UNITED NATIONS FINALLY ADOPT HISTORIC AGREEMENT ON WORLD’S SEAS

SARAJEVO, MARCH 6 (ONASA) – The extremely important UN Agreement on World Seas was finally adopted after almost two decades of negotiations.
The text of the Agreement will now be technically edited and translated before its official adoption at the next session.
This agreement is a great success and a significant step in the protection of the world’s seas, but also an important indicator that multilateralism still exists and functions in an increasingly divided world when there is a political will for it.
The achievement of this Agreement keeps alive the so-called “goal 30×30″, i.e. the protection of 30% of the world’s seas by 2030, which paves the way for the creation of marine reserves that will be fully or largely protected.
There are still shortcomings in the proposal of the Agreement, as well as the need for the signatories to ensure its implementation in an efficient and fair manner; only then can he be considered truly ambitious.
Dr. Laura Meller, head of oceans campaign at Greenpeace Nordic, said in New York: “This is a truly historic day for the protection of the world’s seas and a sign that in a divided world, the protection of nature and people can trump geopolitical interests. States deserve our praise for their willingness to compromise and put aside differing views in order to reach an agreement that will protect the world’s seas, but also the lives and livelihoods of billions of people and increase our resilience to climate change. We can finally move from words to real change. on the seas of the world. States must now formally accept the Agreement and ratify it as soon as possible in order to create protected marine reserves that our planet desperately needs. The clock is still ticking on reaching the 30×30 goal. We only have half a decade left for it to come true, so there is no relaxation in that matter,” concludes Meller.
A coalition of high ambitions that includes the EU, the US and the UK and China were key to reaching the deal, showing a willingness to compromise in the final days of negotiations, building a coalition rather than creating divisions. The small island countries proved to be good leaders during the negotiations, and the G77 Group ensured that the Agreement was implemented in practice in a fair and honest manner.
Fair distribution of financial benefits from the so-called of marine genetic resources was a key point of contention, and was resolved on the final day of negotiations.
The Marine Protected Areas section of the Agreement removes the dysfunctional consensus decision-making process that has not led to ocean protection through existing regional bodies such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
Although the text still contains important open questions, this agreement is a good working basis and a starting point for the protection of 30% of the world’s seas.
The 30×30 goal, which was agreed at the COP15 Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, would not have been achieved without this historic Agreement.
It is of crucial importance that states urgently ratify the Agreement and start establishing fully protected reserves that cover 30% of the world’s seas by 2030, Greenpeace International said in a statement.