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https://theconversation.com/what-does-chinas-host-bid-mean-for-the-high-seas-treaty-279317>
"Delegates are meeting in New York for the third session of the preparatory
commission (PrepCom 3) on the
Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of
Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the
High Seas
Treaty.
After nearly 20 years of negotiations, United Nations member states adopted the
treaty in June 2023. When it opened for signatures that September, 67 countries
signed immediately. In January 2026, Morocco and Sierra Leone then became the
60th and 61st states to ratify, triggering the treaty’s entry into force.
The treaty is now international law. At the time of writing, 145 countries have
signed and 85 have ratified.
The third session of the preparatory commission must now work through how the
treaty will actually function. A key question in corridor conversations is: who
should host the secretariat?
Every international treaty needs an institutional home. The
High Seas Treaty
is no different. It requires a secretariat to co-ordinate between parties,
service meetings and manage information.
For months, Belgium and Chile were the only contenders, their bids quietly
taking shape in the background of treaty negotiations. Then, in January 2026,
China submitted a formal bid with Xiamen as the proposed host city. That
announcement changed the optics of the negotiations."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
