The Republic of Marshall Islands has become one of the first Pacific nations to ratify the historic Global Ocean Treaty, sending a powerful message to other world leaders: no more harm to the oceans.
It comes as Greenpeace’s flagship vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, arrived in Majuro to begin its six-week mission to elevate calls for nuclear and climate justice alongside the Marshallese community; and support independent scientific research into the impacts of decades-long nuclear weapons testing by the US government, including the impacts on the ocean – a main source of food, culture and livelihood for the Marshallese people.
On the ratification of the treaty, Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
“We congratulate the Government of the Marshall Islands for its commitment to protecting the global oceans by inking the Global Ocean Treaty into law,” he said.
“The Marshall Islands continues to show its strength as a fearless and powerful custodian of its waters and lands. The ratifying of the treaty is a loud, clear message to the world that the Pacific Ocean and the world’s seas must be safeguarded. To the Global North, this must be a watch-and-learn moment.”
The Marshall Islands is the second Pacific nation to ratify the treaty. It follows Palau as the first country in the world to ratify last year, showcasing strong ocean protection leadership from the Pacific region.
“The global ocean connects us all. From the Marshall Islands to Tuvalu, Australia, Hawaii and beyond, we are all connected by these life-sustaining waters. It’s time for governments to follow the leaders and protect our blue planet for the good of our collective future,” Gounden added.
The ratification comes after Marshall Island announced its first protected ocean sanctuary in January, which will protect a mammoth swathe of water in the country’s north.
The historic Global Ocean Treaty is the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Adopted in June 2023 and currently signed by 112 countries, it will only enter into force once it is ratified by at least 60. Including the Marshall Islands, 20 countries have ratified the treaty. Australia has signed, but is yet to ratify
Greenpeace is urging governments worldwide to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty quickly to achieve the 30×30 target and start developing proposals for marine protected areas in the high seas.
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Notes
Photos of the Rainbow Warrior arriving in Majuro can be found here
Archival footage and images from the US nuclear weapons testing collected here
