By Brigitta Gunawan
On February 7-8, 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to represent the High Seas Alliance at the 2nd Bali Ocean Days held in Jimbaran, Bali. This conference provided the space to bring more knowledge and awareness of the importance of the High Seas to hundreds of local and international stakeholders ranging from government officials, academics, non-governmental organizations, youth groups, and more. It also provided an opportunity to connect with long-time and new ocean allies who are working on critical issues like marine plastic pollution, coral restoration, blue economy financing, and ocean justice.
During the conference, I took the stage to share about my time as a 2024 High Seas Youth Ambassador, delve into why the High Seas Treaty is important in the context of 30×30, and present the progress of 30×30 Indonesia’s High Seas campaign.
30×30 Indonesia is a community I founded in 2021 that provides hands-on opportunities for policy advocacy, environmental education, and habitat restoration. Over the course of 2024, we worked hard to advocate for ratification through intergenerational collaborations such as fostering a sports community to ‘Run for the High Seas’, speaking at conferences, schools, and webinars, as well as hosting a hybrid seminar with the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative and EarthEcho International on December 10, 2024.
Speaking on stage, a round of applause filled the room when I shared that over 12,600 people have signed the petition calling on Indonesia to ratify the BBNJ Agreement – a testament to the public support for large-scale marine protection. Knowing that the Government of Indonesia signed the Agreement on September 20, 2023 and is working towards ratification, our campaign has focused on leveraging support and awareness from the public, with the goal of seeing Indonesia among the first 60 countries to ratify the BBNJ Agreement. It was exciting having people approach me upon leaving the stage to say that this was the first time they had heard about the BBNJ Agreement, or that they would like to meaningfully integrate youth leadership through collaborations. Moments like this reflect how critical it is for young people to step up and bring our ideas to the table.
Alongside this, I exhibited a booth showcasing two of my projects – 30×30 Indonesia and Diverseas – a marine literacy project that leverages immersive media to bring the work of conservation initiatives into classrooms. This provided attendees with an opportunity to view grassroots initiatives in 360-degree using virtual reality headsets to reconnect with the ocean, serving as a reminder of what we are trying to protect.
As I reflect on the past year and the years to come, I am filled with hope and eagerness to see global targets being implemented and to see leaders being held accountable. Now, more than ever, we need systemic change and ‘blended’ approaches – a term highlighted and frequently mentioned during the conference to point out the multifaceted solutions that serve blended approaches to save our blue planet within our lifetime.
It is also due time that we consider youth as fellow collaborators and present-day contributors working towards a better planet – not just inheritors of a future dictated by the actions or inactions of previous generations. We, the youth, are here to listen, learn, and co-create a sustainable future together.
You can be part of this wave of change too, help us call on world leaders to ratify the High Seas Treaty by using the High Seas Alliance’s digital action and leave your message here.
Editorial Note: Ratification of the BBNJ Agreement is a top priority for World Ocean Day this year. In addition to linking above, you can also learn about more ways to help through the actively collaborative 12 Months of Action. In February, we partnered closely with the High Seas Alliance on a focused month of awareness & action. Our collaboration with HSA continues, making sure that at least 60 nations ratify the agreement by UNOC-3 in June, and continuing with ongoing implementation.
