Perspective: High Seas Treaty

Marking the culmination of over a decade of negotiations to protect the high seas that cover nearly two-thirds of the global ocean, UN member states last week agreed on a historic treaty for protecting marine life in international waters that lie outside the jurisdiction of any country. The agreement on Biodiversity beyond national Jurisdiction which will be formally adopted at a later date will help achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, which was agreed at the 2022 UN biodiversity conference. Even though the high seas comprise more than 60 percent of the world’s oceans and nearly half the planet’s surface, they have drawn far less attention than coastal waters and a few iconic species.Ocean ecosystems create half the oxygen humans breathe and limit global warming by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. But they are threatened by climate change, pollution and overfishing. The High Seas Treaty will oblige countries to conduct environmental impact assessments of proposed activities on the high seas. The treaty also includes arrangements for sharing marine genetic resources, such as biological material from plants and animals in the ocean.