seas Treaty, with a focus on existing approaches, gaps, and emerging opportunities. It will also examine the role of various stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector in fostering increased ocean literacy and promoting ocean citizenship values. In addition, the Research Topic will explore questions of equity and justice in the access to and sharing of benefits from resources in the High Seas by diverse actors, particularly from countries in the Global South.
By analysing various mechanisms and initiatives, the goal of this Research Topic is to inspire, inform and provide direction and guidance to researchers in the field, and the various stakeholders of the Treaty. Authors are encouraged to identify the greatest challenges to the implementation of the UN High Seas Treaty, with the aim that this collection can then offer a suite of recommended strategies for enhancing compliance, increasing high seas literacy, and promoting ocean citizenship to facilitate effective and equitable implementation for a sustainable future.
The UN High Seas Treaty is as much about conservation as it is about sustainable use of marine resources. As such, ocean citizenship values and ocean literacy by diverse stakeholders are vital to effectively implement the treaty. This Research Topic initiative led by Dr. Sebastian Ferse, Specialty Chief Editor of the Marine Governance specialty section of Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, alongside Dr. (TBC), aims to explore various initiatives to improve ocean citizenship and literacy in the context of the UN High Seas Treaty, with a focus on existing approaches, gaps, and emerging opportunities. It will also examine the role of various stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector in fostering increased ocean literacy and promoting ocean citizenship values. In addition, the Research Topic will explore questions of equity and justice in the access to and sharing of benefits from resources in the High Seas by diverse actors, particularly from countries in the Global South.
By analysing various mechanisms and initiatives, the goal of this Research Topic is to inspire, inform and provide direction and guidance to researchers in the field, and the various stakeholders of the Treaty. Authors are encouraged to identify the greatest challenges to the implementation of the UN High Seas Treaty, with the aim that this collection can then offer a suite of recommended strategies for enhancing compliance, increasing high seas literacy, and promoting ocean citizenship to facilitate effective and equitable implementation for a sustainable future.
Keywords: UN high seas treaty, sustainable oceans, marine governance, marine resources, conservation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
