UN negotiators have finalized a new international agreement expected to protect and sustain almost two-thirds of the global ocean.
(Bloomberg) — UN negotiators have finalized a new international agreement expected to protect and sustain almost two-thirds of the global ocean.
The treaty would “create a coordinated approach to establishing marine protected areas on the high seas,” said Monica Medina, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, during an online briefing with reporters.
That “will be critical to meeting our shared goal of conserving or protecting at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030,” she said.
The Singapore government, whose ambassador Rena Lee presided over the international conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, said in a statement Sunday that it looked “forward to the universal adoption and effective implementation” of the agreement.
A spokesperson for the UN secretary general said the deal was the culmination of almost two decades of work, and builds on the legacy of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“This action is a victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health, now and for generations to come,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“It is crucial for addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” according to the statement.
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