WHAT ARE THE PROVISIONS OF THE HIGH SEAS TREATY?
The UN adopted the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction or the High Seas Treaty. It became the third agreement to be approved under UNCLOS, after the 1994 and 1995 treaties, which established the International Seabed Authority and the Fish Stocks agreement.
WHAT ARE THE PROVISIONS OF THE HIGH SEAS TREATY?
The UN adopted the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction or the High Seas Treaty. It became the third agreement to be approved under UNCLOS, after the 1994 and 1995 treaties, which established the International Seabed Authority and the Fish Stocks agreement.
The treaty's objective is to implement international regulations to protect life in oceans beyond national jurisdiction through international cooperation. It addresses issues such as the increasing sea surface temperatures, overexploitation of marine biodiversity, overfishing, coastal pollution, and unsustainable practices.
The first step is establishing marine protected areas to protect oceans from human activities. On sharing of benefits from marine resources, the treaty mandates sharing of information and monetary benefits through a "clear house mechanism". The last pillar is capacity building and marine technology. The Scientific and Technical Body will be creating standards and guidelines for environmental impact assessments.
This will facilitate the COP to trace future impacts, identify data gaps, and bring out research priorities.