The mandate of the treaty states that all 193 UN member countries will work together to protect ocean ecosystems, conserve vital marine biodiversity, combat environmental degradation and proactively mitigate the impacts of climate change, pollution and unsustainable use of international waters. “This action is a victory for multilateralism,” declared UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in a statement praising delegates for their “perseverance” in finally coming to the two-decades-in-the-making agreement. Many of the global leaders, government officials, civil activists, environmental NGOs, academic institutions and scientists that participated in discussions at the summit have hailed the long-awaited High Seas Treaty an important “breakthrough.” “Ladies and gentlemen, the ship has reached the shore.” When the news of this historic global pact reached the conference hall, it was met with a standing ovation from the relieved and exhausted delegates in attendance, with the summit’s president, Rena Lee, emotionally declaring : “The High Seas Treaty opens the path for humankind to finally provide protection to marine life across vast swathes of the ocean,” stated the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr Bruno Oberle. However, after 20 years of deadlock and two weeks of tense negotiations at the UN’s marine biodiversity conference in New York City, it was announced late on Saturday evening that all 193 UN member countries had agreed on a text for a legally-binding “High Seas Treaty” and finally accepted collective responsibility for the overlooked marine environments of transboundary international waters. Some have even referred to these unowned seas as the “ wild west of the oceans.
Out of sight, out of mind, polluted, overfished and overmined this vast expanse of forgotten ocean has been both neglected and exploited for decades. In the Photo: Global map of international waters known as the “high seas” (highlighted in blue) defined as the total body of water more than 200 nautical miles (370km) past the continental shelf. Where are the high seas? These are the international waters which lie more than 200 nautical miles (370km) beyond any country’s borders or jurisdiction. This enormous body of water is known as the “high seas.”
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