Nations agree to establish internationally protected areas in oceans

New York/Rome: The United Nations member states have approved a “landmark” legally binding agreement, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in international waters beyond national jurisdiction, covering nearly two-thirds of world’s oceans.

Often referred to as the “High Seas Biodiversity Treaty”, on safeguarding Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), it had been under discussion for nearly two decades and was approved at an intergovernmental conference in New York on June 19, 2023, after 5 negotiating sessions.

While the United Nations Secretary-General Antònio Guterres commended the adoption of the agreement and said it “pumped new life and hope to give the ocean a fighting chance”, the Agreement will be open for signature at the UN headquarters for two years from September 20 this year, the day after the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit. It will enter into force after ratification by sixty States.  The Secretary-General urged all States to spare no effort to ensure that the Agreement enters into force and calls on them to act without delay to sign and ratify it as soon as possible.

In Rome, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed the approval of the agreement by UN member states, and stated it is set to support its Members in implementing the accord. Earlier, a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UCTAD) at the 3rd UN Trade Forum on May 8, 2023, called for governments to adopt and ratify the BBNJ agreement of March 4,  2023, and stated that the agreement will create tools for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources and establish internationally protected areas in our ocean.

The treaty marks new heights

The BBNJ Agreement “is of great importance to our efforts to tackle environmental challenges and promote the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity on the high seas,” Manuel Barange, Director of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, said today.

The agreement “enables us to complete the legal and institutional framework for global ocean governance and as a result manage and conserve our precious marine living resources more effectively,” Barange added.

FAO said it had consistently advocated for sustainable and effective fisheries management as the best way to replenish stocks, conserve biodiversity and ensure people continue to benefit from the ocean’s resources, including the high seas.

In tackling biodiversity challenges, including those in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the Organization argued that lasting progress can only be achieved through sustainable practices that enable humans to restore the health of marine ecosystems as part of effective management solutions.

FAO role pivotal

As the only intergovernmental organization mandated to undertake the collection, compilation, analysis and distribution of global fisheries and aquaculture data, FAO played a crucial role in informing the treaty process and will assist in the implementation of this new legally binding instrument.

The UN agency provides regular information and statistics to support fisheries management, policy-making and planning through the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics, the Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS) and the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS).

FAO is also poised to support the implementation of the treaty by leveraging the existing network of Regional Fisheries Bodies, including regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs), involved in the governance of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Groundwork already laid

Working with its partners through the Common Oceans Programme, FAO already laid the groundwork for change in the ocean governance of shared marine waters.

Between 2014-2019, the programme helped to establish 18 new areas to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems, contributed to the reduction of marine pollution and rebuilt tuna stocks to more sustainable levels. It also helped to lower the bycatch or discarding by fishers of such species as dolphins and porpoises in the Indian Ocean and the threat to marine turtles in the Pacific Ocean, as well as to build capacity on the BBNJ process and foster public-private partnerships.

– global bihari bureau