Countries signed UN Treaty on protection of high seas
2023.03.05 02:54
Countries signed UN Treaty on protection of high seas
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – A U.N. treaty to protect the high seas was finalized on Saturday by negotiators from more than 100 nations. This was a long-awaited step that environmental groups say will help reverse the loss of marine biodiversity and ensure sustainable development.
After 15 years of debate, the legally binding agreement to preserve and ensure the sustainable use of ocean biodiversity was reached after five lengthy rounds of U.N.-led negotiations that came to an end on Saturday in New York, a day after the original deadline.
After a long final day of talks, UN conference president Rena Lee announced, “The ship has reached the shore.”
The settlement is viewed as an essential part in worldwide endeavors to bring 30% of the world’s property and ocean under security before the decade’s over, an objective known as “30 by 30” concurred in Montreal in December.
During the most recent round of negotiations, which began on February 20, economic interests were a major sticking point. Developing nations demanded a larger share of the profits from the “blue economy,” which included the transfer of technology.
The agreement to share the advantages of “marine genetic resources” utilized in biotechnology also remained a point of contention until the very end, prolonging discussions.
According to Greenpeace, in order to meet the goal, 11 million square kilometers (4.2 million square miles) of ocean must be protected annually until 2030.
There is very little protection for the high seas, and the threat from pollution, acidification, and overfishing is growing.
Greenpeace oceans activist Laura Meller, who attended the talks, stated, “Countries must formally adopt the treaty and ratify it as quickly as possible to bring it into force, and then deliver the fully protected ocean sanctuaries our planet needs.”
“The deadline to deliver 30 by 30 is still ticking. We only have half a decade left, so we can’t rest easy.
