ISLAMABAD/UNITED NATIONS: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has urged world countries to agree on an “ambitious and robust” treaty to protect the high seas as time runs out for negotiators.
Since February 20, delegates have been meeting in New York to consider a resolution that seeks to safeguard about half of the world from rising seas after 15 years of formal and informal discussions. The negotiations will culminate on Friday after reaching their third “final” round in less than a year.
In a message read to the negotiators, Guterres stated: “For many years, pressure has been placed on our ocean. The ocean emergency cannot be ignored any longer.”
The UN secretary-general said, “The effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are strongly felt worldwide, hurting our environment, livelihoods, and lives.
“In adopting an ambitious and robust agreement at this meeting, you can take an essential step forward in advancing ocean health for generations to come and in addressing these destructive trends.”
The exclusive economic zones of nations, which stretch up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from coastlines, mark the beginning of the high seas. So, they are outside of any nation’s purview.
Despite making up over half of the planet’s surface and more than 60% of the world’s oceans, the high seas have historically received significantly less attention than coastal waters and some iconic species.
An updated draft text issued last weekend is still full of multiple options and parenthetical clauses on some significant issues that will determine the robustness of the final agreement.
Observers who talked with AFP on Wednesday expressed optimism in light of the recent major advancements in negotiations.
The first week, it felt like we were going in circles, but Laura Meller of Greenpeace said she feels like the pace is heating up and the views are getting closer. A robust international ocean treaty is very, very possible, she continued. The suggestion isn’t “ambitious,” according to Glen Wright, a Center for Sustainable Development and International Affairs researcher.
Nevertheless, he continued, “It’s powerful enough to be relevant, to lay the foundation for something states might use in the future to expand on. How marine protected zones will be established, a crucial component of any eventual treaty’s mandate, is still being determined.
Many observers told AFP that China is pushing for the conference of the parties (COP), the future body in charge of any potential treaty, to choose the sanctuaries by consensus rather than by majority vote.
They assert that China is attempting to establish a de facto veto similar to the one Beijing has used for years to block the establishment of additional marine protected areas by the Commission for the Protection of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
The division also arises over how to distribute potential revenues from gathering newly found marine substances by, for instance, chemical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic businesses.
