Indonesia strengthens global collaboration in high seas protection
Indonesia is strengthening international collaboration through active participation in the launch of the Living High Seas Partnership in New York, United States, a global initiative for maintaining the sustainability of marine biodiversity, particularly in high seas areas.
Secretary of the Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Miftahul Huda, stated that Indonesia’s involvement in this partnership represents a strengthening of multilateral cooperation in safeguarding the health of the world’s oceans.
“This partnership holds strategic significance and is one of the pioneers in implementing area-based management tools,” he said in an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Miftahul stated that Indonesia is committed to implementing area-based management tools (ABMTs) by leveraging experience in managing national conservation areas.
According to him, as the largest archipelagic nation directly bordering the high seas in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia has a strategic interest in maintaining the sustainability of global marine ecosystems while strengthening its position in international maritime diplomacy.
The Living High Seas Partnership is a global initiative supporting the implementation of the global agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) through strengthened cross-country cooperation, international institutions, and the scientific community.
Its focus is on the application of ABMTs, including marine protected areas (MPAs), as the primary instrument for protecting and sustainably utilising biodiversity in the high seas.
This initiative involves several pioneering countries, including Indonesia, in developing area-based management zones in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
This collaboration is believed to strengthen capacity, governance, and knowledge exchange among countries to ensure more effective, inclusive, and science-based management of the high seas.
The launch of the Living High Seas Partnership coincides with Preparatory Commission III (PrepCom III) for the BBNJ Agreement at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, from 22 March to 2 April 2026.
The BBNJ Agreement, adopted in June 2023, is the first global legal instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
This agreement covers nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans, most of which remain unprotected. The initiative is an effort to meet global targets such as 30x30 (protecting 30 percent of the oceans by 2030).