UN meet begins over treaty to govern use of high seas
- August 18, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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UN meet begins over treaty to govern use of high seas
Subject :Environment
Section: Biodiversity
- United Nations member states have gathered in New York to create a new, legally-binding global treaty to govern the use of the high seas. This could be the last round of negotiations for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity.
- The treaty will help conserve biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) that lie outside countries’ 322-kilometre exclusive economic zones.
- This is the fifth round of negotiations on the international instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
BBNJ Treaty
- It is also known as “Treaty of the High Seas”.
- It is an international agreement on conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
- It is currently under negotiation at the United Nations. The new treaty is being developed within the framework of United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is an important international agreement governing human activities at sea.
- Launched at the One Ocean Summit in February 2022, the High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction brings together many delegations engaged in the BBNJ negotiations on a common and ambitious outcome at the highest political level.
- BBNJ Treaty provides an opportunity to fill gaps and address weaknesses in ocean governance. It also provides opportunity to take meaningful action for addressing and managing transboundary pollution on high seas. This declaration by High Ambition Coalition (HAC) is a welcomed step for protecting biodiversity on high seas, with increasing pressure on ocean.
- Five Regional Seas Conventions currently include Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) under their geographical coverages: OSPAR Convention, Noumea Conventrion, CCAMLR Convention, Barcelona Convention, and Lima Convention.
- Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention)
- Convention on the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment in the South Pacific Region (Noumea Convention)
- Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR Convention)
- Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Barcelona Convention)
- Convenio para la Protección del Medio Marino y la Zona Costera del Pacífico Sudeste (Lima Convention)
Parties and member countries of the following two Regional Seas programmes also started studying the issues related to biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction:
- Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean
- Abidjan Convention for Cooperation in the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Atlantic Coast of the West, Central and Southern Africa Region
UNCLOS
- UNCLOS was adopted in 1982 and laid the foundation of ocean governance, with the first single set of rules for oceans and seas. On April 29 2022, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) completed 40 years.
- There are two more instruments under the Convention:
- The 1994 agreement on the implementation of Part XI of UNCLOS and
- the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.
- The treaty on BBNJ will be the third legal instrument under the convention.
- It is also known as Law of the Sea. It divides marine areas into five main zones namely-Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.
- It not only zones coastal states’ offshore areas but also provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.