New Delhi: The UN’s 193 member states on Monday adopted a ‘historic’ legally binding marine biodiversity agreement on conservation and sustainability of high seas beyond national boundaries.
The landmark ‘high seas’ treaty adopted by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) is the result of nearly two decade-long negotiations and is aimed at protecting the oceans in line with the Convention on the Law of the Sea, a UN News report said.
“The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, and today, you have pumped new life and hope to give the ocean a fighting chance,” the UN Secretary-General António Guterres told delegates on Monday.
The new agreement contains 75 articles on protecting, caring for, and ensuring the responsible use of the marine environment, maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems, and conserving the inherent value of marine biological diversity.
“The High Seas Treaty is integral to being able to protect the ocean,” Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, told DW. The alliance is made up of more than 50 NGOs that want to strengthen ocean governance.
The legally binding treaty, agreed in March after five rounds of protracted UN-led talks with negotiators from over 100 countries, now must be signed and ratified by 60 countries before coming into force. But the adoption marks a significant turning point in the effort to protect the high seas and preserve marine life.
Although the high seas make up more than half of the surface of the Earth and 61% of all oceans, only 1% of international waters are under protection. The treaty is expected to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, while also protecting the rights and interests of all countries involved.
According to UN estimates, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050 unless action is taken. More than 17 million metric tons of plastic entered the world’s ocean in 2021, making up 85% of marine litter, and projections are expected to double or triple each year by 2040, according to the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) report.
At the same time, global heating is pushing ocean temperatures, fuelling more frequent and intense storms, rising sea levels, and the salinisation of coastal lands and aquifers.
More than half of the total oxygen in our atmosphere is created by creatures in the ocean which also stores 50 times more carbon dioxide than what’s currently found in our atmosphere. The warmer the ocean gets, the less carbon dioxide it can store. The stress from climate change, pollution and rising global sea surface temperatures impacts the oceans’ ability to protect the planet from extreme weather events.
The treaty requires parties to assess potential environmental consequences of any ‘planned activities’ that may extend beyond their jurisdictions and contains provisions based on the polluter-pays principle as well as mechanisms for disputes.
With inputs from DW.