The United Nations (UN) this Monday adopted the first treaty for the protection of the high seas, a historic agreement reached after years of debate and negotiations that will allow for the establishment of marine protected areas in international waters.
The text, which was finalized after a lengthy negotiation process, was formally adopted today in New York after being revised and translated into the six official languages of the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised the adoption of the agreement, calling it a demonstration of the power of multilateralism.
“The ocean is the soul of our planet and today you have given it new life and a chance”Guterres told UN member states.
“By acting against threats to our planet that transcend national borders, you have demonstrated that global threats deserve global action and that countries can unite for the common good.”he added.
The approval was by consensus, without the need for a vote, and received a standing ovation from government representatives, who celebrated the conclusion of the long process.
While Monday’s decision ends negotiations at the UN, the new treaty will not come into force until at least 60 countries have signed and ratified it.
The text will be open for signature at United Nations headquarters from September 20, and Guterres has already asked governments this Monday not to wait.
“This is critical to responding to the threats facing the ocean and to the success of the ocean-related goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”noted.
Building on the legacy of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, this agreement significantly strengthens the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions.
The treaty provides an essential framework for intersectoral cooperation between states and other stakeholders to promote the sustainable development of the oceans and their resources and to combat the many pressures they face.
Environmental groups have been insisting for years that this treaty is vital to saving the oceans, which are threatened by pollution, the climate crisis and new technologies that open the door to mining at the bottom of the seas and intensified fishing.
The high seas, the waters more than 200 nautical miles from the coasts, represent two-thirds of the total oceans and have until now been governed by a series of international agreements and organizations with no clear jurisdiction, little coordination and insufficient regulation for your protection.
Among other things, the new treaty lays the foundations for the establishment of marine protected areas, which should facilitate the fulfillment of the international commitment to protect at least 30% of the oceans by 2030.
In addition, it ensures that the environmental impact of activities in international waters is taken into account and facilitates cooperation between countries on marine technology.
It also creates a framework for sharing the benefits of the sea, especially anything related to marine genetic resources – species that may yield patentable genes in the future, for example for medicinal use.
In this regard, the interests of some rich countries, most able to benefit from this progress, clashed with those of developing countries, fearful of being left out, on what was one of the last issues to be dealt with in the marathon of negotiations. .
Source: DN
