UN enters final stretch of road to a treaty that protects the oceans

This Monday, countries around the world began the latest round of negotiations on an international treaty for the protection of the high seas with calls for “flexibility” and “compromise” that concern environmental groups as they fear a text with little ambition not enough to save the oceans.

After four previous rounds and two years of delays due to the pandemic, governments are expected to finally agree on a legally binding document over the next two weeks to conserve international waters, which account for two-thirds of the oceans.

“The grave condition of Mr. oceans suggests that the time has come to act,” warned Secretary General of the Treaty Conference Miguel de Serpa Soares today, who also called on all countries to show a spirit of “cooperation” and find “compromises”.

Rena Lee, who has chaired the talks since they began, stressed that there was “real progress” in the latest round that “could be the basis for consensus”, but signaled that “creativity” and “flexibility” would be needed. Close the deal.

Lee said the goal should be a pact that is “fair, balanced, workable and compelling for everyone to implement” and called for the pursuit of excellence not to undermine the chances of a positive outcome.

This need for consensus worries environmental groups who fear a blurry deal that won’t go far enough.

“Flexibility, of course, of course. There are almost two hundred countries that have to decide on a treaty… but a lot of leadership is needed to keep this from being the norm,” Pilar Marcos, who is part of the delegation, explained Ef. from Greenpeace, who visited New York.

oceanic diplomacy

Marcos acknowledged that it would take “a lot of diplomacy” to bring countries with very different positions on oceansbut he recalled that too many experiences remained “on paper” and that now the status quo cannot be maintained.

” oceans they are indeed in a death spiral, and we cannot spend two decades debating whether it is possible to create shelters on the high seas,” he insists.

“This negotiating session should aim to achieve the most ambitious compromise possible. It’s time to put aside personal interests and make the right decisions for the future of our oceanour climate and our communities,” said Jessica Battle, WWF expert, in a note.

Checklist for successful contract negotiation

The environmentalists have compiled a list of issues that they believe are essential for a future agreement to be considered successful, and which focus mainly on whether to promote the creation of “marine reserves”, areas free from biodiversity-destroying activities. fishing and mining.

The goal set by these groups is to protect at least 30% of the area by 2030 oceansaccording to Alianza de la Alta Mar, a major platform that dozens of NGOs have joined.

Fifty countries, led by the European Union (EU), have pledged to close the “ambitious” deal this year, but environmentalists are questioning even that group’s will due to the presence of countries with strong fishing interests, such as Spain, Portugal or Denmark. .

Saving or managing

NGOs grouped under the auspices of the Alliance for the High Seas warn that, first of all, UN countries must decide whether they want a treaty that truly allows for the “preservation” or “management” of areas of the oceans and, therefore, allows activities such as fishing or underwater mining to continue.

To reach an agreement, governments will have to overcome their differences in this area, as well as the more general political division that is currently observed in the international community and which became apparent today, when, already at the opening of the session, the Western powers, the United States and Russia, exchanged accusations of with the war in Ukraine.

(As reported by EFE)

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