After more than 15 years of negotiations, UN member states have reached agreement on an ocean treaty to protect the high seas and biodiversity from areas beyond national jurisdiction. This was announced to the applause of the delegates Rena Lee, the president of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ): “The ship has reached the shore.”

This agreement, which must now be reviewed by lawyers and translated into all the official languages ​​of the United Nations, is considered essential for the protection of marine diversity beyond national jurisdictions, since only 1% of the sea is currently regulated. .

“The goal is to conserve 30% of the oceans by 2030”

“Today the world has come together to protect the ocean for the benefit of our children and grandchildren,” Mónica Medina, Undersecretary of State, said after Lee’s intervention, to which she added: “We are leaving here with the ability to create protected areas on the high seas and achieve the ambitious goal of conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030”.

The treaty will allow the UN to adopt conservation measures and sustainable useas well as carrying out environmental impact studies in maritime spaces beyond the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of the States, according to the United Nations in a statement.

Likewise, it will oblige to carry out environmental impact assessments of the activities proposed by the States in the High Seas, in addition to promote the creation of marine protected areas. The text must now be adopted, signed and ratified by enough countries that it will then probably require legislative approval in the UN General Assembly.