What is High Seas Treaty? Know about the historic agreement reached by UN to protect world’s oceans

On Saturday, in New York City, the United Nations reached a historic agreement to protect the world’s oceans and ensure that people across the globe can benefit from the high seas while safeguarding the marine life. After a marathon of negotiations that lasted for 38 hours, the UN member nations agreed on the wording of the High Seas Treaty agreement. It is to mention that the talks began in 2004.

The treaty, which is yet to be ratified, aims to safeguard marine life by designating 30% of the world's oceanic expanse as protected areas. The accord was reached as more than 8% of marine species are now categorized as threatened or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

What is High Seas Treaty?

The agreement on High Seas Treaty was reached on Saturday at UN headquarters in New York. It has been under discussion since 2004. The "exclusive economic zone," an area extending 200 nautical miles from the coast, is under the legal jurisdiction of coastal nations, but the proposed treaty would only apply to the international waters that constitute two-thirds of the world's oceans.


The negotiations had been going on for decades, partly due to disagreements about funding, fishing, and mineral rights. If ratified, the treaty would put at least 30% of the world’s seas into Marine Protected Areas. It would also help in contributing more money to the conservation of marine life. Moreover, the agreement would create fresh rules for seafloor mining.



High Seas Treaty will replace the previous UN ocean treaty, named the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which was signed in 1982. At the time, the treaty had established the “high seas”, which are the international waters that are open to fishing, shipping, and research by the world.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated the member nations for finalising the text which ensures the sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond the national jurisdiction. He hailed the treaty as a “breakthrough” after nearly two decades of negotiations.

In a statement released by his Spokesperson late on Saturday evening, the UN chief hailed the deal reached at UN Headquarters in New York after tough negotiations lasting two weeks, as a triumph for multilateralism and the worldwide campaign to tackle the damaging trends affecting the health of the oceans, both now and for future generations.

FAQs:

1. Where are UN headquarters?
   New York
2. Who is UN chief?
   Antonio Guterres