The United Nations on Monday approved the first worldwide treaty to protect the high seas, establishing a historic environmental agreement to safeguard distant habitats that are essential to humanity.
The deal that would create a legal framework to extend broad environmental safeguards to international waterways, which make up more than 60% of the world’s oceans, was hailed as a “historic achievement” by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet and today you have pumped new life and hope to give the ocean a fighting chance,” he mentioned while speaking to the delegates.
The wording has been frozen since, and the UN’s attorneys and translators have gone over it to make sure it is accurate in all six of the organization’s official languages.
“Countries must now ratify it as quickly as possible to bring it into force so that we can protect our ocean, build our resilience to climate change and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of billions of people,” mentioned Rebecca Hubbard of the High Seas Alliance.
Scientists are becoming more and more aware of the significance of the seas since they provide the majority of the oxygen we breathe, prevent climate change by absorbing CO2, and support diverse ecosystems, frequently on a tiny scale.
Creating protected marine regions in international waterways will be a crucial element in the deal. Only 1% of the high seas are currently covered by conservation measures of any kind.
As agreed upon by world governments in an additional historic agreement concluded in Montreal in December, the treaty is viewed as essential to countries conserving 30% of the world’s oceans and lands by 2030.
With it, “We are giving ourselves the means to achieve” the 30 percent target, added the French Secretary of State for the Sea, Herve Berville.
– ‘Miracle molecules’ –
The agreement, formally known as the “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction” (BBNJ) treaty, also establishes procedures for environmental impact studies to be conducted prior to proposed activities being carried out in international waters.
The agreement also lays out guidelines for how “marine genetic resources” (MGR) gathered for scientific study in international waters would be used. On September 20, when several heads of state will be in New York for the UN General Assembly, the treaty will be available for signature.
Since the High Ambition Coalition for the BBNJ, which pushed for the treaty, counts about 50 countries as members, such as those of the European Union, as well as Chile, Mexico, India, and Japan, NGOs believe that the threshold of 60 ratifications needed for it to enter into force should be attainable.
The UN has 193 member nations, so 60 is still a long way from the universal adoption that ocean protection advocates are urging.
“Let’s carry this momentum forward. Let’s continue working to protect our oceans, our planet, and all the people on it,” averred UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi.
