\n| \n What are the high seas?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- \u00a0According to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the High Seas,parts of the sea that are not included in the territorial waters or the internal waters of a country are known as the high seas<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Simply put, it is the area beyond a country\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zone which extends up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coastline and till where a nation has jurisdiction over living and non-living resources.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- No country is responsible for the management and protection of resources on the high seas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Importance\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- The high seas account for more than 60% of the world\u2019s ocean area and cover about half of the Earth\u2019s surface, which makes them a hub of marine life.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- They are home to around 2.7 lakh known species, many of which are yet to be discovered.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The high seas are fundamental to human survival and well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The high seas regulate the climate by playing a fundamental role in planetary stability by mitigating the effects of climate change through its absorption of carbon and by storing solar radiation and distributing heat around the globe.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
Background of the Treaty<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- The idea of protecting the marine environment emerged in 2002.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- By 2008, the need for implementing an agreement was recognised, which led to the UNGA resolution in 2015 to form a Preparatory Committee to create the treaty.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The Committee recommended the holding of intergovernmental conferences (IGC) and after five prolonged IGC negotiations, the treaty was adopted in 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Current Status and objectives:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- It is a framework to protect the world\u2019s oceans by bringing them under protected areas. The treaty is designed to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of marine resources<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>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.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The treaty is seen as a crucial component in the \u201c30 by 30\u201d targets agreed in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
\n- \u201c30 by 30\u201d is a global effort to bring 30 per cent of the world\u2019s land and sea under protection by 2030.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The treaty\u2019s objective is to implement international regulations to protect life in oceans beyond national jurisdiction through international cooperation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Major Highlights:\u00a0\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- The treaty aims to address critical issues such as the increasing sea surface temperatures, overexploitation of marine biodiversity, overfishing, coastal pollution, and unsustainable practices beyond national jurisdiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The first step is <\/span><\/span><\/span>establishing marine protected areas <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>to protect oceans from human activities through a <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cthree-quarterly majority vote,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d which prevents the decision from getting blocked by one or two parties.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- On the fair sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources, the treaty <\/span><\/span><\/span>mandates sharing of scientific information<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and monetary benefits through installing a \u201cclear house mechanism.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Through the mechanism, information on marine protected areas, marine genetic resources, and \u201carea-based management tools\u201d will be open to access for all parties.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
\n- This is to bring transparency and boost cooperation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The last pillar of the treaty is <\/span><\/span><\/span>capacity building and marine technology.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The Scientific and Technical Body will also play a significant role in environmental impact assessment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- The body will be creating standards and guidelines for assessment procedures, and helping countries with less capacity in carrying out assessments.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Opposition:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>Many developed countries opposed the treaty as they stand by private entities which are at the forefront of advanced research and development in marine technology (patents relating to marine genetic resources are held by a small group of private companies).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Russia and China also are not in favour of the treaty.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Russia withdrew from the last stage of reaching a consensus in IGC-5, arguing that the treaty does not balance conservation and sustainability.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Conclusion and Way Forward:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n- With the agreement on the UN High Seas Treaty, we take a crucial step forward to preserve the marine life and biodiversity that are essential for us and the generations to come .<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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