The United Nations members in New York were deliberating on a one-of-its-kind agreement to conserve marine biodiversity in the high seas, namely the oceans that extend beyond countries’ territorial waters.
- However, governments could not agree on the terms.
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction
- The treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.
- The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 – the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
- The high seas comprise nearly 45% of the Earth’s surface.
- Despite international waters representing nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans, only 1.2% is protected.
- The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones that lie from the coast of a country to about 200 nautical miles or 370 km into the sea, till where it has special rights for exploration. Waters beyond that are known as open seas or high seas.
- The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources.
- A High Ambition Coalition, which now has more than 100 countries including India, the US, and the UK, came about and put the focus on ‘30×30’ goals – protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
The New York negotiations focused on four key areas:
- Establishing marine protected areas
- Improving environmental impact assessments
- Providing finance and capacity building to developing countries
- Sharing of marine genetic resources – biological material from plants and animals in the ocean that can have benefits for society, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial processes and food.
(Source: BBC and IE)
