UN reaches historic deal to protect the high seas

UN countries today reached an agreement to conclude a treaty on the protection of open seaa tool that has been discussed for years and that experts and environmental organizations consider vital to saving the oceans.

The consensus was reached after a lengthy round of negotiations that began on February 20 and was due to end this Friday, but which continued all night and into Saturday, with more than 35 hours of non-stop discussions to iron out the final differences.

Among other things, the text lays the groundwork for the establishment of marine protected areas, which should facilitate the fulfillment of the international pledge to protect at least 30% oceans for 2030.

“The ship has reached the coast,” the exhausted chairman of the talks, Rena Lee, announced to confirm that consensus had finally been reached on the document, news that was met with a standing ovation from the delegations gathered at the headquarters United Nations.

However, the formal adoption of the treaty will have to wait a little longer until the technical team harmonizes the terms used in it and translates it into the six official languages. UNby agreement of the countries.

Some, including Russia, however, have left the door open to reopen some issue because they were unable to go into some detail due to the difficult conditions of the final hours of negotiations and the fact that some of their experts had already left. NY.

historical pact

“This is a historic conservation day and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can trump geopolitics,” said Laura Moeller of environmental group Greenpeace.

Pollution, climate change and new technologies that open the door to deep sea mining and more intensive fishing are, experts say, the main threats to the high seas, which account for two-thirds of all oceans.

Although of great importance to the planet, so far these waters, located more than 200 nautical miles from the coast and being common to all countries, have been managed by a number of international agreements and organizations without clear jurisdiction, without much coordination and with inadequate standards. for their protection.

The new treaty will be concluded within the framework of the already existing Convention United Nations Law of the Sea and aims to “ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction”.

protected areas

open sea it begins where the states’ exclusive economic zones (ZEE) end, a maximum of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coast, so it is not under the jurisdiction of any country.

Although they represent over 60% of the oceans and almost half of the planet, open sea it was ignored for a long time as the focus was on coastal areas and emblematic views.

With advances in science, the importance of protecting all these oceans with microscopic biodiversity that provides half of the oxygen we breathe and limits global warming by absorbing much of the CO2 produced by human activities.

But oceans they are weakened, victims of these emissions (heating, water acidification), pollutants of all kinds and overfishing.

difficult negotiations

Among the issues that could only be resolved at the last minute were disagreements between North and South over how to share the benefits of the sea, especially anything related to marine genetic resources – species that may provide patentable genes in the future, for example, for use. in medicine-.

The issue clashes between the interests of some rich countries, which are best able to take advantage of these gains, and those of the developing world, which fears being excluded.

Environmental organizations actively involved in the whole process have put pressure on governments to sign a solid and ambitious treaty, which they see as a unique opportunity to protect nature. oceans.

“Governments and civil society must now ensure that the agreement is quickly adopted and enforced, and effectively implemented to protect biodiversity on the high seas,” said Liz Karan, director of the Oceans Campaign in the United States. Pew Charities.

(According to EFE and AFP)

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