Good news for the high seas. This area, which begins at a maximum of 370 kilometers from the coast, represents more than 60% of the oceans and almost half of the planet. However, this vast expanse of water was very little legally regulated, long ignored by the environmental fight. It will soon be able to be protected as it should be. On Saturday evening, in New York, more than 100 member states reached an agreement at UN headquarters on the first international treaty to protect the high seas. Its goal? Remove threats to ecosystems essential to humanity. 20 minutes goes into detail on this crucial agreement.
What is the high seas?
The high seas begin where the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the States end, at a maximum of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coasts and are therefore not under the jurisdiction of any State. It represents more than 60% of the oceans and nearly half of the planet, but only 1% has so far been subject to conservation measures. The high seas, “it’s a zone of lawlessness, a big half of the planet where there are no laws, where you can, for example, dump toxic products because it doesn’t belong to anyone” , explained last February to 20 minutes André Abreu, director of international policies at the Tara Ocean Foundation
Often neglected by environmental debates, in favor of coastal areas and a few emblematic spaces, the high seas are full of abundant microscopic biodiversity. A major challenge for the planet, as the oceans absorb a significant part of the CO2 emitted by human activities. This emblematic tool is also considered essential if we hope to protect 30% of the land and oceans by 2030, as all the governments of the planet committed to doing in December at the COP15 on biodiversity. “High seas protected areas can play a vital role in building resilience to the effects of climate change,” said Liz Karan of the NGO Pew Charitable Trusts. Hence the importance of this treaty.
What does the agreement say?
The exact content of the text has not yet been published. Several topics were addressed in the discussions and the agreement should make it possible to fight against the weakening of the oceans, attacked by global warming, pollution or even overfishing. Firstly, it offers better legal protection for an area which represents, we do not say it enough, 60% of the surface of the oceans. Then, the agreement provides for “the obligation to carry out environmental impact studies” during activities planned on the high seas. Marine protected areas will be created in international waters.
Above all, the treaty regulated the management of resources in the high seas, which do not belong to anyone but are monopolized by the rich countries, which can afford to organize expensive research in these areas. Marine genetic resources are extracted there and used by pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. Developing countries insisted during the negotiations that these resources should be equitably shared.
Friday, March 3, at the end of the “Our Ocean” conference in Panama, the countries promised an envelope of nearly 20 billion dollars for the protection of the oceans. The United States has pledged to give six billion dollars, and the European Union more than 860 million dollars. The agreement will thus make it possible to align political acts with the objectives set by COP15, in Montreal, and cited above: to protect 30% of all land and oceans by 2030.
When will it come into force?
That’s the whole question. The agreement must first be dissected by the legal services of the United Nations, then it will have to be translated into the official languages of the international organization (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish). During the discussions, the European Union pledged 40 million euros to facilitate the implementation of the treaty and its ratification. The agreement must also be ratified by a significant number of countries. For the time being, it therefore does not enter into force before all these stages have been completed.
Why is this agreement historic?
This agreement on the protection of the high seas is the epilogue of a fight that began more than fifteen years ago, including four years of official discussions. Each actor defended his interests and, as in other international forums, in particular climate negotiations, the debate ended up being reduced to a question of equity between two North/South blocs. But now, at the end of a third “last” session of fifteen intense days of negotiations, “there will be no reopening or substantive discussions”, indicated Rena Lee, to the sustained and prolonged applause of the delegates. A president of the intergovernmental conference who announced, in tears, the good news on Saturday evening in New York, with these words: “The ship has reached the shore. »
After two weeks of intense discussions, including a marathon session on the night of Friday to Saturday, the delegates therefore finalized a text which can no longer be significantly modified. And to note its historical character, it is necessary to take stock of the reactions of the defenders of the cause who unanimously welcomed the agreement. “It is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world the protection of nature and people can triumph over geopolitics. We commend the countries for seeking compromises, putting aside their differences and coming up with a treaty that will allow us to protect the oceans,” said Laura Meller, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic. While hailing “a huge victory”, Greenpeace France called on governments to “ensure that the treaty is put into practice effectively and fairly”.
On the political side, the reactions are unanimous. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, hailed a “victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to counter the destructive trends that threaten the health of the oceans, today and for generations to come”. As for Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for the Environment, he welcomed on behalf of the European Union this “crucial step to preserve marine life and biodiversity which are essential for us and future generations”.