Environment Secretary Antonia Loyzaga (1st from right) joined global leaders and change makers around the world in calling for countries to ratify the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) during the High-Level Meeting on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) last September 20 in New York City. Loyzaga said it is essential to unite under the BBNJ Agreement to safeguard the oceans’ biodiversity, and highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to work towards the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty by the 2025 UN Ocean Conference. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary and Head of the Philippine delegation to the UNGA 78, Enrique Manalo, signed the BBNJ Agreement along with 67 other states on the same day. Among the changemakers in attendance was National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Sylvia Earle (3rd from right), a staunch advocate for ocean conservation and education, and holds the record for deepest walk on the sea floor. Earle is a world-renowned expert on marine biology and is the first woman to lead the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Actresses and climate advocates Jane Fonda and Sigourney Weaver were also present in the joint effort to fast track the High Seas Treaty by the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.