After more than 15 years of discussions, the member countries of the UN signed, on Sunday March 5, 2023, an agreement to protect the high seas. This is the first international treaty aimed at combating threats to biodiversity. Marine. The high seas designates this oceanic space which extends beyond the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the countries and escapes, in fact, any state jurisdiction. The high seas make up more than 60% of the oceans and almost half of the planet. Thanks to this agreement, States could in particular establish marine protected areas on the high seas. These marine protected areas can play an essential role in the resilience of ecosystems in the face of global warming.