Speech by Commissioner Kadis at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Side-event “Celebrating High Seas Action: Accelerating the Race for Ratification & Ambitious Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement”

European Commission -Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Kadis at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Sideevent “Celebrating High Seas Action: Accelerating the Race for Ratification & Ambitious Implementation of the BBNJ Agreement” Nice, 9 June 2025 Excellencies, Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for coming here to our joint event celebrating action to protect biodiversity in the global ocean. Many thanks to the High Seas Alliance for organising and for all the active engagement from all the co-sponsors. The BBNJ Agreement is now a lot closer to entry into force. It is a milestone achievement for biodiversity in the High seas, for international ocean governance and is a beacon of hope for multilateralism. Many States have rushed to finish their ratification processes. I am very proud of the European Union's ratification of the BBNJ. I am grateful to all the countries who have ratified to date, including all the parties who are doing so today. I call on all other parties to do so, urgently, as there is no time to lose to protect our ocean. I am also happy to announce that the EU is relaunching the High Ambition Coalition for BBNJ together with the co-chairs the Seychelles and Palau. I would like to thank them both for their leadership and collaboration. We presented a Declaration of the High Ambition Coalition. 37 countries have already subscribed to this text and joined the Coalition's relaunch; many more have expressed interest. I hope that...