Vietnam is one of the first countries to sign the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas Agreement, within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 's working visit to the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
Fishing boats of Vietnamese fishermen. Illustrative photo. Photo: VNA
On September 20, New York time, within the framework of the High-level Week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son signed the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vietnam is one of the first countries to sign the Agreement during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's working visit to the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, sending a strong message that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community, joining hands with countries around the world to solve global issues, contributing to peace, prosperity and sustainable development. More than 60 countries signed the Agreement during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
The adoption and signing of the Agreement is a historic milestone in the international community's efforts to protect the marine environment, in the context of implementing the 2030 Agenda, especially Sustainable Development Goal 14 on the conservation and sustainable use of the seas and marine resources.
This is the third Agreement negotiated and signed within the framework of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, reaffirming the role and importance of the Convention as the legal framework for all activities at sea and in the ocean.
The Agreement under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the High Seas Agreement, governs the exploitation, benefit-sharing and conservation of marine genetic resources in international waters.
This is a new potential resource, belonging to vast sea areas that occupy more than 60% of the surface area of the oceans and do not belong to any country. Many areas on the ocean floor have particularly rich ecosystems, with many rare genes, of high value for scientific research and great economic potential, especially the ability to create drugs to treat serious diseases, produce pharmaceutical cosmetics...
Currently, almost only developed countries and private companies possessing leading marine and biotechnology technologies, with abundant financial resources, are able to collect marine genetic resources and develop profitable applications, while there is no international document stipulating the obligation to share benefits as well as conserve these resources.
The agreement will come into effect after 60 countries ratify and approve it.
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