UN Mulls Treaty for Maritime Biodiversity
United Nations has agreed to convene an intergovernmental conference aimed at drafting a legally binding treaty to conserve marine life and govern the mostly lawless high seas beyond national jurisdiction.
By calling to preserve vast areas threatened by pollution, overfishing and global warming, the eventual UN treaty would be the first to specifically address protection of marine life, says an AFP report.
But the agreement was reached only after a small group of countries engaged in fishing and ocean mining blocked a more rapid timeline during the discussions between experts from the 193 member countries. A majority of nations called for quick action but several countries such as the United States, Russia, Canada, Iceland and Japan expressed reluctance.
The open-ended Ad Hoc informal Working Group, which negotiated the deal, has been dragging its collective feet since it was initially convened back in 2006. The High Seas Alliance, a coalition of 27 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) plus the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) played a significant role in pushing for negotiations on the proposed treaty.
Karen Sack, senior director of international oceans for The Pew Charitable Trusts, a member of the coalition, told IPS a Preparatory Committee (Prep Com), comprising of all 193 member states, will start next year.