The UN strengthens ocean governance with High Seas Treaty

After nearly 20 years of negotiations, UN member states have approved a Treaty to protect and conserve marine resources. A crucial agreement to fulfil the '30x30' agreement that aims to protect one third of the sea and land by 2030.

The High Seas Treaty seeks to reverse the degradation of ocean habitats and marine biodiversity with mechanisms to protect at least 30% of international waters. (Getty Images)

International waters, the high seas, start from 200 nautical miles from the coast and represent more than 60% of the ocean. But to date, only 1.5% have some form of protection. These percentages exclude the management of national waters, which account for 39% and are regulated under state jurisdictions. 

The absence of a legal framework for the conservation of the high seas has turned this important reserve into a domain punished by industrial, productive or consumer activities such as overfishing, mining, oil and gas extraction or maritime transport of goods, which are degrading ocean habitats, marine biodiversity and ocean-related livelihoods.

The UN treaty ‘Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction’ (hereafter referred to as the High Seas Treaty), seeks to curb and reverse this situation by creating several mechanisms to protect and sustainably manage at least 30% of international waters.

The most prominent packages of the High Seas Treaty are marine protected areas (MPAs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs), marine genetic resources (MGRs), and capacity building and transfer of marine technology (CB&TT). The latter aims to democratise technological and scientific access to all countries, especially developing countries.

Each of these packages is discussed below.