“Too Late”: UN Deal to Protect the World’s Oceans A Bad Suspicion – New Details on Greece’s Refugee Boat Drama

Among other things, the pact lays the foundations for the designation of large protected areas on the high seas and establishes a procedure for examining economic projects, expeditions and other activities at sea for their environmental friendliness. A breakthrough was reached in the negotiations in New York about three months ago and the agreement was then formally adopted by the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the approval, also as a sign of the joint action of the world’s countries. “You have pumped new life and hope into giving the seas a chance to survive.” The nature conservation organization Greenpeace spoke of a “victory for all life on this planet”. The agreement was “overdue,” according to the marine protection organization OceanCare. “This treaty can bring about the change the oceans so desperately need.”

However, before the agreement can become legally binding, it still needs to be signed and then ratified by the participating states. At least 60 states must ratify it according to their own procedures and legal systems. UN chief Guterres called on all states to address this as soon as possible.

Two-thirds of the oceans belong to the high seas, so to date have been largely unlawful, with only about one percent officially protected. The countries of the world have been wrestling with an agreement to protect the high seas for about 15 years, and there have been several rounds of negotiations since 2018, some of which have been postponed to no avail. (sda/dpa)