Although there are many traps and difficulties before them until the last moment, “Finally the ship has reached the port”It was announced to applaud Rena Lee, the head of the UN conference convened in New York. ocean deal. Greenpeace”A “historic” deal was reached this Saturday night after the marathon sessions.
But what exactly is confirmed? According to international news agencies, the most important thing is to be approved, a treaty requiring the application of regulations and restrictions on human activities on the high seas for the first time in historyan area that has hitherto lacked effective regulation to protect biodiversity.
As the UN demands, 30% of the planet’s international waters must be protected by 2030. According to Simon Walmsley, “What is a marine protected area: are sustainable uses allowed or fully protected?” , from WWF.
Actually, The level of protection each of the marine areas that will make up 30% of the protected oceans still awaits confirmation.. What is clear is that there will be restrictions on fishing, the cruise routes that may pass through them, the exploration activities that may be permitted, and the offshore mining that may be permitted. Everything will be restricted, but to what extent is not yet known.
Lack of approval by countries
In fact, the Treaty still has a long way to go before it comes into force, as it will require a session to formalize its ratification, but after thatmust be signed and ratified by different countries.. In a statement to the BBC, Walmsley said that “if there are not enough states ratifying it, it will not enter into force” and evaluated that about 40 countries will be needed for the agreement to be implemented.
Russia has been one of the countries most reluctant to sign the treaty and has not even ruled out reconsidering its content in the future.
Another important part is financing. Rich countries have promised to contribute money for the implementation of the treaty. Even before it was approved this Saturday, the EU had already announced that it would contribute 820m euros for any action related to the protection of the high seas and oceans.
Other agreements consisted of: Sharing marine genetic resources, such as those derived from the biological material of plants and animals in the oceans which can provide great income to pharmaceutical companies and at the same time bring great benefits to humanity. Resources thus discovered and exploited should also guarantee a distribution with poor countries.
Greenpeace spokesperson Laura Meller in the negotiations did not hide her excitement at the outcome of the meetings:A historic day for conservation and a sign that even in a divided world, protecting nature and people can prevail over geopolitics.”
The International Seabed Authority, the body that oversees the issuance of business licenses on the high seas, confirmed that “any future activity on the deep seabed will be subject to strict regulation and control to ensure that it is conducted in a sustainable and responsible manner”. “According to the BBC.
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