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After 15 years of negotiations, United Nations member states adopted the text of the High Seas Treaty - the first international treaty to protect the oceans.
The Triumph of Multilateralism
Environmental organizations say the treaty could reverse the loss of marine biodiversity and ensure sustainable development. The legally binding treaty to conserve and ensure sustainable use of ocean biodiversity was adopted on March 4 after five rounds of marathon negotiations led by the United Nations in New York City.
In a statement, chaired by the conference, Rena Lee, UN Ambassador for the Ocean, welcomed the adoption of the text of the treaty by countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the adoption of the text of the treaty “a victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to combat the destructive trends of the ocean.”
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Ocean pollution is at an alarming level. |
Environmentalists hailed the agreement after a long period of negotiations as a breakthrough in protecting biodiversity. Laura Meller, an oceans campaigner at Greenpeace who participated in the negotiations, said it was a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitical thinking. The treaty will be formally adopted after its language is closely reviewed by lawyers and translated into the six official languages of the United Nations, according to Rena Lee.
Important Premise
Adoption of the treaty is a key element of global efforts to protect 30% of the world 's land and sea areas by 2030, known as the 30x30 initiative.
According to Greenpeace, to achieve the 30x30 initiative, the world needs to protect 11 million square kilometers of ocean each year from now until 2030. Very few areas of the ocean are protected, while pollution, acidification and overfishing are growing threats. Therefore, Ms. Laura Meller called on countries to officially adopt and ratify the treaty as soon as possible so that it can enter into force, thereby providing protection for the ocean.
According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the high seas are international waters, including all sea areas that are not included in the exclusive economic zone, territorial sea or internal waters of a country, nor in the archipelagic waters of an archipelagic state.
The high seas are therefore not under the jurisdiction of any country. Although they cover more than 60% of the world's oceans and nearly 50% of the Earth's surface, they receive little attention. Currently, only about 1% of the high seas are protected. Therefore, when they come into force, this treaty will allow for the creation of protected areas in international waters.
Economic benefits were a major issue throughout the latest round of negotiations, which began on February 20. Developing countries called for more sharing of the benefits of the “green economy,” including technology transfer.
In a move seen as an effort to build trust between rich and poor countries, the European Union has pledged 40 million euros ($42 million) to facilitate the ratification and early implementation of the treaty. Earlier, at the Our Ocean Conference, which concluded on March 3 in Panama, countries attending the conference pledged a total of 19 billion dollars to protect the ocean.
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