This is not just another international agreement. We are facing a paradigm shift in the way humanity looks at the two-thirds of the ocean that until now lived in a legal vacuum that is difficult to justify.

We are talking about the so-called BBNJ, Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, a treaty that creates, for the first time, a legal framework to protect biodiversity in international waters. Waters that belong to no one, but on which we all depend. And it is precisely here that Portugal appears with a role that deserves to be underlined, not out of diplomatic vanity, but because it says a lot about the way the country positions itself when it decides to take on long-term causes.

Portugal was, once again, a respected mediator in the United Nations negotiations. He knew how to talk to coastal states and landlocked countries, defending a simple but powerful idea: the ocean is the common heritage of humanity. This constructive and credible stance was clearly expressed in the organisation of the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in 2022, a political moment that helped to unlock consensus and create the final momentum for the approval of the treaty.

But this success is not explained by diplomacy alone. It is also explained by knowledge. Portuguese science was at the center of this process. Institutions such as IPMA, university centers such as CIIMAR or MARE, and the Mission Structure for the Extension of the Continental Shelf itself, provided essential data on deep ecosystems, biological connectivity, and the impact of climate change. Without this technical and scientific work, it would be impossible to turn good intentions into concrete rules.

The most interesting thing, in my opinion, is to look at what comes next. The implementation of the High Seas Treaty opens up very real opportunities for Portugal. First of all, in the creation and management of Marine Protected Areas that connect our Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf to the High Seas, contributing to the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. Here, Portugal can lead by example, combining science, technology, and effective governance.

There is also an economic dimension that should not be ignored. The need to monitor, monitor and manage these areas creates space for technological innovation. Satellites, ocean sensors, underwater robotics, advanced data analytics. Institutions such as INESC TEC or CEiiA already have recognised competences at the European level in these areas.

Therefore, I see this treaty not only as an instrument of conservation, but as a catalyst for the Portuguese blue economy. An invitation for Portugal to assert itself as a modern maritime power, based on knowledge, innovation, and a responsible vision of the future. The High Seas are no longer a no-man's land. And Portugal is well placed to help define what it can be.