After 15 years of negotiations, UN member states have formally adopted the High Seas Protection Treaty. This appears to be a “historic” advancement in global climate policy – although some states are describing the new protection rules as “totally unacceptable”.
“The agreement has been approved,” announced conference chair Rena Lee Monday in New York to cheers from the participants. UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of a “historic success”.
For the first time, the international agreement provides for protected areas outside the exclusive economic zones of individual countries. This is important because more than 60 percent of ocean areas lie outside such exclusive economic zones.
Oceans now better protected
To date, protection rules apply to varying degrees to only about one percent of these marine areas. The agreement also stipulates that activities such as the extraction of minerals at sea must be preceded by an environmental impact assessment.
At the beginning of March, UN member states agreed on the first international agreement on the high seas to protect the world’s oceans and their biodiversity, after more than 15 years of struggle. After being reviewed by legal experts and finally translated into the six official languages at the United Nations, the text could now be formally adopted.
When does the agreement take effect?
The accord must now be ratified by at least 60 states before it can enter into force, and it could then enter into force 120 days later. Russia on Monday distanced itself from parts of the agreement, describing some of the rules as “totally unacceptable”.
Environmental groups had hailed the accord deal as a historic success. They point to the enormous diversity of species in the world’s oceans and the decisive role the oceans play in stabilizing the Earth’s climate. However, global warming poses a threat to the oceans and their inhabitants, as does pollution and overfishing.
The environmental organization Greenpeace emphasized that the High Seas Agreement is part of international efforts to protect at least 30 percent of all land and sea areas by 2030. With the High Seas Agreement, this goal remains “within reach”, according to Greenpeace expert Chris Thorne.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
