The BBNJ Treaty (High Seas Treaty) will enter into force on January 17, 2026, establishing the first binding global framework for ocean biodiversity. Yet recent preparatory negotiations revealed how fragile inclusivity remains: debates over SIDS’ recognition, finance, and participation showed that equity is not optional—it is essential to making the treaty work.
In this perspective piece, Aaron Padgett explores how “blue” political and economic agendas in the Pacific are underwritten by a view of the region as a strategic and resource frontier. Examining initiatives like the BLUE Pacific Act, the piece discusses how blue environmental rhetoric co-opts and diminishes Native Pacific place relations to create marketable slogans for the expanding security state.
