UN treaty to protect the seas: “Historic and overwhelming”

After 15 years of negotiations, the UN has agreed on an agreement to protect the high seas. Politicians and environmental organizations speak of a success. Above all, the distribution of profits was controversial until the end.

When commission head Rena Lee took the floor late that night, the United Nations delegates were also relieved: the ship had reached the shore, said the Singapore diplomat to applause from the UN member states’ negotiators. They had previously negotiated for almost 40 hours at a time in a marathon closing session.

All in all, the international community spent more than 15 years at various conferences arguing about an agreement to protect the high seas. The first ever: “We like to go on learning trips here in Singapore,” Lee said. “Our children go on such journeys early on in order to learn. And I can say today: that was the learning journey of a lifetime.”

No resumption of negotiations planned

However, it was initially unclear whether Russia and China also completed this learning journey and are part of the agreement. Negotiators described the behavior of the two countries as “destructive”. The question at stake was whether marine protection areas should in future be decided by a majority or only unanimously. Russia in particular had insisted on unanimity, which would amount to a right of veto.

The final text was not initially published. According to diplomats, however, a three-quarters majority decision should have been stipulated. According to conference leader Lee, there will be no resumption of negotiations or substantive discussions. The text will now be checked again by lawyers and translated into the six official languages ​​of the United Nations. “Then we will formally conclude the agreement in all six official languages,” says Lee.

Protection of biological diversity on the high seas

The main aim of the negotiations was to create the conditions for at least 30 percent of the world’s oceans to be designated as protected areas by the end of the decade. The agreement is also intended to place biological diversity on the high seas under internationally binding protection. In addition, procedures are to be established to check economic exploitation, expeditions and other activities in the seas for their environmental compatibility.

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke called the result a “historic and overwhelming success for international marine protection,” which personally moves her deeply. You are building on the fact that as many countries as possible ratify the agreement. According to Lemke, Germany will work towards this. “We are pioneers in marine protection and will continue to do so.”

UN Secretary General António Guterres spoke of a “victory for multilateralism” and praised the work of the delegates. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a statement: “We did it!” The treaty will protect the sea beyond national responsibilities. Environmental protection organizations also reacted largely positively, but also called for the agreement to be implemented quickly.

Mechanism for compensatory payments to poorer countries

The main sticking point in the negotiations was how possible profits from future economic activities will be distributed, says Ralph Sonntag from the World Future Council: “It is expected that a large number of genetic sequences will be found in the future, which could help, for example, for a new drug against cancer.” In addition, these could be used for new super plastics. That could make a lot of money, so Sunday. This was shown by finds of genetic sequences from the Amazon that have been used profitably in the pharmaceutical industry. Countries of the Global South would hardly have benefited from this. “The big pharmaceutical companies in the USA and Europe then picked it up,” says Sonntag.

That should change with future discoveries: The UN member states agreed on a mechanism for compensation payments to poorer countries.

Around two-thirds of the world’s oceans that do not fall under a country’s exclusive economic zone because they are more than 370 kilometers from the nearest coast are referred to as the high seas. So far, only about one percent of the high seas is protected by international agreements.